opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 3407 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Safety Standards in Tribal Residential Schools
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Dr. Mallu Ravi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 3407

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 12/03/2026

## SAFETY STANDARDS IN TRIBAL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

3407. DR. MALLU RAVI:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether cases of food poisoning and infections in Tribal residential schools have been reported, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the timeline for ensuring all tribal residential schools comply with the Government's safety standards to prevent children getting affected by food poisoning band infections; and
- (c) the details of the steps taken to prevent recurrence and safeguard children's health?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): A few isolated instances of suspected food poisoning and infections in certain Eklavya Model Residential  Schools  (EMRSs)  have  been  reported.  In  such  cases,  necessary  medical  attention  was provided  to  the  affected  students  and  appropriate  corrective  measures  were  taken  by  the  concerned school authorities in coordination with the State/UT EMRS Societies.

The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has issued a series of circulars and guidelines to all EMRSs  to ensure strict adherence to health, hygiene and safety standards in hostels and school messes. These include, inter-alia, the Guidelines for Mess Management in EMRSs and instructions regarding preventive measures for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of hostel students.

The EMRS Mess Management Guidelines prescribe hygienic food preparation practices, safe storage of food items, and maintenance of cleanliness in kitchen and dining areas. The guidelines also provide for the  constitution  of  Mess  Committees,  periodic  inspections,  and  tasting  of  food  prior  to  serving  to students.

Further, NESTS has issued instructions for engagement of a Staff Nurse and Counsellor in each EMRS to  facilitate  regular  health  monitoring  and  provide  psychosocial  support  to  students.  In  addition, engagement of a Part-time Doctor has been mandated to ensure periodic medical check-ups and timely medical consultation. Provision has also been made for hiring of a school vehicle to facilitate prompt transportation of students to nearby health facilities in case of medical emergencies.

These measures are collectively aimed at further strengthening health services, improving food safety practices, and ensuring timely medical response in EMRSs so as to safeguard the health and well-being of tribal students residing in these schools.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3406 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Ensuring Quality, Safety and Accountability in Public Construction Works
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Parshottambhai Rupala

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3406

## TO BE ANSWERED ON MARCH 12, 2026

## ENSURING QUALITY, SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC

## CONSTRUCTION WORKS

## NO. 3406.  SHRI PARSHOTTAMBHAI RUPALA:

Will  the  Minister  of  HOUSING  AND  URBAN  AFFAIRS  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the  measures  taken  by  the  Central  Public  Works  Department  in coordination with State Governments and other Central agencies to ensure  quality  assurance  of  each  public  construction  work  where
- public funds are utilized as on date;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  qualityfocused public works legislation as enacted in Japan and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is aware that in the absence of a specific statutory  framework  on  construction  quality,  several  public  works have deteriorated or become unsafe within a short period and if so, the details thereof along with the corrective actions proposed to be taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

- (a) To ensure Quality Assurance in public works, the Central Public Works Department follows its Works Manual and Standard Operating Procedures,  Specifications,  Quality  Assurance  Manual  etc.  The  CPWD also  regularly  updates  these  documents.  All  these  publications  are available on the CPWD website free of cost and are referred by the State Governments  and  other  Central/State  agencies  for  ensuring  quality  in public construction works.

(b): No.

(c): The quality of Public Works is ensured and guided by the provisions of General  Financial  Rules  (GFR),  Central  Vigilance  Commission  (CVC) Guidelines,  CPWD  Manual  and  Standard  Operating  Procedures  of  the CPWD.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3405 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Benefits under PM Vishwakarma
Ministry: MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Shri Prabhakar Reddy Vemireddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3405 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2026

## BENEFITS UNDER PM VISHWAKARMA

## 3405. SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY VEMIREDDY:

Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL) score is one of the criteria to take benefits under PM Vishwakarma Scheme;
- (b) if so, the reasons that Government made CIBIL Score mandatory under PM Vishwakarma;
- (c) whether it would not impact better implementation of the scheme and also beneficiaries are at loss and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to remove CIBIL Score as criteria under PM Vishwakarma and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether it is true that out of about two crore applications received, 1.3 crore applications are pending with Gram Panchayats and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the reasons for such huge number of applications pending with GPs and the manner in which Government is planning to address this?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (d): PM Vishwakarma scheme is conjointly being looked by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium  Enterprises  (MSME),  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  and Department of Financial Services (DFS).

