Union Cabinet took important decisions under the chairmanship of PM Modi

Union Cabinet took important decisions under the chairmanship of PM Modi

  • Cabinet approves signing of an MoU between India and Sierra Leone on cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister approves the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 12th of June 2023 between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Republic of Sierra Leone on Cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.

The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions (viz. INDIA STACK) in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the country. MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the  field of IT.

The MoU shall come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and shall be remain in force for a period of 3 years.

Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be enhanced.  The activities contemplated in this MoU would be financed through their administration’s regular operating allocations.

MeitY is collaborating with a number of countries and multilateral agencies for fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the ICT domain. Over the period, MeitY has entered into MoUs/MoCs/Agreements with its counterpart organizations/ agencies from various countries to promote cooperation and exchange of information in the ICT domain. This is in consonance with the various initiatives taken by Government of India such as Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India etc. to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. In this changing paradigm, there is an imminent need for exploring business opportunities, sharing of best practices and attracting investments in the digital sector with the objective of enhancing mutual cooperation.

Over the last few years, India has demonstrated its leadership in implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and has successfully provided delivery of services to public even during COVID pandemic. As a result, many countries have evinced interest in learning from India’s experiences and entering into MoUs with India for learning from India’s experiences.

India Stack Solutions are DPls developed & implemented by India at population scale to provide access & delivery of public services It aims to provide meaningful connectivity, promote digital inclusion, and enable seamless access to public services. These are built on open technologies, are interoperable and are designed to harness industry and community participation which foster innovation. However, each country has unique needs and challenges in building DPI, although the basic functionality is similar, allowing for global cooperation.

 

  • Cabinet approves signing of an MoU between India and Antigua & Barbuda on cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister approves the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 13th of June 2023 between the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Information, Communications Technologies, Utilities and Energy of the Antigua & Barbuda on Cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.

The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions (viz. INDIA STACK) in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the country. MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.

The MoU shall come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and shall be remain in force for a period of 3 years.

Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be enhanced.  The activities contemplated in this MoU would be financed through their administration’s regular operating allocations.

MeitY is collaborating with a number of countries and multilateral agencies for fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the ICT domain. Over the period, MeitY has entered into MoUs/MoCs/Agreements with its counterpart organizations/ agencies from various countries to promote cooperation and exchange of information in the ICT domain. This is in consonance with the various initiatives taken by Government of India such as Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India etc. to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. In this changing paradigm, there is an imminent need for exploring business opportunities, sharing of best practices and attracting investments in the digital sector with the objective of enhancing mutual cooperation.

Over the last few years, India has demonstrated its leadership in implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and has successfully provided delivery of services to public even during COVID pandemic. As a result, many countries have evinced interest in learning from India’s experiences and entering into MoUs with India for learning from India’s experiences.

India Stack Solutions are DPls developed & implemented by India at population scale to provide access & delivery of public services It aims to provide meaningful connectivity, promote digital inclusion, and enable seamless access to public services. These are built on open technologies, are interoperable and are designed to harness industry and community participation which foster innovation. However, each country has unique needs and challenges in building DPI, although the basic functionality is similar, allowing for global cooperation.

 

  • Cabinet approves signing of an MoU between India and Armenia on cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister approves the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 12th of June 2023 between the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia on Cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.

The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions (viz. INDIA STACK) in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the country. MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.

The MoU shall come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and shall be remain in force for a period of 3 years.

Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be enhanced.  The activities contemplated in this MoU would be financed through their administration’s regular operating allocations.

MeitY is collaborating with a number of countries and multilateral agencies for fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the ICT domain. Over the period, MeitY has entered into MoUs/MoCs/Agreements with its counterpart organizations/ agencies from various countries to promote cooperation and exchange of information in the ICT domain. This is in consonance with the various initiatives taken by Government of India such as Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India etc. to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. In this changing paradigm, there is an imminent need for exploring business opportunities, sharing of best practices and attracting investments in the digital sector with the objective of enhancing mutual cooperation.

Over the last few years, India has demonstrated its leadership in implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and has successfully provided delivery of services to public even during COVID pandemic. As a result, many countries have evinced interest in learning from India’s experiences and entering into MoUs with India for learning from India’s experiences.

India Stack Solutions are DPls developed & implemented by India at population scale to provide access & delivery of public services It aims to provide meaningful connectivity, promote digital inclusion, and enable seamless access to public services. These are built on open technologies, are interoperable and are designed to harness industry and community participation which foster innovation. However, each country has unique needs and challenges in building DPI, although the basic functionality is similar, allowing for global cooperation.

*Cabinet approves eCourts Phase III for 4 years

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the eCourts Project Phase III as a Central Sector Scheme spanning four years (2023 onwards) with financial outlay of Rs.7210 crore.

In line with the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas”, eCourts Mission Mode Project is the prime mover for improving access to justice using technology. As part of the National eGovernance Plan, the e-Courts Project is under implementation since 2007 for ICT enablement of the Indian Judiciary the Phase II of which has concluded in 2023. Phase III of the e-Courts Project in India is rooted in philosophy of “access and inclusion”.

