opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 2734 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: National Sports Talent Competition
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Smt. Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke, Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †2734 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

National Sports Talent Competition

†2734.

SMT. DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:

SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the children aged 8 to 14 years are identified and trained under the National Sports Talent Competition (NSTC);
- (b) if so, the number of schools in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and the district of Dadra and Nagar Haveli affiliated with the said scheme along with the number of sports talents identified there;
- (c) whether the reach of the said scheme is extremely limited in the rural and semi-urban areas of the said States and district with severe shortage of training facilities and qualified coaches;
- (d) whether the Government is formulating a concrete action plan to establish special sports nurseries, develop better coaching infrastructure and make the selection process more transparent and comprehensive in Maharashtra, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Khandwa Lok Sabha Constituency of Madhya Pradesh; and
- (e) if so, the details of the roadmap prepared thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS [DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA]

(a) & (b) Yes Sir. Under the National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) Scheme of Sports Authority of India (SAI), talented athletes in the age group of 8-14 years are identified and provided systematic training.

In the State of Madhya Pradesh, one Regular School under the NSTC Scheme  has  been  established  at  Maharani  Lakshmi  Multipurpose High School, Jabalpur. Due to administrative reasons, the school is not  operational  at  present,  therefore,  no  induction  of  athletes  has been carried out in the school. Further, no Regular School has been adopted in Maharashtra and the district of Dadra and Nagar Haveli so far.

(c) to (e) SAI has undertaken an exercise of restructuring its Sports Promotional Schemes to ensure more focused and effective development of athletes. Given the existing sports infrastructure in the States and financial considerations, the emphasis is currently on strengthening  the  capabilities  of  the  existing  centres  to  drive excellence in sports. Further, SAI creates/upgrades infrastructure in its SAI Centres only.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2732 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Revival of Heritage Sites
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Biplab Kumar Deb

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2732

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## REVIVAL OF HERITAGE SITES

## 2732. SHRI BIPLAB KUMAR DEB:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has implemented conservation and development projects for the revival of heritage sites across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the actions taken/being taken by the Government for the digitization of the cultural heritage of India; and
- (d) whether any such project has been identified in Tripura, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) There are 3686 centrally protected monuments/sites under the jurisdiction of
- & Archaeological  Survey  of  India  (ASI)  in  the  country.  Conservation,  preservation  and
- (b) maintenance of these centrally protected monuments/sites is a continuous process and is taken up as per the requirement and availability of resources subject to the National Policy for Conservation. All the monuments/sites are in a good state of preservation.
- (c) The  Government  of  India  has  established  the  National  Mission  on  Monuments  and
- & Antiquities (NMMA) in 2007 to prepare two national registers on Unprotected Monuments
- (d) (Built Heritage and Sites) and Antiquities across the length and breadth of the country. So far the NMMA has documented and published data for 11,406 Monuments (Built Heritage and Sites) and 12,48,775 Antiquities. Also, the artefacts/objects housed in the collections of  various  Archaeological Site Museums functioning under the administrative control of the ASI are being digitized in the prescribed format of the NMMA. The digitized records are being made available on the dedicated portal of NMMA. Further, artefacts from two museums, namely (i) Archaeological Museum, Velha Goa (Goa) and (ii) Archaeological Museum,  Nagarjunakonda  (Andhra  Pradesh),  have  been  digitized  and  uploaded  on  the 'Museums of India' portal through JATAN software.

ASI has provided the facility of Virtual Reality (Virtual Walk Through) at the Sculptures and Rock-cut Reliefs of Unakotitirtha, Unakoti District, Tripura for the visitors.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2731 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Plantation Projects in Punjab
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Sher Singh Ghubaya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2731

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## Plantation Projects in Punjab

## 2731. SHRI SHER SINGH GHUBAYA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- a) the details of the plantation projects for pollution control and environmental conservation in the Firozpur, Guru Har Sahai, Fazilka, Abohar, Malout and Sri Muktsar Sahib regions of Punjab;
- b) the time by which the said projects are likely to be sanctioned and implemented at the ground level; and
- c) whether any special green plan has been formulated for the said border and pollution affected areas??

