Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership

India will establish a Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership. The Centre will be owned and managed by the Government. It will be open to international participation through academic exchanges, training and research and development efforts. The Centre is aimed at strengthening India’s cooperation with the international community in the areas of advanced nuclear energy systems, nuclear security, radiological safety and radiation technology applications in areas such as health, food and industry. This initiative was announced by Prime Minister at the Nuclear Security Summit held in Washington on 13th April 2010.

A phased approach will be followed for setting up of the Centre and no expenditure has so far been incurred on the Centre.

Schemes for Unorganised Workers

The Government is implementing various  schemes providing for social security to the workers in the unorganized sector. A Statement indicating schemes under schedule-I of the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 is as under:

(i)                  Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme  providing for old age pension to BPL family at the age of 65 yrs. a.       It includes five components of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)  viz. Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme, National Family Benefit Scheme, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme,  Indira Gandhi Disability Pension Scheme, and Annapurna.

(ii)                National Family Benefit Scheme  assistance to destitute bread earners.    

(iii)              Janani Suraksha Yojana for safe motherhood.

(iv)               Handloom Weavers’ comprehensive Welfare Schemes providing for health insurance and life & disability cover to  handloom weavers.

(v)                 National Scheme for welfare of Fisherman and Training & Extension providing housing assistance, insurance and training.

(vi)               Janashree Bima Yojana providing for life and accidental cover to BPL and marginally above BPL persons.

(vii)             Aam Admi Bima Yojana providing for life and accidental cover to landless rural household

(viii)           Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana providing for smart card based cashless health insurance cover to BPL families in unorganigsed sector.  The scheme became operational from 01.04.2008

problem of malnutrition

The problem of malnutrition is multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral in nature. The Government is implementing several schemes which have an impact on the nutritional status of the people. 
 

                  The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Schemes is being implemented by Ministry of Women and Child Development through state Governments/UT Administrations.

                  The scheme provides a package of six services, namely supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition & health education, immunization, health check-up and referral services. Three of the six services namely immunization, health check-up and referral services are delivered through the public health system of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

            The Government has recently taken various steps which include univesalisation of the schemes with special focus on SC/ST and minority habitations, revision in cost norms as well as the Nutritional and Feeding norms of the Supplementary Nutrition component of ICDS.

Besides the ICDS, the Government is implementing a number of other schemes throughout the country, which directly or indirectly affect the nutritional status of women and children. Some of these are as follows. 

Reproductive & Child Health Programme under the National Rural Health Mission being implemented by the ministry of Health & Family Welfare has interventions which include Janani Surasksha Yojana (JSY) to promote institutional deliveries; Immunization; Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness; Specific Programmes to prevent and combat micronutrient deficiencies of Vitamin A and Iron& Folic Acid through Vitamin A supplementation of children till the age of 5 years and Iron & Folic acid.

(i)             Iron and folic acid supplementation for infant, pre-school children adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women; iodized salt is being provided for combating Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

(ii)            Mid-Day Meal programme of Department of School Education and Literacy.

(iii)           Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls and Kisori Shakti Yojna of Ministry of Women and Child Development.

(iv)          Availability of essential food items at subsidized cost through Targeted public Distribution System and Antodaya Anna Yojna by Department of Food and Consumer Affairs.

(v)           Provision of safe drinking water under the National Drinking Water Programme and sanitation under the Total Sanitation Campaign of Ministry of Rural Development etc.

Conservation of Lesser Cats in India

The Government of India has taken the following measures to conserve and protect wildlife, including all the lesser cats species, in the country:

i.              Threatened species of wildlife including all the lesser cats are included in the Schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby affording them the highest degree of protection.

ii.             A network of Protected Areas has been established to conserve wildlife and their habitats including rare animals.

iii.            Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been set up to check illegal trade in wildlife and its products.

iv.            Financial and technical assistance is extended to the State/UT Governments under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, namely, ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats', ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ for providing better protection and conservation of wildlife.

v.             The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 has been amended from time to time and made more stringent against wildlife related offences.

Lesser cats are part of faunal life along with other species. A network of protected areas viz. National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation and Community Reserves has been established in the country.   Lesser cats, along with other species are afforded protection in these Protected Areas. The state wise details of Protected Areas in India are at Annexure-I .

As per BirdLife International, there are 465 Important Bird Areas in India. State-wise details of Important Bird Areas are at Annexure-II.  The Important Bird Areas Programme of BirdLife International aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of Important Bird Areas for the conservation of the world's birds and other biodiversity. Important Bird Areas are identified, monitored and protected by national and local organisations and individuals.

The Government of India consider all the ecological factors including the  biodiversity occurring in the area while examining the proposals for diversion of the forest land of the Protected Areas for the developmental projects.

Plants Nullifying Ill Effect of Toxic Gases

It is a fact that forests and jungles have the capacity to nullify the ill effects of the toxic gases. It is well recognized that plants play an important role in reducing air pollutants including toxic gases. Government is encouraging green belt in the industrial premises, urban conglomerates, road sides etc. While granting environmental clearance to industrial projects, the Ministry stipulates a condition to develop green belt for mitigating air pollution as per the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) determined on the basis of leaf extract PH, ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll and relative water content varies among different plant species. Some studies have indicated that Ficus, Albizia, Pithecelobium, Phyllanthus and Polyalthia are some of the trees having high APTI.