All that was discussed in the House through the day
The average amount of debt per cultivator household in Kerala was Rs 171,581 — the highest in the country, followed by Punjab (Rs 120,889).
The information was made available by Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in reply to a question seeking details of indebtedness of farmers in the country in the Lok Sabha.
Climate change and fish stocks
Climate change has affected fish stocks in the country, according to Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
He cited studies commissioned by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) from 2012-2019. They revealed that the catch reduction of Indian Oil Sardine decreased by 6 per cent in 2019 compared to 2018 due to continuation of El Nino effects since 2013 along the Indian coast.
Price of COVID-19 tests
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advised all state governments / Union territories to negotiate with private labs and fix mutually agreeable prices for testing for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
It said so keeping in view expediting approval of test kits, increasing indigenous manufacturing, including alternative platforms such as CBNAAT / GeneXperts and improved market availability at competitive prices.
Price fixation of diagnostic products for COVID-19 is, therefore, being undertaken by individual states and UTs, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, told Rajya Sabha.
Thalassemia patients
Ashwini Kumar Choubey acknowledged that the details of prevalence of thalassemia in India were not known and no such database was maintained centrally.
According to the information received from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, 10,000-12,000 children with beta-thalassemia are born every year. There are about 65,000-67,000 beta-thalassemia patients in India.
He added that 177 Integrated centres for Hemoglobinopathies and Haemophilia have been established by states / UTs to take care of patients suffering from Hemoglobinopathies and Hemophilia in high prevalence areas of the country.
‘Anaemia mukt Bharat’
A majority (92.5 per cent) of the children in West Bengal are anaemic, according to the National Family Health Survey-V data presented in the Rajya Sabha.
On being asked whether the set target of anaemia reduction by 3 per cent per year has been achieved since the implementation of Anaemia Mukt Bharat, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said the programme was in its initial stages.
He added the health ministry was working towards achieving reduction in anaemia prevalence, particularly in women, children and adolescents.
Janani Suraksha Yojana
Choubey acknowledged a reduction in institutional deliveries since March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Institutional deliveries reported by the states / UTs from April to December, 2019 was1.54 crore in comparison to 1.33 crore for the corresponding period for 2020, as reported in Health Management Information System, he added.
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