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a)  to  (c)  Afforestation,  tree plantation  and  ecological  restoration  activities  for  improvement  of environmental  quality  and  pollution  mitigation  are  undertaken  by  the  Government through various Central and State Government programmes including the Compensatory Afforestation  Fund  Management  and  Planning  Authority  (CAMPA),  the  National Mission for a Green India (GIM), etc; and other forestry schemes implemented by the State  Forest  Departments.  These  programmes  support  plantations  on  forest  land, institutional  land,  roadside strips  and  other suitable  areas  to  increase  green  cover  and improve environmental conditions.

Across  the  country  including  in  Punjab,  plantation  and  afforestation  activities  are undertaken through the CAMPA, National Mission for a Green India (GIM), Nagar Van Yojana, etc. The Annual Plans of Operation under  the schemes provide for activities such  as compensatory  afforestation, assisted natural regeneration, plantations  on degraded  forest  areas,  and  related  ecological  restoration  works.  Specific  plantation projects in districts including Firozpur, Fazilka, Sri Muktsar Sahib and adjoining regions are taken up by the State Government as per Working Plan prescriptions and approved forestry programmes based on the availability of land, technical feasibility and funds. Such activities include plantations along roads, canals and institutional lands, development of forest blocks and ecological restoration measures aimed at improving environmental quality and increasing green cover in Punjab.

There  is  no  proposal  with  the  Ministry  for  a  separate  or  specific  special  green  plan exclusively for the border areas. However, the Ministry continues to support plantation and  afforestation  activities  for  environmental  conservation  and  pollution  mitigation undertaken by the State Government under various forestry and ecological restoration programmes.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2730 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Development of Nagarjuna Sagar under SDS 2.0 in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Shri Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2730 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## DEVELOPMENT OF NAGARJUNA SAGAR UNDER SDS 2.0 IN ANDHRA PRADESH

## 2730. SHRI LAVU SRI KRISHNA DEVARAYALU:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether proposal of a project for the development of Nagarjuna Sagar as a world-class Buddhist tourism centre under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme (SDS) 2.0 (Challenge-Based Destination Development component) has been submitted by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh to the Union Government;
- (b) if so, the approved outlay, current status of approvals and the stage of tendering of the project;
- (c) the  details  of  works  completed  so  far  under  the  project,  including foundation works and construction of stupa-related infrastructure and the percentage of physical and financial progress achieved;
- (d) the timeline for completion of the remaining works under the project; and
- (e) the details of the expected tourism, employment and local economic benefits on completion of the Nagarjuna Sagar destination under the said Scheme 2.0?

## ANSWER

(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM

(a) to (e): Yes,  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  has  already  sanctioned  the  project 'Enriching  Buddhist  Heritage  and  Cultural  Experiences  at  Nagarjuna  Sagar' under  Challenge  Based  Destination  Development  (CBDD)  an  initiative  of

Swadesh Darshan scheme in 2024-25 for Rs.25.00 Crore in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (APTDCL), the State Implementing Agency, has informed that it has selected the contractor through  a  competitive  tendering  process  and  financial  progress  of  5%  and physical progress of 19.22 % is reported. As per sanction order of the project, the State Government has been advised to develop and complete the project by 31.03.2026. APTDCL has further informed that the project aims to create new tourism attraction at Nagarjuna Sagar and improve overall tourism experience at the destination. It has further been communicated that at present the destination receives around 6-7 lakh visitors annually which after completion of project is expected  to  increase  to  around  9-10  Lakh  visitors  in  the  initial  years  and further grow to around 12-15 Lakh visitors over the next few years. Further, it has been stated that the project is expected to create around 100-150 direct jobs in tourism services and facility management along with about 300-350 indirect employment opportunities, thereby benefiting the local population.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2727 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Unified Lending Interface
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2727

ANSWERED ON THE MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2026/PHALGUNA 18, 1947 (SAKA)

