Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in August 2019 and in 7 months of 2019-20, around 84.83 lakh rural households were provided with tap connections. Further, amidst CoVID-19 pandemic, since Unlock-1, about 45 lakh tap connections have been provided so far in the year 2020-21. Thus, daily about 1 lakh households are being provided with tap connections, which indicates the ‘Speed’. For ensuring transparency, every asset created is being geo-tagged and connections are being linked with the ‘Aadhar’ of the ‘head of the household’.
A dashboard indicating the progress of the Mission, up to the district level, has been created and is available at Ministry’s website.
After the mission came into being, States were requested to undertake a revalidation exercise of baseline data, as per which there are 19.04 Crore rural households in the country, out of which 3.23 Crore households are already provided tap connections. Remaining 15.81 Crore households are to be provided with tap connections. Thus, the objective is to cover approx. 16 Crore households in a time-bound manner while ensuring the functionality of already provided connections. This means 3.2 Crore households to be covered every year i.e. approx. 88,000 tap connections to be provided on daily basis. With this goal in mind, States/ UTs are working hard to provide tap connection to every rural household. In this endeavour, States like Bihar, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh lead with excellent performance.
In 2020-21, a sum of Rs. 23,500 Crore has been allocated for the implementation of JJM. At present, more than Rs. 8,000 Crore of Central fund is available with the States/ UTs for the implementation of the Mission. Besides this, in 2020-21, 50% of 15th Finance Commission grants to Rural Local Bodies, i.e. Rs. 30,375 Crore have also been earmarked for water supply and sanitation. 50% of this amount has been released to States on 15 July, 2020. This will help in better planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of drinking water supply systems in villages so as people continue to get potable water on regular and long-term basis.
The mission is exploring partnerships with reputed national and international agencies including UN agencies, NGOs/ CBOs, CSR organizations, trusts, foundations, etc. The Government hopes that water will turn into the next people’s movement and will become everyone’s business, a transformational change for the sector which has hitherto been seen as only a public sector responsibility. To make water everyone’s business, mission strives to build partnerships and work together with various institutions/ individuals to achieve drinking water security for all.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in partnership with the States with an aim to provide potable water in adequate quantity of prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis through tap connections to every rural household in the country by 2024. The mission was announced by the Prime Minister on 15th August, 2019, for which the operational guidelines were released on 25th December, 2019.
All out efforts are being made by the National Mission under Ministry of Jal Shakti to handhold the States/ UTs for its implementation. Intensive village-wise analysis was taken up during March-May, 2020, based on which the action plans of the States were firmed up. Union Minister, Jal Shakti is also holding regular meetings with Chief Ministers/ Lieutenant Governors of States and UTs for expeditious implementation of the mission. States have planned 100% Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) coverage in villages, blocks and districts and ultimately saturating the States to become ‘Har Ghar Jal Rajya’.
Various States/ UTs have committed to achieve the goal of the Mission well before 2024. In 2021, Bihar, Goa, Puducherry and Telangana have planned for complete saturation; similarly in 2022, States/ UTs of Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Meghalaya, Punjab, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. While Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Chhattisgarh have planned for 100% coverage in 2023, States like Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have planned for 2024.
The objective of the Mission is universal coverage and emphasis is on the principle of ‘equity and inclusiveness’ i.e. every family in the village gets tap water connection in their household and ‘none is left behind’. Accordingly, States are giving priority to SC/ ST majority populated villages, aspirational districts, villages in drought prone and desert areas and quality-affected habitations.
Special focus is given to the districts affected with Japanese Encephalitis/ Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (JE-AES) which is one of the reasons behind infant mortality in the affected districts. As on date, 3.01 Crore households are there in 61 JE/ AES endemic districts of 5 States of Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Out of this, 27.32 lakh (9%) households have FHTCs and remaining 2.74 crore households (91%) are to be provided with FHTCs under JJM.
Potable water supply to water quality-affected habitations is a top priority under JJM as the ill effects of Flurosis and Arsenicosis is to be reduced. In the light of interim order of National Green Tribunal, States have to ensure piped water supply to all households in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations before December, 2020.