Taking the gains of Phase-I and Phase-II to the next level, the e-Courts Phase-III aims to usher in a regime of maximum ease of justice by moving towards digital, online and paperless courts through digitization of the entire court records including legacy records and by bringing in universalization of e-Filing/ e-Payments through saturation of all court complexes with e-Sewa Kendras. It will put in place intelligent smart systems enabling data-based decision making for judges and registries while scheduling or prioritizing cases. The main objective of the Phase-III is to create a unified technology platform for the judiciary, which will provide a seamless and paperless interface between the courts, the litigants and other stakeholders.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of eCourts Phase III is being implemented under the joint partnership of Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India and eCommittee, Supreme Court of India, in a decentralized manner through the respective High Courts to develop a judicial system that would promote ease of justice by making the system more accessible, affordable, reliable, predictable, and transparent for all stakeholders.

Components of eCourts Phase III are as follows:

  S.No. Scheme Component Cost Estimate (Total in Rs. crore)
  1 Scanning, Digitization and Digital Preservation of Case Records 2038.40
  2 Cloud Infrastructure 1205.23
  3 Additional hardware to existing courts 643.66
  4 Infrastructure in newly set up courts 426.25
  5 Establishment of 1150 Virtual Courts 413.08
 

6

 

4400 fully functional eSewa Kendra 394.48
7 Paperless Court 359.20
8 System and Application Software Development 243.52
9 Solar Power Backup 229.50
10 Video Conferencing set-up 228.48
11 e- filing 215.97
12 Connectivity (Primary + Redundancy) 208.72
13 Capacity Building 208.52
14 CLASS (Live-Audio Visual Streaming System) in 300 Court Complexes Courtroom 112.26
15 Human Resources 56.67
16 Future Technological Advancements 53.57
17 Judicial process re-engineering 33.00
18 Disabled friendly ICT enabled facilities 27.54
19 NSTEP 25.75
20 Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) 23.72
21 Knowledge Management System 23.30
22 e-Office for High Courts & District Courts 21.10
23 Integration with Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) 11.78
24 S3WAAS platform 6.35
  TOTAL 7210

 

The expected outcomes of the scheme are as follows:

 

  • Citizens who do not have access to technology can access the judicial services from eSewa Kendras, thus bridging the digital divide.
  • Digitization of court records lays the foundation for all other digital services in the project. It enables processes to become more environmental friendly by minimizing paper-based filings and reducing the physical movement of documents.
  • Virtual participation in the court proceedings thus reducing costs associated with court proceedings, such as travel expenses for witnesses, judges, and other stakeholders.
  • Payment of court fees, fines and penalties from anywhere, anytime.
  • Expansion of eFiling for reducing the time and effort required to file documents. Thereby minimizing human errors as documents are automatically checked and also prevent further creation of paper based records.
  • Use of latest technologies like Al and its subsets Machine Learning (ML), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Natural Language Processing (NLP) to provide a smoother user experience by building a “smart” ecosystem. Registries will have less data entry and minimal file scrutiny facilitating better decision-making and policy planning. It envisages smart scheduling, intelligent system that enables data-based decision making for judges and registries, allows for greater predictability and optimisation of the capacity of judges and lawyers.
  • Expansion of virtual courts beyond the adjudication of traffic violation cases, thereby eliminating the presence of litigant or lawyer in the court.
  • Enhanced accuracy and transparency in court proceedings
  • Emphasis on automated delivery of court summons by further expanding the NSTEP (National Serving and Tracking of Electronic Processes), hence drastically reducing the delays in trials.
  • Use of emerging technologies in court processes will make them more efficient and effective, hence contributing significantly towards the reduction of pendency cases.

 

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1907546

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1910056

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1941500

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1945462

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1884164

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1848737

https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2023/sep/doc2023913251301.pdf

 

                   *Cabinet approves expansion of Ujjwala Yojana


75 lakh additional LPG connections to be released in 3 years

It will take total number of PMUY beneficiaries to 10.35 crore

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for release of 75 lakh LPG connections over three years from Financial Year 2023-24 to 2025-26. Provisioning of 75 lakh additional Ujjwala connections will take total number of PMUY beneficiaries to 10.35 crore.

Key LPG details in 2014 vs 2023

  (Unit) 01.04.2014 01.04.2016 01.04.2023
National LPG coverage % 55.90% 61.9% Near saturation
No. of Bottling Plants of OMCs in Nos. 186 188 208
No. of LPG distributors in India in Nos. 13896 17916 25386
Domestic Active LPG Customers in India in Lakh 1451.76 1662.5 3140.33

 

As per the existing modalities of Ujjawala 2.0, the first refill and stove will also be provided free of cost to Ujjwala beneficiaries.

A targeted subsidy of Rs.200 per 14.2 kg LPG cylinder for upto 12 refills per year is being provided to PMUY consumers. Without continuation of PMUY, eligible poor households may not be able to get their due benefit under the scheme.