## Unified Lending Interface

## 2727. DR. THIRUMAAVALAVAN THOLKAPPIYAN:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government/Reserve Bank of India has any proposal to introduce Unified Lending Interface (ULI) on the lines of Unified Payment Interface (UPI);
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Unified Lending Interface is to be used only for lending money by the banking companies or whether it would also include other entities like Non-Banking Financial Companies; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the pilot of Unified Lending Interface (ULI) on  August  17,  2023.  The  platform  enables  the  delivery  of  frictionless  credit  by  facilitating seamless access and flow of digital  information available across the financial ecosystem from various data sources to lenders. These data sources facilitate twelve loan journeys, including Kisan Credit  Card,  Digital  Cattle,  MSME  (unsecured),  Housing,  Personal,  Tractor,  Micro  Business, Vehicle, Digital Gold, E-Mudra, Pension and Dairy Maintenance loans.

As on 27.02.2026, 100 lenders, including 12 Public Sector Banks, 16 Private Sector Banks, 03 Small Finance Banks, 32 District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs), 13 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), 01 State Co-operative Bank (StCB) and 23 Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) have been onboarded to the platform.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 2723 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Transformation of Manikarnika Ghat
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Dharmendra Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2723 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## TRANSFORMATION OF MANIKARNIKA GHAT

## †2723. SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  ancient  site  of  Manikarnika  Ghat  is  losing  its  historical  and  mythological originality due to construction works being carried out in the name of 'Transformation' and whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  independent  audit  with  regard  to  the degradation caused to its archaeological character;
- (b) whether heavy concrete construction has posed a serious threat to the natural flow of the river Ganga and the foundational stability of the ghat;
- (c) the accountability of the Government in this regard as local administration has completely failed to check the illegal extortion from the bereaved families coming for cremation at the ghat and prevalent mismanagement there;
- (d) whether this model of 'development' ignores the interests of the local communities and the Dom community who have been living there for centuries; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to set up a high-level committee of experts to review the project?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) The Manikarnika Ghat is not a protected monument under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey  of  India.  However,  as  per  the  communication  received  from  District  Magistrate, Varanasi,  the  ongoing  work  at  Manikarnika  Ghat  is  a  restoration  and  conservation  project aimed  at  restoring  the  strength  of  the  Ghat  and  improving  basic  amenities  for  the  families arriving to perform last rites, while maintaining the natural flow of the river Ganga.
- (b) The ongoing restoration and conservation works would strengthen foundational stability of the Ghats while maintaining the natural flow of the river.
- (c) Local Administration takes all necessary steps to provide all facilities at the Ghats.
- (d)& (e) The  conservation  project  has  been  conceptualized  and  is  being  executed  by  the  local administration in coordination with the local communities.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2721 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Encroachment on Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2721

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## Encroachment on Forest Land

## 2721.SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether illegal cultivation is increasing due to the encroachment of large tracts of forest land in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  received  any  complaints  regarding  illegal  cultivation  on forest land;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  illegal  cultivation  on  forest  land  in  the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (e) The Protection and management of forests is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State Government/UT  Administration. To prevent the encroachment, appropriate legal provisions are there in the Indian Forest Act 1927, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Local Forest Acts/Rules. The  State  Governments  /UT  Administrations  take  appropriate  actions  to protect  forest  and  tree  resources  and  address  illegal  cultivation  under  the provisions  made  under  these  Acts/  Rules.  As  and  when  any  complaint related to illegal cultivation on forest land is received in the Ministry, it is examined and thereafter forwarded to the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration for taking necessary action as per the extant rules and regulations.

