opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1682 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Reviewed Progress of BharatNet Connectivity
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Tejasvi Surya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1682 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## REVIEWED PROGRESS OF BHARATNET CONNECTIVITY

## 1682.   SHRI TEJASVI SURYA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has reviewed the progress of BharatNet Phase II and other Digital India connectivity initiatives in Karnataka and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  review  has  identified  gaps  in  last-mile  fibre  connectivity  or  public  Wi-Fi coverage in urban areas such as Bengaluru and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether additional approvals or funds have been sanctioned to address these gaps under BharatNet, PM-WANI or related schemes;
- (d) the progress made so far in implementing these enhancements in Karnataka; and
- (e) whether Bengaluru is included in the current rollout timeline and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages beyond GPs on demand basis across the country. A total of 6,084 GPs are service-ready out of 6,086 GPs in Karnataka.
- (b) & (c) The Government has approved the PM-WANI framework, which allows Public Data Offices (PDOs) to set up Wi-Fi hotspots, under the aggregation of Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs), thus encouraging local entrepreneurs to participate in the digital transformation process.
- (d) & (e) There  are  21,834  PM-WANI  hotspots  in  Karnataka  of  which  11,692  PM-WANI hotspots are available in Bengaluru. Under BharatNet, 59,916 FTTH connections have been provided in Karnataka, out of which 1,695 are in Bengaluru.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1679 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Technology Failures in PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Balram Naik Porika

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1679

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2025

## TECHNOLOGY FAILURES IN PDS

## 1679.  SHRI BALRAM  NAIK  PORIKA:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of widespread harassment faced by ration cardholders due to technological failures including internet unavailability, server downtime and Aadhaa biometric mismatches and if  so, the data on transaction failures during the last two  years and percentage of beneficiaries denied their  entitled rations, State-wise;
- (b) whether a categorical Government order has been issued ensuring no  ration cardholder is deprived of entitlement during technology failures with  alternative supply mechanisms  like manual Aadhaar number entry and if  so, the details thereof and if  not, the impediments prevent immediate issuance of such protective orders;
- (c) whether any nutritional  assessment has been conducted regarding adequacy  of  the current 5kg monthly foodgrain quota per person for  Priority  Household (PHH) category and if  so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government proposes increasing this  to  atleast 7.5  kg  per person based on nutritional requirements and actual consumption patterns; and
- (e) if  so, the details thereoP

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

- (a) &  (b): No  such reports have been received in the Department. All  States/ UTs have been advised that no genuine beneficiary/ household shall be denied from receiving entitled quota of subsidized foodgrains due to  failure  of  biometric/  Aadhaar authentication due to  network/ connectivity/ linking  related issues, other technical reasons or poor biometrics of the beneficiary.
- (c) to  (e): At present,  no  proposal  for either  nutritional assessment or  enhancement  of  the entitlement of  beneficiaries under  the  PMGKAY is  under  consideration of the  Central Government

SeSeSt see +e
Lok Sabha Question No. 1678 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: BharatNet implementation Broadband Connectivity to Gram Panchayats
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Balabhadra Majhi, Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1678 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## BHARATNET IMPLEMENTATION BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY TO GRAM PANCHAYATS

## 1678.   SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI: SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the  details  of  the  present  status  of  BharatNet  implementation  for  providing  broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats across the country;

(b) the details of the number of villages that have been provided internet access under the project so far; and

(c) whether the Government has taken any measures to ensure timely completion of Phase-II and maintenance of infrastructure in remote areas and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) BharatNet  project  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 & II are 2,22,341 GPs out of which 2,14,904 GPs are Service Ready. Further, Government has approved the Amended BharatNet Program on 04.08.2023 through which optical fiber cable Connectivity is to be provided to ~ 2.64 lakh GPs and ~ 3.8 lakhs non-GP villages on-demand basis.

(b) More than 94,056 villages have been provided FTTH connections under BharatNet.