As per information received from DFS, CIBIL score is not mandatory to take benefits under the  PM  Vishwakarma  scheme.  Further,  as  per  PM  Vishwakarma  scheme  guidelines,  Credit information  report  is  required  for  those  who  have  a  credit  history,  for  availing  benefits  under  the credit component, so as to exclude any defaulter from availing credit again under the Scheme.

The  issue  of  CIBIL  score  has  been  specifically  addressed  in  FAQs  issued  to  banks  on 14.08.2024 wherein it has been explicitly stated that no minimum Credit score has been prescribed under the PM Vishwakarma scheme for availing credit component.

Hence there is no impact on implementation of the scheme.

(e) & (f): Under the  PM Vishwakarma  Scheme,  Stage-I  verification  of  applications  is  carried out  through  the  Head  of  the  Gram  Panchayat/Chairman  of  the  Village  Council  or  the  Executive Head/Administrator of the Urban Local Body. As on 09.03.2026, 83.53 lakh applications are pending for  verification  at  Stage-I  level,  of  which  55.54  lakh  applications  are  with  Gram  Panchayats  and 27.99 lakh applications are with Urban Local Bodies.

Against  the  target  of  30  lakh  registrations  under  the  scheme,  the  target  has  already  been achieved.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3403 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Routes under RCS-UDAN Scheme
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Smt. Satabdi Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3403

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12th March 2026 )

## ROUTES UNDER RCS-UDAN SCHEME

3403.    SMT SATABDI ROY

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) the total number of routes operationalised under the Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) scheme;
- (b) the total number of routes discontinued before completion of three years of operation; and
- (c) the number of routes that are presently operational and are operating at fifty per cent capacity or below?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

- (a) to (c): As on 28.02.2026, a total of 663 RCS  routes have been operationalised  under  the  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme-Ude  Desh  ka  Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). Out of these, 123 RCS routes were discontinued before completion of the three-year operational period. At present, 336 RCS routes are operational.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3401 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Non-Operational Airports
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Smt. Bag Mitali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3401

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12th March 2026 )

## NON-OPERATIONAL AIRPORTS

3401.    SMT BAG MITALI Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) the total number of airports along with the number of those currently nonoperational across the country;
- (b)  the  total  number  of  greenfield  airports  constructed  and  presently  nonoperational;
- (c)  whether  any  feasibility  surveys  and  technical  readiness  assessments  were conducted before launching these airports and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is a fact that despite the inauguration of eleven new airports in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh under the UDAN scheme, only four airports currently have scheduled commercial flights and if so, the details thereof; and (e)  whether  certain  airports  have  failed  to  sustain  flight  operations  after  the expiry of Viability Gap Funding and if so, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

- (a): The total number of operational airports in the country is 164. In addition, 22 airports of Airports Authority of India (AAI) are non-operational at present.
- (b):  The  Government  of  India  has  accorded  in-principle  approval  for  the construction of 24 new Greenfield airports across the country so far. As on date,
- 13  Greenfield  airports  have  been  operationalised.  Out  of  these,  Kushinagar Airport does not have scheduled flight operations at present.
- (c):  As  per  Greenfield  Airports  (GFA)  Policy,  2008,  Airport  Developer  is required to identify a suitable site and get the Pre-feasibility Study conducted and submit a proposal to the Central Government for 'Site Clearance' followed by 'In-Principle' approval.
- (d) & (e): Under the UDAN scheme, the airports namely Darbhanga and Purnea in  the  state  of  Bihar,  Deoghar  and  Jamshedpur  in  the  state  of  Jharkhand,  and Kanpur,  Prayagraj,  Kushinagar,  Bareilly,  Chitrakoot,  Moradabad,  Aligarh, Azamgarh, Shravasti, Ayodhya, Hindon and Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh have been operationalized.

