opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 2073 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-12
Subject: Maintenance Grants for EMRSs
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Sunil Bose

2073. SHRI SUNIL BOSE:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Union Government has allocated and released maintenance grants to the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka during the current and the last three financial years;
- (b) if so, the specific details of the grant amount sanctioned and utilized by EMRSs under the maintenance head during the said period;
- (c) if not, the reasons for the delay or non-release of the stipulated maintenance grants to these schools; and
- (d) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure timely and full release of maintenance grants to these
- institutions to ensure smooth functioning and proper upkeep of infrastructure?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

(a) to (d) Under the existing scheme of EMRS, the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) allocated a recurring grant of ₹1,09,000 per student per annum till third quarter of FY 2024-25. For fourth quarter it was increased to Rs. 1,40,059/- per student per annum. It has been subsequently revised to Rs. 1,47,062/- per student per annum from FY 2025-26 which is inclusive of maintenance expenses and is applicable to EMRS located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka also. The funds are released to State EMRS Societies every six months in advance for their smooth functioning.

The details of funds released for the State of Karnataka in this regard, during the last 3 financial years and current financial year is as follows:

| Financial Year          | Rs. in Lakhs   |
|-------------------------|----------------|
| 2022-23                 | 1,768.84       |
| 2023-24                 | 2,677.67       |
| 2024-25                 | 7,933.24       |
| 2025-26 till 27.01.2026 | 3,926.78       |

*****

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2073

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026

## MAINTENANCE GRANTS FOR EMRSs
Lok Sabha Question No. 172 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Survey for Rare Earth Material
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Vivek Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 172

ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## SURVEY FOR RARE EARTH MATERIAL

## *172.  SHRI VIVEK THAKUR

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  conduct  a  survey  regarding  the  potential availability of rare earth materials in Nawada and Sheikhpura districts of Bihar and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to conduct scientific exploration/survey in the said areas through Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL); and
- (c) if so, the proposed timeline fixed to conduct the said survey 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) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

1

## Government of India Department of Atomic Energy

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (C) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 172 FOR REPLY ON 11.02.2026 REGARDING ' SURVEY FOR RARE EARTH MATERIAL ' ASKED BY SHRI VIVEK THAKUR

- (a) Yes,  Atomic  Minerals  Directorate  for  Exploration  and  Research  (AMD),  a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is carrying out G4-stage geological  and  radiometric  surveys  in  Koderma  district  and  adjoining  areas, including parts of Nawada district, Bihar for exploration of critical and strategic minerals, including minerals of Rare Earth Elements (REE).  However, at present AMD is not carrying out survey in Sheikhpura district, Bihar.
- (b)&(c)    Scientific  exploration/survey  is  the  mandate  of  Atomic  Minerals  Directorate  for Exploration  and  Research  (AMD),  a  constituent  unit  of  Department  of  Atomic Energy (DAE).

*****

2
Lok Sabha Question No. 2068 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Digitisation of Post Office Savings Schemes
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Dr. D Ravi Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2068 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## DIGITISATION OF POST OFFICE SAVINGS SCHEMES

## 2068.   DR. D RAVI KUMAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that India Post operates over 1.64 lakh post offices, serving more than 45 crore postal savings account holders and the measures taken to modernise and digitise post office savings schemes to enhance ease of access, transparency and financial inclusion and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether 100% of post offices have been brought under the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) and connected through the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) platform to enable online deposits, withdrawals, fund transfers, and real-time balance enquiries and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any post offices remain outside full digital integration and if so, the reasons therefor and the time-bound roadmap for their completion; and