(c) The total number of GPs undertaken under BharatNet Phase-II are 1,02,133, out of which 94,725  GPs  are  Service  Ready.  The  implementation  strategy  of  BharatNet  has  been  revised  in Amended  BharatNet  Program  (ABP)  and  following  have  been  included  to  strengthen  the maintenance of infrastructure:

- (i) Creation and Upgradation of BharatNet network in ring architecture
- (ii) Operations  &  Maintenance  of  the  entire  network  based  on  Service  Level  Agreement (SLA)
- (iii) Single Project Implementation Agency (PIA) for construction and O&M of the network in a Package
- (iv) Dedicated Network Operation Centre

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1677 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: National Geospatial Mission and Data Policy
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Shashank Mani

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1677 ANSWERED ON 10/12/2025

## NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL MISSION AND DATA POLICY

## 1677. SHRI SHASHANK MANI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  progress  on  developing  a  high-accuracy Digital Elevation Model (DEM) under the Geospatial Mission;
- (b) the details of utilisation of ₹100 crore allocated for modernising land records and urban planning;
- (c) whether a unified digital interface is now available for open access  to  publicly  funded  geospatial  data  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (d) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  proposes  to  develop skilled workforce required for utilising advanced geospatial technologies?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) to (b): The  Digital  Elevation  Model  for  the  entire  country  is available on 10m  resolution. The  National Geospatial Mission envisages creation of DEM on 25 cm resolution for Plain & undulating area including all urban area and 1-3 m for hilly & mountainous region. The  Union  Budget  (2025-26)  has  announced  National  Geospatial Mission to develop foundational geospatial infrastructure and data. Using  PM  Gati  Shakti,  this  Mission  will  facilitate  modernization  of land records, urban planning, and design of infrastructure projects with an initial outlay of ₹100 crore.  The proposed mission has these major  components  -  Modernization  and  Strengthening  of  National Geodetic  Reference  Frame,  Strengthening  of  Geospatial  Data  and Mapping  Infrastructure,  Establishment  of  Geo-ICT  Infrastructure,

Training and Capacity Building, Geospatial Technology Development.

(c) to (d): The Policy envisages Unified Geospatial Interface (UGI), an  electronic  data  querying  and  processing  service  to  provide consumer-oriented  products,  applications,  services  and  solutions using the Geospatial data and metadata contained in the NGDR and utilizing  the  data  supply  chains  from  the  Central  and  State  Level Partnering  Agency  Data  Nodes.  National  Institute  of  Geospatial Science & Technology (NIGST) has already developed foundational as well as advanced level courses to equip the workforce for required skilling in geospatial domain for officers of Survey of India and also the other central & state level officers. Further, the Capacity Building program includes identifying needs and building on existing capacities, formulating skills/competency standards and qualifications, studying and choosing the right from a wide range of approaches, making the training-of-trainers plans; and strengthening Training Infrastructure to reach national and regional levels.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1676 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Price Monitoring
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Dr. Kadiyam Kavya

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1676 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## PRICE MONITORING

1676.  DR. KADIYAM KAVYA:

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

- (a) the details of price monitoring through the Order Management System (OMS); and
- (b) the details of the fair-price shops inspected and the quality checks via Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) integration?

## 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  essential  food  commodities submitted  by  the  575  price  reporting  centres  across  the  country.  Daily  prices  are  submitted  by  the price monitoring centres through the Price Monitoring System (PMS) Mobile App.
- (b) :   As per Section 31 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, No person shall commence or carry any food business activity except under a license or registration. Accordingly, all Fair Price Shops  are  required  to  obtain  FSSAI  License  or  Registration  as  per  their  eligibility  before commencement of food business.

Further,  the  general  requirements  on  hygiene  and  sanitary  practices  have  been  laid  down under  Part  I  and  II  of  Schedule  4  of  FSS  (Licensing  and  Registration  of  Food  Businesses) Regulations, 2011 for Registered and Licensed Food Businesses respectively. Every Food Business Operator (FBO) is bound to adhere to these conditions, failing which, FBO is liable for enforcement action as per FSS Act, 2006.