All the  above  airports  have  scheduled  flight  operations,  except  six  airports  in Uttar Pradesh, namely, Kushinagar, Chitrakoot, Moradabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh, and Shravasti, where operations are temporarily discontinued due to factors  such  as  completion  of  the  three-year  Viability  Gap  Funding  (VGF) support period, poor visibility conditions, daytime runway restrictions at VFRonly airports, shortage of aircraft, leasing issues, temporary discontinuation by airlines, novation of routes and low passenger load factors.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3400 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: International Flight Service from Patna Airport
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Sudhakar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3400

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12th March 2026 )

## INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SERVICE FROM PATNA AIRPORT

3400.    SHRI SUDHAKAR SINGH Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  in  the  absence  of  direct  international  flight connectivity from Bihar, particularly from Patna airport, to Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, passengers from Bihar are presently required to  travel  via  New  Delhi  or  Kolkata,  thereby  facing  additional  time,  cost  and inconvenience and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that a large number of people from Bihar regularly travel to these Gulf countries for employment, business, education and religious purposes, resulting in substantial passenger traffic on these routes and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether there is any proposal under consideration to encourage airlines to operate direct flights from Patna to Gulf destinations or to allocate slots under Bilateral Air Services Agreements in this regard; and
- (d) if so, the current status thereof along with the expected timeline fixed for the commencement of such services and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

(a) to (d): Currently, there is no direct international flight from Bihar to the Gulf countries.  However,  airports  in  Bihar  including  Patna  are  well  connected  to major Indian airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata for providing onward connectivity to Gulf countries.

The government has provided an enabling environment for the growth of civil aviation  sector.  However,  the  start  of  international  flights  from  any  point  in India  is  purely  a  commercial  decision  of  the  airlines  on  the  basis  of  the economic viability of the route and other associated factors.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3399 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Flight Connectivity between Solapur and Shirdi
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3399

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12th March 2026 )

## FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN SOLAPUR AND SHIRDI

3399.     MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government has assessed the feasibility and passenger demand for introducing direct flight connectivity between Solapur and Shirdi, considering the significant pilgrim traffic between the two cities and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  existing  infrastructure  and  operational  readiness  at  Solapur  and Shirdi  airports  are  adequate  for  operating  scheduled  commercial  flights  in  this sector and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  to  commence  direct  flights  between Solapur and Shirdi under the UDAN scheme along with the timeline fixed in this regard?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION      (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)

(a)  to  (c):  With  the  repeal  of  the  Air  Corporations  Act  in  March  1994,  Indian domestic aviation was deregulated. Airlines are free to induct capacity with any aircraft type and to select the markets and networks they wish to serve. Hence, it is upto  the  airline  operators  to  introduce  air  services  to/from  any  airport  in  the country, depending on their operational and commercial viability.

Solapur  Airport,  owned  by  the  Airports  Authority  of  India  (AAI),  has  been developed  under  the  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme  (RCS)  -UDAN  and  was licensed for Category 2C (VFR) operations. The existing infrastructure at Solapur Airport  is  adequate  for  operating  scheduled  commercial  flights.  The  airport infrastructure  at  Shirdi  is  designed  for  Category  4C  IFR  operations  with  24×7 operational capability.

RCS-UDAN is a market-driven scheme under which airline operators assess the feasibility  of  operating  on  specific  routes  and  participate  in  the  scheme  through periodic  bidding  rounds.  The  selection  of  airlines  is  carried  out  through  a transparent  bidding  process.  If  any  airline  submits  a  valid  bid  for  the  requested routes in a future bidding round, the same may be considered in accordance with the provisions of the UDAN Scheme.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3398 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Framework to prevent Instability in Airline Operations
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3398

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12th March 2026 )