Women’s ease of living through clean cooking

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 2.4 billion people worldwide (which is around one-third of the global population), rely on open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (such as wood, animal dung, and crop waste), and coal for cooking. This leads to harmful household air pollution, contributing to an estimated 3.2 million deaths annually in 2020, with over 237,000 deaths being children under the age of 5. Achieving a sustainable and pollution-free future requires addressing the issue of household air pollution, especially to prevent suffering among women and children.

In the past, impoverished communities in India, particularly in rural areas, used traditional fuels like firewood, coal and dung cakes without being aware of the adverse health effects caused by them. Consequently, they faced health problems without knowing the underlying cause. A heightened mortality risk due to illnesses such as pneumonia, lung cancer, ischaemic heart, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases is extensively reported. Non-renewable wood fuels for cooking cause a gigaton of CO2 emissions, and burning residential solid fuels comprise 58 percent of black carbon emissions. They are also a significant contributor to household air pollution (HAP) due to incomplete combustion of solid biomass.

Research also indicates that this is a gender problem: girls and women face increased exposure to solid fuels. Cooking with solid fuels delays progress towards five of the UN Sustainable

The PMUY scheme has empowered women economically and socially. With easier access to LPG, women are no longer burdened with the task of collecting firewood or other traditional fuels, which often required long and laborious journeys. This newfound convenience allows them to participate more actively in community life and take up other income-generating opportunities.

Furthermore, the Ujjwala scheme has contributed to enhancing the safety and security of women, as they no longer need to venture into isolated and potentially unsafe areas to collect firewood or fuel.

Initiatives to expand LPG coverage

  1. PAHAL (Pratyaksh Hastantarit Labh): Instead of providing LPG cylinders at subsidized price, those were sold at market price, and applicable subsidy was directly transferred to individual’s bank account electronically. This reduced “ghost” accounts and illegal use of household cylinders for commercial purposes, ensuring that only the intended beneficiaries receive the benefits.
  2. GIVE IT UP: Instead of removing subsidies forcefully, people were encouraged to voluntarily surrender their subsidies. Through extensive promotion, millions of people willingly gave up the subsidies, which helped redirect the funds to those who genuinely needed assistance in acquiring LPG cylinders.
  3. During Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, free refill scheme under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana was implemented. Under this scheme, assistance of Rs. 9670.41 Crore was given to PMUY beneficiaries in support of 14.17 Crore LPG refills.
  4. Per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries which was 3.01 in 2018-19 has increased to 3.71 in 2022-23. PMUY beneficiaries took more than 35 Cr LPG refills a year now (2022-23).

 

                     *Cabinet approves foreign investment of up to Rs.9589 crore in M/s Suven Pharmaceuticals Limited

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today approved the FDI proposal for foreign investment of up to Rs.9589 crore in M/s Suven Pharmaceuticals Limited by M/s Berhyanda Limited, Cyprus. The approval is for acquisition of up to 76.1% equity shares of M/s Suven Pharmaceuticals Limited, a public limited Indian pharmaceutical company listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and the Bombay Stock Exchange Limited, by M/s Berhyanda Limited, Cyprus, by way of transfer of shares of from existing promoter shareholders and public shareholders through mandatory Open Offer. The aggregate foreign investment may increase up to 90.1% in M/s Suven Pharmaceuticals Limited.

The proposal has been evaluated by SEBI, RBI, CCI and other relevant agencies.  The approval has been granted after examination of the proposal by Departments concerned, RBI and SEBI and is subject to the fulfillment of all rules and regulations as applicable in this regard.

The entire investments in foreign Investor Company, M/s Berhyanda Limited are held by Advent Funds, which pool investments from various Limited Partners (LPs). The Advent Funds are managed by Advent International Corporation, an entity incorporated in USA. Advent International Corporation, set up in 1984 has made investments of about USD 75 billion in 42 countries. Advent India started investments in India since 2007 and so far it has invested about Rs 34000 crores in 20 Indian companies across healthcare, financial services, industrial manufacturing, consumer goods and IT services sectors.

The approved investment aims to generate new jobs, capacity expansion of the Indian company through investments in plant & equipment. Association with Advent Group is expected to provide larger platform to M/s Suven Pharmaceuticals Limited by expanding business operations; achieving operational excellence; enhancing productivity and accelerate growth; improve the environment, health and safety standards of Indian Company; and bring in global best practices in management as well as excellent training opportunities to existing professionals.

The Government has put in place an investor-friendly Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy regime for pharmaceutical sector in order to bring in global best practices through technology, innovation and skilling for accelerated economic growth and development; supplement capital for up scaling domestic productivity, increase competitiveness and employment generation amongst other benefits.

As per the extant FDI Policy, 100% foreign investment is allowed under automatic route in greenfield pharmaceutical projects. In brownfield pharmaceutical projects, FDI upto 74% are allowed under the automatic route and Government approval is required for investment beyond 74%. Total FDI inflows in pharmaceutical sector has been Rs.43,713 crore during last five years (from 2018-19 to 2022-23). The sector has witnessed significant growth in FDI of 58% in the last financial year.

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