FSSAI through State/UTs and its regional offices conduct regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of food products to check compliance of the standards laid down under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, Rules and Regulations made thereunder. In cases where the  food  samples  are  found  to  be  non-conforming,  penal  action  has  been  initiated  against  the defaulting  Food  Business  Operators  as  per  provisions  of  FSS  Act,  Rules  and  Regulations  made thereunder.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1674 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Facilities to Government-Accredited Journalists/Senior Journalists
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1674

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025)

## FACILITIES TO GOVERNMENT-ACCREDITED JOURNALISTS/SENIOR JOURNALISTS

1674.  SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH:

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

- a) whether pension, free medical facilities in Government and private hospitals, housing and other facilities being provided to Government-accredited  journalists/senior journalists;
- b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise particularly National Capital Region of Delhi along with the time by which the said facilities are likely to be provided and if not, the reasons therefor;
- c) whether the Government has received any representation (charter of demands) from the "Manyata  Praapt  Patrakar  Kalyan  Samiti  Delhi"  (Accredited  Journalist  Welfare Committee Delhi) in this regard; and
- d) if so, the point-wise details of the demands mentioned in the charter of demands along with the steps taken by the Government to fulfill the demands?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d)  :  The  Government  of  India  is committed to the welfare of journalists.  Journalists accredited with the Press Information Bureau (PIB) are covered under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) facilities across the country for themselves and their family members.

This  includes  their  treatment  at  Government/CGHS  empaneled  private  hospitals  at  CGHS rates. Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS) The Government implements the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS) to provide one time exgratia relief to journalists/media personnel or their families in cases of extreme hardship due to the death of a journalist. Relief is also extended to journalists who suffer from permanent disability or are diagnosed with major listed ailments. Financial support is further provided to journalists who face serious injuries due to accidents requiring hospitalization. Journalists accredited by PIB and State/UT Governments as well as non-accredited journalists are covered under this scheme. Under the JWS scheme, Government has provided financial assistance to 402 Journalists/Media Personnel or their families from 2014-15 to 2024-25. As regards the representation received from "Manyata Praapt Patrakar Kalyan Samiti Delhi', newspapers in India are registered under the Press and Periodicals Registration Act, 2023 and its  2024  Rules,  with  the  Press  Seva  Portal  providing  an  easy,  accessible  online  system  for registration. The Central Bureau of Communications (CBC) issues print media advertisements transparently and has recently increased advertising rates by up to 26%. Nominations to committees of the CBC, PIB, and Press Council of India are made as per the corresponding policy guidelines.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1671 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: National Mineral Exploration Trust
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Dileshwar Kamait

## MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. †1671

ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## NATIONAL MINERAL EXPLORATION TRUST

†1671. SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) the  manner  in  which  mineral  exploration  activities  have  been  extended support by the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) during the last one year, particularly with regard to the critical minerals;
- (b) whether NMET has provided financial assistance to the projects being run by private exploration agencies; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a)  During  last  one  year,  National  Mineral  Exploration  and  Development  Trust (NMEDT) has extended support to mineral exploration activities in the country, particularly with respect to critical minerals, in the following manner:
- i. Funding  for  mineral  exploration  projects  executed  by  State  DGMs/DMGs, NEAs, Central PSUs and NPEAs.
- ii. Financial assistance to State DGMs/DMGs and Central Government organizations  for  procurement  of  machinery/  laboratory  equipment  etc.   to strengthen their capacity for enhancing exploration activities.
- iii. Exploration  Incentive  of  25%  for  G-4  exploration  projects  of  critical/strategic minerals,  and  other  minerals,  if  the  block  is  upgraded  from  G4  to  G3  or successfully auctioned .
- (b) & (c)  NMEDT has provided financial assistance to the projects implemented by Notified Private Exploration Agencies. In the last one year, NMEDT has sanctioned an amount of ₹158.10 Cr for 60 projects to NPEAs.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1670 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Railway Stations with Free Wi-Fi Services
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Tharaniventhan M S

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1670 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## RAILWAY STATIONS WITH FREE Wi-Fi SERVICES

1670. SHRI THARANIVENTHAN M S:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  number  of  railway  stations  currently  equipped  with free Wi-Fi along with the plans to expand this service to additional stations in the near future;
- (b) the average daily usage of free Wi-Fi services at major railway stations including the number of users and the amount of data consumed;
- (c) the measures taken/being taken to ensure the quality and speed of free Wi-Fi connections at railway stations particularly during peak hours;
- (d)  the  estimated  annual  expenditure  for  maintaining  free  Wi-Fi  services across  railway  stations  and  the  manner  in  which  this  service  is  being
- financed; and
- (e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to extend this free
- Wi-Fi facility in all other railway stations of the country?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (e):  Almost  all  railway  stations  across  Indian  Railways have 4G/5G coverage provided by the Telecom Service Providers.  These networks are also being  utilized by passengers  for  data  connectivity  resulting in enhanced passenger experience.

