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

• The Rajasthan Assembly recently passed a significant Bill aimed at extending social security benefits to gig workers.
• The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has launched the first ever “Credit Guarantee Scheme” under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) to facilitate collateral-free credit for MSMEs in the livestock sector.
• The Government of India has appointed Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) under the chairmanship of Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India to review the methodology of the National Statistical Organisation (NSO).
• The Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North-Eastern Region in Rajya Sabha has pointed out various schemes and programmes that are introduced by the government with an aim of protecting, preserving, and promoting the country’s tribal cultural heritage. 
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India has decided to adopt a Target Range Approach in announcing Export Goals for FY 2023-24 instead of a single number due to ongoing global uncertainties.
• NITI Aayog has introduced the Techno-Commercial Readiness and Market Maturity Matrix (TCRM Matrix) framework, an innovative assessment tool aimed at transforming technology evaluation, encouraging innovation, and nurturing entrepreneurship in India.
• The “Bhoomi Samman” is a prestigious award scheme launched by the Union Ministry of Rural Development to recognize and incentivize the achievements of states and districts in the implementation of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
• The Ministry of State for Heavy Industries highlighted the developments of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme Phase-II in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
• The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 was passed in Lok Sabha during the monsoon session and aims at giving a boost to Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business.

Health

• The Government of India recently announced the Cannabis Medicine Project. This research project, undertaken by CSIR-IIIM Jammu, aims to explore the medicinal potential of cannabis, benefiting patients with neuropathies, cancer, and epilepsy.

Education

• The PM released the first instalment of funds under the PM SHRI Scheme, supporting the establishment of schools that nurture engaged, productive, and contributing citizens, in alignment with the NEP 2020 vision.
• The Union Minister of Education launched the ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram mobile application.

Women and Child 

• National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) under the Ministry of Women and Child Development organised the First Capacity Building Programme on ‘Mission Shakti- Hub for Empowerment of Women’ for State Nodal Officers and State Mission Coordinators.
• Rajya Sabha Chairman nominated four women parliamentarians to the panel of vice-chairpersons, giving women equal representation in the panel, for the first time in the history of the Rajya Sabha, even as the women’s reservation Bill, that was first introduced in 1996, remains pending.

Environment

• NITI Aayog unveiled the latest version of the India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 V3.0, an open-source tool designed to evaluate the integrated impact of various green energy policies of the Government of India.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in partnership with the International Solar Alliance, unveiled the report on ‘Roadmap of Solar Energy for Universal Energy Access‘ developed under India’s G20 presidency in 2023 showcases how solar energy can play a key role in achieving electricity access and providing socio-economic benefits globally.
• The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) during the 4th G-20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting in Chennai.
• The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 has been passed by the Lok Sabha, and it aims to bring significant changes to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, which is a crucial central statute for the conservation of forests in India.

Other news 

• The Indian Prime Minister announced at the G20 Energy Ministers’ meeting that India has rolled out 20% ethanol-blended petrol in 2023 and aims to cover the entire country by 2025.

Also Read: In a Glance: Maternal and Child Health in Meghalaya