## FRAMEWORK TO PREVENT INSTABILITY IN AIRLINE OPERATIONS

3398.    SHRI IMRAN MASOOD Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken any regulatory review or implemented  a  new  operational  framework  to  prevent  instability  in  airline operations and large-scale flight cancellations;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the salient features of such review/framework;
- (c) whether new guidelines have been issued for Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and crew planning in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether any provisions have been made for taking punitive action against airlines that violate these guidelines and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  CIVIL  AVIATION            (Shri  Murlidhar Mohol)

(a) & (b): Amendments to rules and regulations applicable to commercial civil aviation  are  a  continuous  process  to  meet  industry  demands  and  to  remain aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Further, DGCA has issued General Safety Circular 02/2025 dated 11.12.2025 on  Advance  Preparedness  and  Timely  Compliance  of  Specific  Operating Regulations. The Circular requires stakeholders to prepare a detailed implementation plan well in advance, ensure timely availability and functionality  of  required  resources,  conduct  necessary  trials  or  dry  runs,  and submit  the  preparedness  plan  along  with  trial  results  to  DGCA  prior  to implementation. Stakeholders are also required to monitor the effectiveness of implementation  for  at  least  six  months  and  submit  weekly  reports  to  DGCA highlighting key observations and the monitoring framework adopted.

(c):  DGCA  has  implemented  the  new  Fatigue  Management  Regulations  for Flight crew under CAR Section 7, Series J, Part III, Issue III, Revision 2 in a phased manner, with Phase-1 effective from 01 July 2025 and Phase-2 effective from 01 November 2025, as directed by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court.

(d):  Any  non-compliance  attracts  enforcement  action  in  accordance  with  the provisions of the Enforcement Policy and Procedure Manual (EPPM). Further, any person who contravenes any rule specified in Schedule VIA and VIB of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 shall be liable for imposition of penalty.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3391 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Adi-Vaani, AI-Driven Platform for Tribal Languages
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Eswarasamy K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3391

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 12 th  MARCH, 2026

## Adi-Vaani, AI-Driven Platform for Tribal Language

## 3391. Shri Eswarasamy K:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  launched  initiatives  such  as Adi-Vaani,  India's  AIdriven platform  for  tribal  language  translation  and  preservation,  for  documentation  and digitalisation of tribal languages and if so, the details of tribal languages preserved, digitised and integrated under the platform, State-wise;

(b) whether the Government is aware of the tribal communities in the Pollachi-Anamalai region of the  State of Tamil Nadu including Malasar, Malai Malasar, Kadar, Mudugar (Muduvan), Irular and Eravalar and whether their distinct linguistic and cultural traditions are at risk due to lack of systematic documentation;

(c)  whether  any  steps  have  been  taken  to  document  and  digitise  the  languages  and cultural practices of these communities and if so, the details thereof; and

(d)  if  not,  the  steps  proposed  and  the  timeline  for  undertaking  systematic  documentation  in the said region?

## ANSWER

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

(a) Yes. Adi-Vaani is an AI powered translation platform that is also for the documentation and digitalization  of  tribal  languages.  Currently,  the  app  and  web  portal  supports  the  following languages:

-  Gondi from Chhattisgarh
-  Mundari from Jharkhand
-  Bhili from Madhya Pradesh
-  Santali from Odisha.

Two languages, i.e., Kui from Odisha and Garo from Meghalaya are in development phase. In  second phase of the project, following seven languages are proposed to be included in Adi Vaani:

-  Katkari - Maharashtra
-  Koya - Andhra Pradesh
-  Kokborok - Tripura
-  Betta Kuruba - Karnataka
-  Thodou Kuki & Tangkhul - Manipur
-  Chodri - Gujarat

(b)  Yes.  The  Government  is  aware  that  the  linguistic  and  cultural  traditions  of  these  tribal communities are in flux due to various factors including modernization, socio-economic change etc.

(c) & (d) These languages may be considered for inclusion in subsequent phases of the Adi Vaani project, which aims to progressively expand coverage to additional tribal languages across the country  for  documentation,  preservation  and  digital  access.  Documentation  and  digitization activities for the languages of the proposed communities will be undertaken in a phased manner in coordination with the concerned State Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) and the specific timeline will depend on the collaboration with local stakeholders and the scope of field documentation.

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