Keep up-to-date with all that is happening in welfare policy with this curated selection of news – Policy Buzz – published every fortnight.

Policy News

1. Jan Samarth Portal, a national portal for 13 credit-linked government schemes, was launched by the Prime Minister’s Office. 
2. The single nodal agency dashboard of the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) was launched by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs. 
3. CiSS application was launched under the Baal Swaraj portal to help in the rehabilitation process of Children in Street Situations (CiSS) by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights. 
4. Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s (ESIC) health insurance scheme, will be implemented throughout the country
5. Startups for Railways, a railway innovation policy was launched by the Ministry of Railways. 
6. Public feedback on the draft National Policy on Persons with Disabilities (PwD), 2021 has been invited by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Read the public notice and draft policy here. 
7. Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022 were notified by the Ministry of Power in order to achieve India’s commitment of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel by 2030.
8. Public comments on the proposed draft for amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 have been invited by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The press note and proposed draft amendment are available here.

Health & Nutrition 

1. Report on State Food Safety Index 2021-22 was released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Read the complete report here. 
2. States have been instructed to ensure migrating families’ access to Integrated Child Development Services by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. 
3. Pilot projects were carried out in Gujarat and Karnataka to add Ayush component in take-home ration under ICDS by the government.
4. ‘World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All’ was published by the World Health Organisation. 

Education 

1. Universities and colleges have been asked to implement the guidelines for Gender Champions by the University Grants Commission. 
2. Use of ICT under the PM eVidya scheme, by the Ministry of Education, during the COVID-19 pandemic has won UNESCO’s recognition.

Other News

1. The National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2021 report was released by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances. Read the complete report here. 
2. The fourth annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report was released by the National Statistical Office. The key findings of the report are available here. 
3. Migration in India 2020-21 report was released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The complete report is available on the MoSPI website.  
4. Climate change and disasters led to displacement of nearly 5 million people in the country, according to the Global Trends report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 
5. Payments Vision 2025 document was released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The document aims to “elevate payment systems towards a realm of empowering users with affordable payment options accessible anytime and anywhere.” The document is available here.
6. The National Tribal Research Institute was inaugurated in New Delhi as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Also Read: India’s Public Investment in Education: Deciphering the Inconsistencies in Official Statistics