PIB Press Releases


		22nd April, 2003


		Ministry of Commerce & Industry India poised to emerge as a leading exporter of sports goods and toys India is poised to emerge as a major exporter of sports goods and toys with the Indian sports goods and toys industry recording a steady growth of 5.54%, having successfully weathered the global economic slowdown and the turbulence of international event post 9/11 ........................... Ministry of Railways Facilities for handicapped persons at Railway Stations The Ministry of Railways has directed all the Zonal Railways to provide ramps for barrier free entry, non-slippery walkway, disabled friendly drinking water taps and toilets suitable for handicapped persons at all 'A' category stations in the first phase, to begin with........................... Ministry of Railways Minister of State for Railways launches ACD survey on 400 Route Kilo Metres The Minister of State for Railways Shri Bandaru Dattatraya launched Anti Collision Device (ACD) survey on 400 kilometre long Renigunta-Guntakal-Toranagallu route at a function on South Central Railway in Andhra Pradesh today............................ Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation 168 new towns covered under Scheme for Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns 168 new towns have been brought under the scheme for Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns during the year 2002-03 whereas only 114 towns were covered under the scheme during the year 2001-02............................ Ministry of Mines Export of Aluminium by NALCO The National Aluninum Company Limited (NALCO), a public sector undertaking of the Ministry of Mines has exported 1.07 lakh tonnes of Alumina and Aluminium to Baharain, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malayasia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE and Vietnam during the year 2002-03 and earned $ 148.8 million foreign exchange for the country............................ Ministry of Mines Use of vacated mines The issues of decommissioning, reclamation and rehabilitation of the mines after mining and mineral processing operation was taken up in the Mineral Advisory Council in September 2002 and a committee was constituted for suggesting appropriate changes in prevailing rules............................ Ministry of Civil Aviation Development of International Airports Uttar Pradesh Government has a proposal to set up an airport at a site, which is located 72 Kms from Delhi (IGI) Airport............................ Ministry of Labour & Empowerment Investment in children is investment in future - Najma Heptulla Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha Dr. Najma Heptulla said that investment in children is in fact investment for the future of India............................ Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation World Bank assistance for improvement of water supply & sanitation in Guwahati Government of Assam has sought assistance of the World Bank under Water and Sanitation Programme for South Asia (WSP-SA) to explore strategic options available for improving water supply and sanitation for Guwahati city, as well as institutional and technical aspects of the water and sanitation metwork............................ Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation Encroachments on Central Govt's land in Delhi Delhi being a modern megapolis with excellent social and economic infrastructure, attracts large number of people in search of gainful employment thus resulting in emergence of jhuggies............................ Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation Action against unauthorised construction & encroachments in petrol pump sites in Delhi A Survey Committee constituted by the Government to look into the encroachment and unauthorized construction in petrol pump sites in Delhi had surveyed 276 petrol pump sites and found encroachment in 191............................ Ministry of Rural Development Swarozgaris in Bihar The Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) is being implemented in rural areas of the country including all the districts of Bihar............................ Ministry of Water Resources Irrigation potential of Harihar Jor Irrigation Project in Orissa The Harihar Jor Irrigation Project in Orissa envisages creation of ultimate irrigation potential of 13.70 thousand hectare on completion, out of which 9.95 thousand hectare has been created up to the end of 2000-01........................... Ministry of Water Resources Clearance to flood control in Ganga Basin The Government of Bihar has submitted a list of 19 schemes comprising 5 schemes of anti-erosion works and 14 schemes for raising and strengthening/construction of embankments to Ganga Flood Control Commission at a total estimated cost of about Rs.542 crores........................... Ministry of Water Resources Fund allocated for erosion of Ganga-Padma River Basin The erosion in banks of Ganga/Padma is a natural phenomenon being a meandering river. The intensity of erosion varies with location and also from year to year........................... Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources World's largest Solar Steam Cooking System at Tirupati The world's largest solar steam cooking system has been installed by the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh........................... Ministry of Human Resource Development Girls Hostels The Ministry of Human Resource Development is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Strengthening Boarding and Hostel facilities for girls under which 100% assistance is provided for running these hostels........................... Ministry of Human Resource Development Association of Indian Universities Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is a special body in India to evaluate the courses, syllabi, standard and credits of foreign Universities and to equate them in relation to various courses offered by Indian Universities........................... Ministry of Human Resource Development Education to disabled and reservation in education Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC), 100% financial assistance is provided to the State Governments/UTs/NGOs for providing necessary facilities to the children with mild to moderate disability with the purpose of integrating them in the general school system........................... Ministry of Home Affairs N.N. Vohra to have talks with various political parties on Jammu & Kashmir Shri N.N. Vohra, representative of Government of India is arriving at Srinagar on April 21, 2003 to have talks with the leaders of the various political parties in Jammu & Kashmir........................... Ministry of Home Affairs Campaign against corruption The Lok Sabha was informed that Government have launched campaigns against corruption and have also conducted raids in various departments to detect cases........................... UPSC Result of the Engineering Services Examination - 2002 declared The Union Public Service Commission has declared the final result of the Engineering Services Examination held in June 2002........................... UPSC NDA and Naval Defence Academy Examination (II), 2003 on 14th September The Union Public Service Commission will hold the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2003 on 14th September, 2003........................... Ministry of Home Affairs Central Staffing Scheme Appointments/postings of the officers in the Central Government are made under the Central Staffing Scheme........................... Ministry of Home Affairs Special Police Force for Coastal areas The Lok Sabha was told that the Coastal states and the Union Territory Administrations have been advised to prepare perspective plans for coastal security for which certain indicative parameters were identified and circulated to them........................... Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers Categorisation of fertilizer producing units Under the new pricing scheme made effective from 1.4.2003, the urea units have been placed in six groups based on vintage and feedstock, for determining the group based concession rates........................... Ministry of Coal New coal sales policy A new policy for sale of coal to non-core sector has been formulated and circulated in January, 2003 to all coal companies with a view to make the marketing of coal more transparent........................... Ministry of Commerce & Industry Highlights of the Annual Report, 2002-03 of Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties Highlights of the Annual Report, 2002-03 of Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties ........................... Ministry of Mines Kudremukh bags 2001-2002 MoU Award The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd., (KIOCL), a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Steel has bagged the "MoU Award" for achieving the MoU Excellent Targets for the year 2001-02 ........................... Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Import of crude from Iraq The crude oil imports from Iraq during 2001-02 and 2002-03 were about 3.8 million metic tonnes (MMT) and 4.1 MMT respectively........................... Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas New oil discovery in Rajasthan Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has recently struck oil in the new prospect, Chinnewala Tibba, in Jaisalmer........................... Ministry of Finance and Company Affairs Sale of government stocks to RBI on private placement basis Government of India have announced the re-issue of 6.25 per cent Government Stock, 2018 for a notified amount of Rs.3000 crore to the Reserve Bank of India.......................... Ministry of Science & Technology BIS updates to divide country into four seismic zones The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently updated the seismic zone map of the country and now made it into four zones from five..........................