August 12, 2003

Proposals from NGO's to set up schools for Scheduled Castes

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has during the current financial year (till July 2003) received 142 proposals for setting up Residential Schools and 15 proposals for Non- Residential Schools from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) through state governments and UT administrations. The Ministry received 485 proposals for setting up Residential Schools and 137 proposals for Non- Residential Schools from NGOs in 18 states from April 2000 to March 2003. The proposals were made under the Scheme of Grant-in aid to Voluntary Organisations Working for Scheduled Castes. The Ministry sanctioned Rs.75.78 lakh as grant-in-aid for non-residential schools and Rs. 41.44 lakh for residential schools in ten states during the last three years. 140 proposals were rejected, as they did not fulfill the conditions laid down in the Ministry's guidelines for grant-in-aid to non-governmental organisations

Muslims largely benefit through finance by NMDFC

Muslims have largely benefited from the loans sanctioned by the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC). Reports from the state governments on utilization of funds shows that Muslims constitute over 77 percent of the beneficiaries financed by the NMDFC. A study on functioning of the NMDFC by the Indian Social Institute shows that the beneficiaries have found the financing by the Corporation useful in starting income generating activities or upgrading the same.

The NMDFC was set up in 1994 to financially assist poor persons belonging to notified minorities whose annual family income does not exceed Rs. 55,000 in the urban areas and Rs. 40,000 in rural areas. The Corporation has till the end of March 2003 advanced loans worth Rs.469.50 crore to 1.79 lakh beneficiaries. The NMDFC took lead in implementing Micro Financing Scheme in order to reach the poorest in the target groups especially the minority women scattered in remote villages and urban slums. The Corporation has implementing the Scheme directly through NGOs and Self Help Groups been since April 1998. It has through a network of over one hundred NGOs covered fifty-four thousand beneficiaries advancing them loans worth about Rs.10 crore on easy terms.

Aug 12,2003

National Rail Vikas Yojana

The Railways have introduced a non-budgetary programme of Rs.15, 000 crores known as National Rail Vikas Yojana during the current financial year 2003-04. Of these, Rs.8000/- crores will be for strengthening Golden Quadrilateral connecting four metros, Rs.3000/- crore for connectivity to major ports and Rs.3500/- crores for four mega bridges.
To begin with, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited has been established under the Companies Act as a public sector undertaking to oversee funding and time bound speedy implementation of the projects.

In this connection, an amount of US$ 313 million has been tied up with Asian Development Bank. Efforts are on for mobilizing resources both from multi-lateral, bi-lateral and market resources. Projects under the three categories of Golden Quadrilateral, Port Connectivity and Mega Bridges have been identified and work on some projects already commenced. Besides, part funding has been planned through Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) and Public Private Partnership (PPP). The completion of projects under National Rail Vikas Yojana has been planned in five years other than four mega bridges, which would take six years.

Bio-active Eye minus sight

A bioactive eye minus sight has been developed with negligible socket complications. Generally when an eye had to be removed due to injury, disease or blindness, the empty socket used to create several complications besides being non-cosmetic.
The Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata, has developed this bioactive integrated orbital implant for such needy persons. The CGCRI developed this implant in collaboration with the Eye Care and Research Centre, Kolkata and the Institute of Nuclear Medicines and Allied Sciences, New Delhi.

The lost eye can be mechanically replaced by this implant to fill up the orbital volume left uncovered after the operation to achieve better rehabilitation and cosmetic effect on the patient. The porous implant acts as a scaffold for the rapid in-growth; i.e. the vascularised connective tissues and bone. That is why this implant is capable of giving a natural look of the eye with a fair degree of mobility in all directions, mimicking the other unaffected eye, without any socket problems.
This indigenous product now under commercialisation, will cost one-tenth of the imported one. The imported one presently costs around 80 dollars per unit, according to CSIR.

President receives greetings from children and pens a poem on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan

The President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam spent time with children from different parts of the country at Rashtrapati Bhavan today and received their greetings on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

More than 150 children were gathered to greet the President on the occasion. They had come from different parts of the country such as Mumbai, Rewari in Haryana and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. The children who included some who were mentally or physically challenged or had hearing or speech impairments tied Rakhis on Dr. Kalam.
Interacting with the President, the children sang songs and performed dances, which were appreciated by Dr. Kalam. After distributing sweets to the children, the President read out a special poem he had penned for the occasion. He also asked the children to recite it along with him. The poem is titled: - "Day of Compassion and Love". Its words are as follows: -

This day of Raksha Bandhan is a beautiful day.
We, sisters have a beautiful mind with love.
We will light the lamp of compassion and love,
To remove forever, the darkness of enmity and anger.
We will radiate happiness to the home,
Happy homes create peace to the state we live,
Peaceful states make the prosperous nation.

ACC approves Senior Level Appointments

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the following promotions and appointments:
· Surinder K. Arora, IAS (AP: 71) presently in the cadre has been appointed as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser, Department of Commerce.
· Dhirendra Nath Padhi, IAS (OR: 71) presently in the cadre, has been appointed Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
· Champak Chatterji, IAS (WB: 71) presently Addl. Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has been appointed as Establishment Officer and Additional secretary, Department of Personnel and Training in place of Smt. Chitra Chopra.
· Subas C. Pani, IAS (OR: 72) presently in the cadre has been appointed Development Commissioner, Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary in place of Smt. Kasturi Gupta Menon.
· Ranjit Isar, IAS (HY: 72) presently Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence; has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the same Ministry.
· Vinod Rai, IAS (KL: 72) presently Joint Secretary, Banking, Department of Economic Affairs is to be re-notified as Additional Secretary (Financial Sector), Department of Economic Affairs by upgrading his present post to the level of Additional Secretary.
· Jainder Singh, IAS (AP: 72) presently Managing Director, National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation has been appointed as Secretary, UPSC in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.
· Ramesh Chandra Panda, IAS (TN: 72) presently Joint Secretary, department of Drinking water Supply has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and programme Implementation.
· Badal K. Das, IAS (MP: 72) presently Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been appointed as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, by upgrading the vacant post of Joint Secretary.
· Anurag Goel, IAS (UP: 72) presently, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation has been appointed Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by upgrading the post from the level of Joint Secretary to Additional Secretary.
· Sanjiv Misra, IAS (GJ: 72) presently OSD to Deputy Prime Minister in the rank of Joint Secretary is renotified in his present post in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.
· Rakesh Behari, IAS (AGMU: 77) presently Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Drinking Water Supply.
· Smt. Vandana K. Jena, IAS (OR; 79) presently on compulsory wait in the Cabinet Secretariat is appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.