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The percentage of workers in the agriculture sector increased marginally from 45.5 per cent in 2021-22 to 45.8 per cent in 2022-23 and 46.1 per cent in 2023-24 according to the latest Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey Reports, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje informed the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2024.
She also highlighted that the Reserve Bank of India’s KLEMS database, which tracks employment estimates and labour productivity at the national level, provides insights into workforce trends across various sectors.
The Union environment ministry republished the draft notification on July 31, 2024, to designate 56,825.7 square kilometres of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.
This region covers six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh informed the Lok Sabha.
He added that a committee has been constituted to address concerns raised by state governments and other stakeholders. The committee evaluates these suggestions comprehensively, aiming to balance the conservation of the fragile ecosystem with the rights, developmental aspirations, and needs of local communities. Inputs from state governments are carefully considered before finalising the notification.
The Union environment ministry has no proposal at present to conduct studies or surveys on the environmental impact of blockchain-based technologies, Singh told the Lok Sabha.
The blockchain relies on energy-intensive data centres that consume significant amounts of energy, Singh said.
The Government of India has implemented initiatives under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, including Perform, Achieve, and Trade or PAT, Market Transformation for Energy Efficiency or MTEE and Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development or FEEED to address carbon emissions in such sectors.
Additionally, the government has accelerated the adoption of renewable energy, resulting in significant growth in non-fossil fuel-based energy sources.
India generated 17,51,236 metric tonnes (MT) of e-waste in FY 2023-24, marking a sharp increase from 10,14,961 MT recorded in FY 2019-20, according to data shared by Minister of State in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, in the Rajya Sabha.
The e-waste estimates are based on sales data submitted by producers to the Central Pollution Control Board and the average lifespan of 106 types of electrical and electronic equipment notified under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. However, state-wise data on e-waste generation is unavailable as the estimation is conducted at the national level, Sahu said.
Some 7,352 of 8,066 projects under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM), worth Rs 1,47,366 crore (91 per cent of the total), have been completed as of November 15, 2024, based on data from the 100 Smart Cities, Sahu told the Rajya Sabha.
The central government allocated Rs 48,000 crore for the SCM, according to Sahu. An amount of Rs 47,225 crore has been released to states/Union territories as of November 15, 2024, with Rs 44,626 crore (94 per cent) utilised.
Additionally, the duration of the SCM has been extended until March 31, 2025, in response to requests from various state/Union territory governments.
The Government of India is implementing the Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), a central sector scheme aimed at sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed areas across 80 districts in seven states.
The scheme, being implemented through the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (water sources) is being implemented in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Atal Jal adopts a participatory approach to ensure long-term water security, said Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary in the Rajya Sabha.
A key component of Atal Jal is the preparation of water budgets at the Gram Panchayat (GP) level, developed with community involvement. These water budgets track total water availability (both surface and groundwater), evapotranspiration losses, recharge through artificial recharge and conservation structures, and water demand for various uses.
Water budgets have been prepared for the following number of GPs under the scheme: 1,873 in Gujarat, 1,647 in Haryana, 1,199 in Karnataka, 670 in Madhya Pradesh, 1,133 in Maharashtra, 1,132 in Rajasthan, and 549 in Uttar Pradesh, Choudhary said.