Being a decentralized programme, Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)/ Paani Samiti as sub-committee of Gram Panchayat, with minimum 50% women members, are being formed at village level which is responsible for preparing the Village Action Plans (VAPs) considering the water-sources development, supply, grey-water management and operation and maintenance. JJM also aims at the capacity building of members of Gram Panchayat and/ or its sub-committee, so as to generate ‘responsive’ and ‘responsible’ leadership at village who can manage, plan, operate and maintain in-village water supply infrastructure and many States have already started imparting online training to Paani Samiti members.
Under JJM, emphasis is given on convergence planning at the lowest level i.e. village/ Gram Panchayat, for source strengthening, water harvesting, aquifer recharge, water treatment and grey-water management, etc., for which dovetailing of resources takes place from MGNREGS, 15th Finance Commission Grants for PRIs, SBM (G), District Mineral Development Fund, CSR funds, Local Area Development funds, etc.
‘Skilling’ of villagers on masonary, plumbing, electrical-aspects, motor-repairing, etc. are also given impetus under JJM. Looking at this potential to engage skilled, semi-skilled and un-skilled labourers, JJM is also a part of Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojana (GKRA) wherein efforts are being made to provide employment to migrant labourers by creating public infrastructure. The tentative plan is to take up work in about 25,000 villages spread across 6 States under implementation.
Monitoring quality of water supplied through drinking water testing laboratories is an important aspect and lot of emphasis is given on strengthening these labs and getting them accredited by NABL. States are to open water quality laboratory facilities to general public, so that village women can come and test the quality of water supplied to their household.
Communities are being enabled to take up surveillance for quality of water-supplied, for which in villages by training five villagers, preferably women, is encouraged so that water supplied in villages could be tested locally. The idea is to make it a reliable and trustworthy arrangement of potable supply.
Every source needs to be tested once for chemical parameters and twice for bacteriological contamination (pre and post monsoon) in a year as a part of water quality monitoring.
In line with the clarion call of the Prime Minister to ensure ‘ease of living’ in rural areas by providing facilities like financial inclusion, houses, road, clean fuel, electricity, toilets, the Jal Jeevan Mission is providing drinking water in every rural household, which will go a long way in improving the lives of rural population. The Mission will also reduce the drudgery of women and girls on whom the primary responsibility of fetching water is vested with.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1639111
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The first-of-its-kind footwear training center in Delhi to train the marginalized community of leather artisans was inaugurated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Today. The center has been established with the technical knowhow of Central Footwear Training Institute (CFTI), Agra, a unit of the Ministry of MSME. The “KVIC-CFTI Footwear Training Cum Production Center” located at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, will provide a comprehensive 2-months training program to leather artisans for making high-quality footwear.
KVIC Chairman Shri VK Saxena while inaugurating the centre termed the leather artisans as “Charm Chikitsak” (leather doctors). The training center will also provide logistical support to the trained artisans in starting their own shoe-making business once their two-months training is successfully completed. The artisans will also be provided a tool kit worth Rs 5000 for carrying out their activities in future.
The KVIC-CFTI Footwear Training Cum Production Center equipped with advanced tool kits and machinery has been set up in a record time of less than two months. The inauguration was, however, delayed due to lockdown. Initially the training programs was designed for a batch of 40 leather artisans but keeping in view the social distancing norms in wake of Corona disease, the number has been reduced to a batch of 20 artisans. KVIC is setting up a similar footwear training center in Varanasi also.
The KVIC Chairman said the training of leather artisans or the 'charm chikitsak' is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas”.
He said footwear has become an integral part of fashion and shoe-making no longer remains a menial job. “Through this training center, we are trying to rope in maximum people with shoe-making activities. The program has been so designed that in just two months time, the artisans will be able to manufacture all kinds of footwear. This will increase their income by manifold,” the KVIC Chairman said.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1639095
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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified SO 2339(E) dated 14th July, 2020 to rectify the anomalies in the chapter on ‘The assignment of registration mark on vehicles for various States and Union Territories at a glimpse’
through tabulation of items so that it clearly enunciates the colour of the alpha numerals and the back ground of registration plate of different class and category of vehicles. This notification has been issued only for enabling clarity, and nothing new has been prescribed for the plates,.
Earlier, the Ministry had prescribed different registration mark on vehicles for various states and union territories under sub-section (6) of section 41 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988) vide S.O.444(E), dated the 12th June, 1989. Later, the Ministry vide SO 827 (E) dated 11th November, 1992 amended the S.O.444(E), dated the 12th June, 1989 to prescribe the colour of the alpha numerals and the back ground registration plate for different class and category of vehicles. Further, the Ministry vide GSR 901 (E) dated 13/12/2001 prescribed the colour of the registration plate for transport and non transport class of vehicles.
