As told to Parliament (July 23, 2019): Oral cancer leading cancer among men in India

Oral (tongue and mouth) cancer is the leading cancer among men and fourth-most common cancer among women, Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Rajya Sabha.

The government was implementing the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke under the National Health Mission, said Choubey.

The objectives of the programme include awareness generation for cancer prevention, screening, early detection and referral to appropriate level institution for treatment, Choubey added.

Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme

The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme, for providing free dialysis services to Below Poverty Line patients, has been implemented in 33 states and Union Territories, Choubey told Parliament.

Under the programme, facilities for dialysis have been provided in 778 centres spread across 455 districts, he added.

The programme was rolled out in 2016 under the National Health Mission. 

Plan to tackle heat wave in India

Since 1992, more than 22,000 people have died in India as a result of exposure to extreme heat, as reported by the National Disaster Management Authority of India, Choubey told the Rajya Sabha. 

The India Meteorological Department issued a red colour warning during the hot weather season of 2019 due to prolonged spells of heat and severe heat waves over northwest and central parts of India, he added.

Vacant posts of scientists in CSIR

A total of 2,565 posts for scients at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are lying unfilled, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan told the Rajya Sabha.

Among senior-level positions, four positions of directors, 37 positions of scientists-H and 25 posts of distinguished scientists are lying vacant, he added.

Assessment of un-electrified rural households

All states have declared electrification of all households on the Saubhagya portal, except 18,734 households in Left-wing extremism-affected areas of Chhattisgarh as on March 31, 2019, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, New and Renewable Energy RK Singh told the Rajya Sabha.

According to the states' data, 2.63 crore households were electrified up to March 31, 2019, across the country including Assam and other Northeastern states, since launch of the scheme on October 11, 2017, the minister added.

Water wastage by Thermal Power Plants 

No specific information on water wastage by thermal power plants (TPPs) is available with the Union Ministry of Power / Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the power ministry told Parliament.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) notified the norms for water consumption for TPPS on December 7, 2015, and the CEA informed that so far, no concession had been given to any TPP in contravention to the 2015 order.

Low GDP Growth Rate in the last five years 

The growth of Gross Domestic Product at constant market prices was 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter (January-March) of 2018-19, which is lower than the growth achieved in last five years, according to the estimates available from National Statistical Office, Union Minister of State for Finance, Anurag Singh Thakur told Parliament.

The base effect arising from a high growth of 8.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2017-18 and contraction in the ‘Agriculture & allied’ sector, growth moderation in the industry sector and stress in non-banking financial companies contributed to this lower growth in fourth quarter of 2018-19, said Thakur.  

Subscribe to Daily Newsletter :

SUPPORT US

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.