The Ministry issues advisories to State Governments/UT Administrations to remove encroachments on forest lands as per the provisions of the law and to  ensure  that  further  encroachments  do  not  occur.  Further,  in  order  to prevent  encroachments,  various  measures  are  taken  by  the  State  Forest Departments, which include survey and demarcation of forest areas, fixing of  pillars  along  forest  boundary  and  regular  patrolling  by  field  staff.  The State Forest Departments also use a range of modern technologies such as Geographical Information System, Remote sensing and Global Positioning System  to  check  encroachments  in  the  forest  areas.  The  Joint  Forest Management  committees  have  also  been  established  at village levels involving  local  communities  for  protection,  conservation  and  management of forests.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2718 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Establishment of Sports University and shortage of Coaches
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Shri Virendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2718 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

Establishment of Sports University and Shortage of Coaches

†2718.  SHRI VIRENDRA SINGH:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the names of the States in which sports universities are being established and whether there is any such proposal for any district of Uttar Pradesh, particularly for Chandauli, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether sports training in many rural areas is hampered due to a severe  shortage  of  sports  coaches  and  if  so,  the  details  of  the Government strategy and plan for training of coaches;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  major  obstacles  in nurturing sports talents in rural India and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government has considered to set up sports training centres in tribal dominated hilly areas like Chandauli and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS [DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA]

- (a) The  National  Sports  University,  Imphal,  is  the  only  Sports University  established  by  the  Central  Government  as  a  Centre  of Excellence  for  sports  education.  At  present,  there  is  no  proposal under consideration for establishing Sports University in other parts of the country.

(b) At  present,  774  coaches  are  in  position  under  the  Sports Authority of India (SAI). In order to augment coaching strength, 323 posts  in  the  grade  of  Assistant  Coach  have  been  notified  for recruitment through Direct Recruitment.

Further, under the Khelo India Scheme, 957 Past Champion Athletes (PCAs)  have  been  engaged  as  coaches  at  the  grassroots  level.  In order to strengthen coaching capacity, these PCAs undergo structured  certification  training  at  institutions  such  as  the  Netaji Subhas  National  Institute  of  Sports,  Patiala,  and  other  recognised centres.

(c)    The  Government  is  addressing  challenges  in  nurturing  sports talent in rural areas through the Khelo India Scheme by strengthening grassroots  coaching  through  Khelo  India  Centres  (KICs),  providing financial assistance to identified Khelo India Athletes, and enhancing access  to  sports  infrastructure  and  training  facilities  across  the country.

(d) 'Sports' being a State subject, promotion of sports in a State/UT is primarily the responsibility of the respective State/UT Governments. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State/UT Governments through its schemes. At present, no proposal has been received from the State Government for setting up sports training centres in tribal-dominated areas like Chandauli.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2713 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Development of Hampi
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Shri E Tukaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2713 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## DEVELOPMENT OF HAMPI

## 2713. SHRI E TUKARAM:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- whether the Government has any proposal or is considering any proposal  for  the  protection  and  development  of  Hampi,  a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Vijayanagara District of
- (a) Karnataka and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) whether any Integrated Management Plan is under consideration of the Government to develop Hampi and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM    (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) to (b): The  development  and  promotion  of  tourist  destinations and tourism products is primarily undertaken by the respective State Government/ Union Territory (UT) Administration.

The  Ministry  of  Tourism,  through  its  ongoing  Central  Sector Schemes of 'Swadesh Darshan (SD)', 'Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0)', 'Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD)' a sub -scheme of Swadesh  Darshan  2.0  scheme,  'Special  Assistance  to  States  for Ca pital  Investment  (SASCI)', 'Pilgrimage  Rejuvenation  and  Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)' supplements the efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial assistance for the development of tourism related infrastructure in consultation with them.

The Ministry of Tourism under the aforementioned schemes has sanctioned following project in Hampi (Karnataka):

| Scheme              | Name of Project                        | Sanction Year   |   Sanctioned Amount (₹ in Crore) |
|---------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------------------------|
| Swadesh Darshan 2.0 | Setting up of 'Traveller nooks', Hampi | February 2024   |                            25.64 |

Receiving proposals from the State Governments/UT Administrations  for  financial  assistance  for  tourism  projects  is  a continuous  process.  The  proposals  received  are  examined  with reference  to  the  prescribed  guidelines  and  financial  assistance  is extended  for  such  projects  subject  to  fulfilment  of  the  stipulated conditions and availability of funds.

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