(d) whether the impact on new digital platforms, mobile apps, and paperless services, including IPPB Mobile Banking, have been introduced to facilitate transactions under schemes such as NSC, KVP and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and if so, the details and impact thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) &(b) Yes Sir. The Department of Posts through a network of over 1.64 lakh Post Offices serves more than 45 crore Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) account holders. To modernise and digitise Post Office Savings Schemes, Core Banking Solution (CBS) along with digital services such as ATMs, internet and mobile banking, online account opening/closure, deposits, real-time balance enquiry through online banking, fund transfers through NEFT/ RTGS, IPPB-POSA linkage, etc., have  been  enabled  in  POSB  through  its  CBS  platform.  In  addition  to  facilities  given  to  POSB customers, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) is offering its customers a range of services such as savings and current accounts, Virtual Debit Card, Domestic Money Transfer services, bill and utility payments, insurance services for IPPB customers, online payment for Post Office Savings schemes, Digital Life Certificate (DLC), Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), mobile number update in Aadhaar for any citizen and Child Enrolment services for any child of 0-5 years old. All these services are contributing towards enhancing ease of access, transparency and financial inclusion.

- (c) No Sir.  All post offices are working on digital platform.
- (d) Department of Posts through internet banking, enables transactions under the scheme such as National Savings Certificate (NSC), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS). These initiatives have improved customer convenience and enhanced ease of operations.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2057 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Network Connectivity in Bihar
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Abhay Kumar Sinha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2057 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## NETWORK CONNECTIVITY IN BIHAR

## †2057. SHRI ABHAY KUMAR SINHA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Panchayats in the State of Bihar connected with mobile towers and reliable network connectivity under the Digital India Programme so far;
- (b) the total number of such Panchayats identified in Bihar between the years 2022 to 2025 where mobile towers or minimum network facilities are still not available;
- (c) whether access to education, health banking and e-governance services is being obstructed in rural areas due to the lack of mobile network; and
- (d) whether  any  effective  mobile  tower  has  not  been  established  so  far  in  Chhakarbanda Panchayat under Dumaria Block of Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the timeline fixed for establishing a mobile tower there?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As of December 2025, 44,837 villages are covered with 4G mobile connectivity in Bihar.
- (b) to (d) To enable access to education, health, banking, e-governance and other services in uncovered remote & rural areas of the country, a number of Government funded steps & projects have been taken for providing high bandwidth capacity internet/broadband connectivity and mobile services. As of December-2025, under 4G Saturation and other mobile projects, out of the planned 409 mobile towers, 384 mobile towers have been commissioned covering 474 villages/location in Bihar,  including  Chhakarbanda.  Further,  under  BharatNet  project,  8340  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs) have  been  made  service  ready  for  broadband  connectivity  in  Bihar.  Also,  Amended  BharatNet Program (ABP) is under implementation for up-gradation of existing network of BharatNet, creation of network in balance GPs and connectivity to remaining non-GP villages on demand basis.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2056 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Impact of Pre-Matric Scholarship Discontinuation
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Smt. Sajda Ahmed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2056 ANSWERED ON 11/02/2026

## IMPACT OF PRE-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIP DISCONTINUATION

2056. SMT. SAJDA AHMED :

Will the Minister of Minority Affairs be pleased to state: (a)  whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  educational  development  of  minority  communities including enrolment and retention rates and if so, the details thereof; (b)  whether  the  Merit-Cum-Means  and  Pre-Matric  Scholarship  for  minority  students  have  been discontinued  and  if  so,  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the  impact  of  this  discontinuation  on enrolment, dropout and academic performance of minority students; and (c)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  to  support  minority  education including alternative scholarships or financial assistance?

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a)  to  (c):    Ministry  of  Education ' s  UDISE+ ( Unified District  Information  System  for  Education Plus) - a unified platform publishes reports from time to time, pertaining to enrolment and dropout rate of students, covering various social categories. Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various schemes, including PreMatric,  Post-Matric  and  Merit-cum-Means  Scholarship  schemes,  across  the  country  for  socioeconomic  and  educational  empowerment  of  the  six  notified  minority  communities.  However,  the schemes have not been approved for implementation beyond 2021-22. The  National  Minorities  Development  &  Finance  Corporation  (NMDFC)  a  Government  of  India Undertaking (Ministry of Minority Affairs), offers financial assistance to minority students under its education loan scheme for pursuing technical and professional courses.