It came to the notice of the Ministry that the amendment in the chapter, ‘The assignment of registration mark on vehicles for various States and Union Territories at a glimpse’ inserted vide S.O. 444(E), dated the 12 th June, 1989 was left out. Due to which certain ambiguities were noticed. Hence, this notification has been issued for enabling clarity.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1639062
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- Low cost Diagnostic Assays, RNA Extraction kit and VTM
- Animal Models for preclinical studies of vaccine candidate development
Development of in-house diagnostic assays
DBT-AIs (Autonomous Institutions) have focussed their research efforts on the development of indigenous diagnostic tests to achieve self-sufficiency. 9
- A low-cost colorimetric PCR based assaytechnology andan aptamer-based SARS-CoV-2antigen detection technology developed by DBT-THSTI, were transferred to Genei and Molbio Diagnostics Pvt. Limited, respectively.
- In-house IgG ELISA technology by DBT-THSTI was also transferred to XCyton Diagnostics Limited.
- DBT-RGCB along with POCT services, New Delhi developed a low-cost viral transport medium and RNA extraction kit that is ready for commercial use.
DBT- AIs as COVID-19 diagnostic kit validation centres for RTPCR, Antibody and Antigen tests are now providing panels to industry, startups and academia for the in-house kit testing before validation.
DBT-THSTI has also established panels of positive sera from symptomatic patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. These panels will find utility in validation of diagnostic kits.DBT-THSTI has validated rapid IgG/IgM and rapid IgG card tests for SARS-CoV-2 using these panel of sera.
Research resources – for facilitating start up and industrial research
DBT institutes are developing research resources such as indigenous animal models, viral spike proteins, receptor binding domain peptides, pseudoviruses, clinical immunological assays and antibodies for research for sharing with industry and academia. DBT-THSTI Faridabad has established a Hamster infection model for evaluation of antivirals, therapeutics and vaccines. DBT-ILS, Bhubaneshwar has successfully established 17 in vitro cultures of SARS-CoV-2 using vero cell lines, which, is an important resource for anti-viral testing and validation of antiviral products.
#DBT-India Fights COVID by developing indigenous solutions towards realisation of our goal of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
(For Further Information: Contact Communication Cell of DBT/BIRAC
@DBTIndia @BIRAC_2012
www.dbtindia.gov.inwww.birac.nic.in)
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Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Shri Mansukh Mandaviya today flagged off the first trial container ship from Kolkata to Agartala through Chattogram Port of Bangladesh, in a virtual ceremony. This has been done under the Agreement on use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for movement of India’s transit cargo through Bangladesh.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya said that the route will open doors of new opportunities for both the countries. It will provide the alternative and shorter route to connect the North East Region through Bangladesh. Shri Mandaviya said that this is a historic move to utilize Chattogram and Mongla Port for movement of India’s transit cargo. It will be a new chapter in India-Bangladesh maritime relations, he added.
The consignment of the trial movement includes two TEUs carrying TMT steel bars destined for West Tripura district and two TEUs carrying pulses destined for Karimganj, Assam. After reaching Chattogram, the consignment will move to Agartala on Bangladeshi trucks.
The trial runs highlight the efforts that both sides have undertaken to strengthen the connectivity between Bangladesh and the North Eastern states of India, as per the understanding reached between the two countries at the highest level, during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October 2019, when the Standard Operating Procedures for the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India, were concluded. This movement further strengthens long standing partnership between India and Bangladesh.
It will reduce distance and time taken in transportation of goods for India and is a win-win for both the economies. Job creation, investment in the logistical sector, enhanced business services and revenue generation are advantages that will accrue to Bangladesh. Bangladeshi vessels and trucks will be utilized to move the Indian cargo.
India and Bangladesh have enhanced cooperation in shipping and inland water trade in the recent years. Under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade, in addition to the six existing Ports of Call, five more in each country have been added recently. Dredging of inland waterway routes is ongoing under an MoU, signed by the two countries on development of fairway in selected stretches of Bangladesh waterways with the Government of India bearing 80% of the project expenditure and the balance being borne by the Government of Bangladesh. Cruise services have also commenced between the two countries promoting tourism and people to people contacts.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1639055
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