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The government has launched a 100-day intensified TB [tuberculosis] Mukt Bharat Abhiyan across 347 priority districts in 33 states and Union Territories, including eight districts in Himachal Pradesh. This initiative aims to accelerate progress towards achieving the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals related to TB, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, told the Lok Sabha.
Of the total districts covered, 38 are tribal, 27 are mining and 46 are classified as aspirational districts. The campaign follows a renewed approach to identifying undiagnosed TB cases, reducing TB-related deaths and preventing new infections.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has conducted a National TB Prevalence Survey across 20 states and state groups to assess the burden of TB at the sub-national level, Anupriya Patel, minister of state for health told the Lok Sabha.
The survey found that in 2021, the prevalence of all forms of TB across all age groups in India was 312 cases per 100,000 population. According to the Global TB Report 2024, the incidence of TB in India has declined from 237 cases per 100,000 population in 2015 to 195 per 100,000 in 2023.
The Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) 2024, notified via Gazette Notification 1334(E) on March 13, 2024, was launched to further boost green mobility and the development of India’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing ecosystem, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma told the Rajya Sabha.
The scheme has since been incorporated into the PM Electric Drive Revolution for Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme, notified through Gazette Notification 4259(E) on September 29, 2024. The PM E-DRIVE scheme will remain in effect until March 31, 2026 and aims to provide subsidies for over 2.8 million EVs, including electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, trucks, ambulances and buses. This initiative is expected to reduce India's dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emissions.
Bihar alone accounts for approximately 85 per cent of India’s total makhana or fox nut production, as per the Bihar Makhana at a Glance (Euryale ferox Salisb.), 2022 report, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing the centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme, which provides financial, technical and business support to upgrade micro food processing enterprises. The scheme, operational from 2020-21 to 2025-26, has an allocated budget of Rs 10,000 crore.
No official records are available on crops and crop cycles affected by extreme climatic events, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur told the Rajya Sabha. The primary responsibility for disaster management lies with state governments, which provide financial relief to affected people through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for notified disasters, including droughts.
In cases of severe disasters, additional financial assistance is provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) following an assessment by an Inter-Ministerial Central Team. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare processes state government requests for financial assistance under the NDRF for disasters such as droughts, hailstorms, pest infestations and cold waves or frost, the minister said.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme offer comprehensive insurance cover, providing financial support to farmers suffering crop loss or damage due to natural calamities and adverse weather conditions,
Currently, there is no plan to introduce a ranking system to recognise villages adopting the best climate-resilient practices. However, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is implementing the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) network project, which studies the impact of climate change on agriculture and promotes climate-resilient technologies in vulnerable areas, Thakur told the Rajya Sabha.
A district-level risk and vulnerability assessment of agriculture to climate change has been conducted for 651 predominantly agricultural districts based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) protocols. Of these, 310 districts have been identified as vulnerable, with 109 categorised as ‘very highly’ vulnerable and 201 as ‘highly’ vulnerable.
The government is promoting organic farming through the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) across all states and union territories, except for the northeastern states, where the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) scheme is being implemented, Thakur told Rajya Sabha.
Both schemes provide end-to-end support to farmers, covering production, processing, certification, marketing and post-harvest management, along with training and capacity building. Under PKVY, farmers receive Rs 31,500 per hectare over three years to promote organic farming, of which Rs 15,000 is provided directly to farmers for organic inputs, the minister said.
Under MOVCDNER, Rs 46,500 per hectare over three years is allocated for farmer producer organisation development and organic input support, with Rs 32,500 earmarked for organic inputs, including Rs 15,000 via direct benefit transfer.