Policy Buzz
27 February 2023
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
- For marketing of products made by SHGs under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY- NRLM), the Ministry of Rural Development signed an agreement with Meesho, an e-commerce platform.
- Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) was approved by the Centre with an outlay of ₹4,800 crore with an objective of developing essential infrastructure along the northern border of the country.
- Establishment of viable Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in each uncovered Panchayat was approved by the Centre to strengthen cooperative movement in the country.
- Revised guidelines on Members Of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) 2023 released by the Minister of State MoSPI.
- The Ministry Of Electronics And Information Technology (MeitY) seeks proposals to map the digital economy.
- Fifth Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
Health and Nutrition
- All government mental healthcare institutions are in deplorable condition, reported the National Human Rights Commission. Read more about mental health and public provision here.
- The National Organ Transplantation Guidelines were modified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Centralised quality checking system for drugs proposed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Education
- Second edition of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) report released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Read the complete report here.
- Jadui Pitara, a play-based learning-teacher material tailored for children between the age group of 3-8 years, was launched by the Union Education Minister. The material was developed under the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) and is available in 13 languages.
- The Ministry of Education has urged all states and Union Territories to set the minimum age criteria for Class 1 admission as six years.
Sanitation
- To develop Waste to Energy and bio-methanation projects in cities with a population of million plus the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs signed an MoU with Engineers India Limited as part of furthering the ‘Green Growth’ agenda.
Other News
- Details of custodial deaths between 2018 and 2022 were shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh witnessed the highest number of custodial deaths.
- Aadhar Mitra, a new chatbox, was launched by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
- Draft norms for lending and borrowing of Government Securities (G-secs) were issued by RBI.
- IBMX, India’s first municipal bond index, launched by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to track performance of bonds issued by municipal corporations. Read more about municipal financing here.
Also Read: At a Glance: Budget Session 2023 (Part-1)