All that was discussed in the House through the day
As many as 572,551 inhabited villages in India out of 597,618 (Census 2011) have mobile wireless coverage, Devusinh Chauhan, Union minister of state for communications, told the Lok Sabha December 15, 2021.
He was sharing data collected by telecom service providers and field units of the department of telecommunications
In addition to this, the BharatNet project is envisaged in all the Gram Panchayats and villages of the country to provide high-speed internet / broadband, the minister added. A total 166,088 Gram Panchayats have been made service-ready with broadband infrastructure under BharatNet as on November 1, 2021, Chauhan added.
Steady rise in ethanol sale revenue
Sugar mills and distilleries in India have generated Rs 8,079 crore, Rs 7,823 crore and Rs 13,598 crore in ethanol supply years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively, from sale of ethanol to oil marketing companies, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Union minister of state for rural development and consumer affairs, food and public distribution, told the Lok Sabha.
This has helped these mills make timely payment of cane dues of farmers, she added.
Over Rs 18,000 crore revenue is likely to be generated in the current sugar season 2021-22, according to the minister.
Boost in MGNREGS funds
Funds allocated under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has increased over 18 per cent to Rs 73,000 crore in the current financial year 2021-22 from 2020-21 at the budget estimate stage, Jyoti told the Rajya Sabha.
Recently, additional funds of Rs 10,000 crore were allocated for the scheme as an interim measure.
Infant mortality rate declines
India’s infant mortality rate improved to 30 per 1,000 live births in 2019 from 40 in 2013, Smriti Zubin Irani, Union minister for women and child development told the Rajya Sabha.
She was citing data from the Sample Registration System 2013 bulletin of the Registrar General of India.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is supporting all states and Union territories in implementation of reproductive, maternal, new-born, child, adolescent health and nutrition strategy to bring down infant mortality rate, Irani said.
The programme is carried out under the National Health Mission based on the Annual Program Implementation Plan submitted by states / UTs, she added.
Rain, flood damage in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra
As many as 5,660 livestock was lost and 529,000 hectares of crop area affected in Andhra Pradesh due to rainfall and flood between July and November, 2021, said Nityanand Rai, Union minister of state for home affairs told the Rajya Sabha.
In Maharashtra, 4,400 livestock were killed and 455,000 hectares of crop was damaged, he added. The minister was citing from state records of damage due to hydro-meteorological calamities.
The Maharashtra government has been allocated Rs 3,436.8 crore (Rs 2,577.6 crore as central share and Rs 859.2 crore as state share) and the Andhra Pradesh government has been allocated Rs 1,192.80 crore (Rs 895.2 crore as central share and Rs 297.6 crore as state share) under the state disaster response fund for 2021-22, Rai added.
Bridging the learning gap due to COVID-19
The Standing Committee on Education, in a report in August 2021, suggested undertaking a comprehensive assessment to gauge the overall learning loss due to COVID-19, Annpurna Devi, Minister Of State In The Ministry Of Education told the Rajya Sabha.
The national achievement survey was conducted on November 12, 2021 in 717 districts of the country to assess learning levels of sampled children in grades three, five, eight and 10.
The department also advised states / UTs to conduct a survey of children with and without access to digital devices, Annpurna Devi said.
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