*****

## ANSWER
Lok Sabha Question No. 2051 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Restoration of Parcel Service to Sugauli Station
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Sunil Kumar

§

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2051

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## RESTORATION OF PARCEL SERVICE TO SUGAULI STATION

## †2051. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  parcels  were  previously  transported  to  Sugauli  by  the  13021 Mithila Express;
- (b) if so, whether the parcels are now only being transported from Howrah
- to Motihari;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that businessmen in the Valmikinagar Lok Sabha constituency have been receiving large quantities of goods from  Howrah  via  the  Mithila  Express  and  that  they  are  now  facing difficulties because the service no longer extends to Sugauli; and
- (d)  if  so,  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  reinstating  the  parcel service to Sugauli station?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (d):  The  decision  regarding  opening  and  closure  of  any  station  for handling of parcel traffic is taken by the Zonal Railways on the basis of the traffic  potential  and  operational  feasibility.  Parcel  handling  at  Sugauli station  was  closed  by  East  Central  Railway  with  effect  from  24.10.2024. However, Motihari and Raxaul station in the vicinity of Sugauli station are available  for  booking  of  parcels  from  Howrah  by  train  no.  13021  Mithila Express.

Further, Zonal Railway has been  advised to hold consultation with stakeholders  and  if  feasible,  consider  re-opening  the  parcel  office  at Sugauli.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2043 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Linguistic Minorities in the Country
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2043

ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## LINGUISTIC MINORITIES IN THE COUNTRY

2043.  DR. THIRUMAAVALAVAN THOLKAPPIYAN:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  number  of  linguistic  minorities  living  in  the  country  during  the  time  of independence; and
- (b) the details of the number of linguistic minorities living in the country as on date?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) & (b): The term 'Linguistic Minorities' has not been defined in the Constitution or by any Statute. Linguistic Minorities are identified by the State, the State Government/Union Territory on the basis of Census data.

The concept of Linguistic Minorities came into existence consequent to creation of the Linguistic States on the recommendations of the State Reorganization Commission Report, 1956.

As  per  the  working  definition  of  Linguistic  Minorities  followed  by  the  Commissioner  for Linguistic minorities: 'Linguistic minorities are group or collectivities of individuals residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language or script of their own. The language of the minority group need not be the one of the twenty two languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the constitution. In other words, linguistic minorities at the State level mean any group or groups of people whose mother tongues are different from the principal language of the State, and at the district and taluka/tehsil levels, different from the principal language of the district or taluka/tehsil concerned'.

The Language Data as per Census 2011 is available in the public domain: censusindia.gov.in   of the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2040 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: K-FON
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri N K Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2040 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## K-FON

## 2040.   SHRI N K PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Union Government  given license to Government of Kerala  for Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of total cost of the project and date of completion as per the documents submitted for license;
- (c) whether the project implemented as per the schedule and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  evaluate  the  progress  of  K-FON  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and percentage of work completed till date and amount spend for the same;
- (e) whether  the  Union  Government  examined  financial  viability,  commercial  and  technical feasibility of K-FON and if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether the Union Government assessed the quality and quantity of K-FON work; and
- (g) if so, the total number of connections given till date and the estimated number of connections to make the project commercially viable?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Department of Telecommunications has granted a Unified License to Kerala Fibre Optic Network Limited, with authorizations for National Long Distance (NLD) Service and Internet Service Provider (ISP).
- (b) to (d) As  per  the  Unified  License  guidelines  under  which  an  applicant  applies  for  Unified License, the applicant is not mandated to furnish any project information including project cost, status of implementation, or timelines for completion.
- (e) While applying for a license, the applicant company is required to meet the minimum equity and minimum net  worth  requirements  prescribed  under  the  Unified  License  guidelines.  These  eligibility conditions were duly complied with by Kerala Fibre Optic Network Limited at the time of submitting its application for grant of license.
- (f) Technical inspections of all ISPs including K-FON are conducted periodically in accordance with the Department of Telecommunications guidelines.
- (g) As on 31st January 2026, K-FON has provided a total of 99,970 internet connections in the State of Kerala.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2038 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Beneficiaries under PM-KUSUM
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato, Shri Lumbaram Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2038

ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## BENEFICIARIES UNDER PM-KUSUM

## 2038. SHRI LUMBARAM CHOUDHARY SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO

## WILL THE MINISTER OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY BE PLEASED TO

## STATE:

(a) the total number of farmers have benefited from the installation of solar pumps and gridconnected solar plants under Pradhan Mantri- Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) in the country particularly in Rajasthan especially in Jalore;

- (b) the total solar capacity installed so far under the three components of the PM-KUSUM; and
- (c) whether the Government has taken steps to simplify procedures and increase participation of small and marginal farmers in the country particularly in Rajasthan especially in Jalore and Sirohi and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

## (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a) As on 31.01.2026, more than 23.14 lakh farmers are benefitted under different components of PM-KUSUM Scheme.

As reported by State Implementing Agencies (SIA) for the state of Rajasthan, 2.76 lakh farmers from the state have been benefitted under the scheme including 17,029 beneficiary farmers from Jalore district.

- (b) As on 31.01.2026, a total of 11,670 MW has been installed under all three components of PM KUSUM Scheme.
- (c) The Ministry has simplified the procedures and issued comprehensive revised guidelines on 17.01.2024 for ease of implementation of the scheme. The Scheme guidelines mandate that priority  would  be  given  to  small  and  marginal  farmers  and  farmers  using  micro  irrigation techniques.

To  increase  the  reach  of  PM  KUSUM  scheme,  extensive  outreach  and  capacity-building workshops are conducted by the Ministry from time to time. This includes Regional Workshops on RE, including Jaipur, with state public representatives.

As reported by the SIA of Rajathan, a state online portal, "Raj Kisan Saathi", has been created for  the  application  process  under  Component  B  of  the  scheme.  The  state  has  also  notified minimum land ownership requirement of 0.4 hectares for farmers, and for Scheduled Tribe farmers in the state's notified tribal areas, the land ownership's minimum limit is 0.2 hectares. In addition, the installation of solar power pump sets is permitted not only on wells and tube wells but also on farmers' farm pond/water tank/diggi.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2036 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Channels for Dissemination of Education
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Ajay Bhatt

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2036

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026)

CHANNELS FOR DISSEMINATION OF EDUCATION

2036. SHRI AJAY BHATT:

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

- (a) the number of channels being broadcasted by Doordarshan for the dissemination of education in the country;
- (b) whether the Government is broadcasting the programmes of the said channels in Uttarakhand; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

(DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) to  (c):  Prasar  Bharati  has  entered  into  a  Memorandum  of Understanding  (MoU)  with  the  Bhaskaracharya  Institute  for  Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG-N), Government of India, for the broadcast of educational channels over DD FreeDish Direct-toHome (DTH) Platform.

Under  this  MoU,  about  320  co-branded  educational  channels  are telecast across the country, including the State of Uttarakhand, over DD Free Dish. DD FreeDish footprint is available across the country including remote, inaccessible and border areas.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2033 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Pending Disbursals under Minority Scholarship Schemes
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Smt. Bag Mitali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2033

ANSWERED ON 11/02/2026

## PENDING DISBURSALS UNDER MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES

2033.  SMT. BAG MITALI:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the total number of beneficiaries under each minority scholarship scheme during the year 2023-24, State-wise;

(b) the amount of pending disbursals for each scheme as on date; and

- (c)  whether the Government proposes to release the pending funds before the close of the current financial year and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a) and (b): Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various schemes, including PreMatric,  Post  Matric  and  Merit-cum-Means  Scholarship  schemes,  across  the  country  for  socioeconomic  and  educational  empowerment  of  the  six  notified  minority  communities.  However,  the schemes have not been approved for implementation beyond 2021-22.
- (c): There is no such proposal under consideration of this ministry.

*****