Besides  the  above,  free  Wi-Fi  services  have  also  been  provided  at  6117 Railway Stations.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1662 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Discontinuation of Scholarship Schemes
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Navaskani K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1662

ANSWERED ON 10/12/2025

## DISCONTINUATION OF SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES

## 1662.  SHRI NAVASKANI K:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  reduced  or  discontinued  any  scholarship  schemes  for minority students during the recent years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the number of beneficiaries under pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means scholarships for minority students has declined and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise, particularly in Tamil Nadu;
- (c)  whether  delays  in  fund  release  have  affected  students'  ability  to  continue  higher education and if so, the reasons for such delays;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  restore  previous  funding  levels  or  introduce additional support to ensure that minority students are not denied educational opportunities and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  steps  taken  to  ensure  transparency,  timely  disbursement  and  fair  allocation  of scholarship funds to minority students across all the States?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a) : The coverage under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme had been revised and made applicable for classes IX and X only as the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides for free and compulsory elementary education (classes I to VIII) to each and every child.
- (b)  to  (d):  The  Scholarship  Schemes  of  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  namely,  Pre-Matric, Post-Matric  and  Merit-cum-Means  based  Scholarship  Scheme  had  not  been  approved  for implementation beyond 2021-22.
- (e):  To  ensure  transparency  and  fair  allocation  of  Scholarship  funds,  Aadhaar  Payment Bridge System (APBS), Aadhaar based bio-metric authentication system for applicants and application verifying authorities had been made mandatory.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1661 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Data regarding Passenger Volumes/Revenues/Occupancy/Freight Performance
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Hemang Joshi, Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Shri Janardan Mishra, Shri Khagen Murmu, Shri Alok Sharma, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh, Shri Vijay Kumar Dubey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1661 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## DATA REGARDING PASSENGER VOLUMES/REVENUES/OCCUPANCY/FREIGHT PERFORMANCE

1661. SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:

SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH:

SHRI ALOK SHARMA:

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY:

DR. HEMANG JOSHI:

## Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the manner in which the Government currently maintains data on  passenger  volumes,  revenue  generation,  occupancy  levels and freight performance-including freight volumes, freight rates, wagon turnaround time-indicating the periodicity, accuracy standards and level of granularity of such datasets;
- (b) the details of the standardised methodology adopted for recording project-wise capital expenditure, including sanctioned cost, revised cost, actual yearly expenditure, physical progress, execution timelines, and details of cost overruns across railway projects;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to make datasets on passenger  performance,  freight  performance  and  project-wise capital  expenditure  for  the  last  ten  financial  years  publicly accessible  in  a  machine-readable  format  along  with  complete data scheme and metadata;

- (d) if  so,  the  timeline  and  platform  proposed  for  enabling  such public access; and
- (e) if  not,  the  reasons  for  withholding  such  datasets  and  whether any policy constraints or confidentiality considerations prevent their disclosure?

*****

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (e):  Ministry  of  Railways  maintains  data  on  different  facets  of Indian Railways working, broadly having Financial, Operating, Commercial, Assets utilization, Accidents and Administrative statistics. Data  is  collected  from  all  the  17  Zonal  Railways  and  is  centrally compiled  in  accordance  with  Manual  of  Statistical  Instructions.  To maintain  accuracy  standard  of  the  data,  these  datasets  are  crosschecked and verified at various levels.

It has always been an endeavour of this Ministry to ensure that all data  relating  to  the  Railways  working  and  performance  is  readily available for information to the general public and stakeholders. For this purpose, Annual Statistical Statement alongwith other Statistical publications  containing  data,  facts  &  figures  is  being  uploaded  every year on the Ministry of Railways' website since Financial Year 2005-06.

The project wise details are maintained as per codal provisions of Indian Railways Code for the Engineering Department and Indian Railway Finance Code alongwith respective Manuals.

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