On
15 August 2012, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the
Prime Minister Shram Awards for year 2011.
This
year,
no nomination was found suitable for the presitigious Shram Ratna
Award.
Six
nominations for the Shram Bhushan Award, Thirty
Three nominations for Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana and twenty nine
nominations for Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awards have been selected. Even
though, the total number of Shram Awards is 33, the number of workers receiving
the Awards is 68 (Including six women), as some of the Awards
have been shared by workers and/or teams of workers consisting of more than one
worker. These include 52 workers from the public sector and 16
workers from the private sector.
Sixnominations were found
suitable for the Shram Bhushan Award for the year 2011. Shram
Bhushan awards carries a cash award of Rs. 1, 00,000/- and a ‘Sanad’.
The awards are given to Shri Baikunth Sharma,Ghan Shyam Mandal, Utpal
Kumar (Jointly) all from Bokaro Steel Plant, Bokaro. Smt. B.N. Shanthamma
from Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, Bangalore and Shri Biswajit Kar from
Tata Steel Ltd., Jamshedpur and Shri Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi from Tata Steel
Ltd., Jamshedpur.
Thrity Threenominations
were found suitable for the Shram Veer/Veerangana Award. Shram
Veer/Veerangana awards carry a cash prize of RS.60,000 and
a ‘Sanad’.
Twenty Ninenominations
were found suitable for the Shram Shree/Devi Award. Shram
Shree/Devi Awards comprise of a cash prize of RS.40,000
and a ‘Sanad’.
Shram Awards were set up by the
Government of India in 1985 to recognize the outstanding
contributions of workers in different fields.
Ganga Action Plan (GAP) is being implemented since 1985
for undertaking pollution abatement activities in the identified polluted
stretches of the river Ganga through implementation of works like interception
and diversion of sewage, setting up of sewage treatment plants, low cost
sanitation works, crematoria works etc. An amount of Rs.1441.44 crore has been
released towards implementation of various pollution abatement works in towns
along the river Ganga and sewage treatment capacity of 1091 million litres per
day (mld) has been created. With the pollution abatement works completed so
far, despite significant increase in urbanization, industrialization and growth
in population in cities along the banks of river Ganga, the water quality in
terms of BOD (Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand) values is reported to have improved
as compared to the pre-GAP water quality on major monitoring locations.
However, the levels of bacterial contamination in terms of fecal coliform are
reported to be exceeding the maximum permissible limit at a number of
locations. In light of experience gained in implementation of the river action
plans since 1985, the conservation strategy was reviewed by the Government.
Accordingly, in February 2009, the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
has been constituted as an empowered, planning, financing, monitoring and
coordinating authority with the objective to ensure effective abatement of
pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a holistic river
basin approach. The NGRBA in its first meeting has resolved that under Mission
Clean Ganga it will be ensured that by 2020 no untreated municipal sewage and
industrial effluents flow into Ganga and the investments required to create the
necessary treatment and sewage infrastructure will be shared suitably between
the Central and the State Governments. Projects amounting to Rs. 2598 crore
have been sanctioned so far under the NGRBA programme. An expenditure of Rs.
391.37 crore has been made so far towards sanctioned projects in the States
under the Authority. Besides, a project with World Bank assistance for
abatement of pollution of river Ganga at an estimated cost of Rs. 7000 crore
has been approved under the NGRBA for implementation in the States. Expenditure
incurred during 2009-2010, 2010-2011 & 2011-2012 under the NGRBA Programme
are Rs. 99.74 crores, Rs. 466.43 crores and Rs. 53.44 crores respectively. Of
these, expenditure incurred in respect of West Bengal is Rs. 57.08 crores, Rs.
192.36 crores and Nil respectively. It has been decided that from current
financial year, year-wise allocation of fund would be made based on the Annual
Action plan finalized in consultations with the 5 (five) basin states of
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhnad and West Bengal. For the financial
year 2012-13, the annual allocation has been made for Rs. 512.50 crores under
the NGRBA Programme.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports felicitated
heroes of London Olympics 2012 at a function organized at Major Dhyan Chand
National Stadium here today. Six medal winners namely, Mr Sushil Kumar, Mr
Vijay Kumar, Mr Gagan Narang, Ms Saina Nehwal, Ms M C Mary Kom and Mr Yogeshwar
Dutt along with their parents and 47 Athletes and 17 Indian and foreign Coaches
who participated at recently concluded London Olympics 2012 were the special
guests at today’s function. Shri Ajay Maken, Minister of State (I/C) for Youth
Affairs & Sports presided over the felicitation ceremony, which was
attended by representatives of Indian Olympics Association, National Sports
Federations, officials of the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India (
SAI). More than 2000 young sports persons of “COME & PLAY SCHEME” of SAI
and children from several schools added colours to the ceremony. At the
function, six young talented sports persons of “Come & Play Scheme”
presented cheques of Special Cash Awards to each of medal winners of London
Olympics, 2012. The Cheques of cash award of Rs. 30 Lakh each to two Silver
medal winners, namely, Mr Sushil Kumar and Mr Vijay Kumar and of Rs. 20 Lakh
each to four Bronze Medal winners, namely, Mr Gagan Narang, Ms Saina Nehwal, Ms
M C Mary Kom and Mr Yogeshwar Dutt were given away under the “Scheme of Special
Award to Medal winners in international Sports events” of the Sports Ministry.
After the felicitation function, six medal winners along with rest of members
of Indian contingent to London Olympics and more than 2000 young sports persons
of “Come & Play Scheme” and school children marched to Amar Jawan Jyoti at
India Gate and paid the floral tributes to the martyrs. While speaking earlier
at felicitation ceremony , Shri Ajay Maken, lauded the athletes and their
coaches for their extra ordinary performance at London Olympics. Keeping in
view, best results achieved under “OPEX London 2012” ,Shri Makan announced that
a programme on similar lines “OPEX Olympics -2020” would be launched with a
target to get 25 Medals. As a part of the programme, all athletes would be
provided international and domestic exposure, foreign coaching and other infrastructural
facilities, he added. Brief Achievements of Medal Winners at London Olympics
are as follows:-
a) SUSHIL KUMAR
India’s star
grappler Sushil Kumar won the men’s 66kg freestyle category silver in the
London Olympics. Sushil thrashed Akzhurek Tanatarov of Kazakhastan 9-6 in the
semifinals to become first India wrestler to reach the final of Olympic. After
taking 3-0 lead in the first round, Sushil was down by his opponent in the
second round. However, the Indian wrestler fought back to score 6 points in the
final round, finishing with the score of 9-6 at London’s Riverbank Arena.
Sushil had earlier defeatedIkhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan in his quarterfinal
bout. Sushil Kumar won his opening bout against Ramazan Sahin of Turkey, who
had won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
(b) VIJAY KUMAR
Army sharp shooter Vijay Kumar fought a nerve-wracking
battle with five other top marksmen to clinch the silver medal in the men’s 25m
Rapid Fire Pistol event at the Olympic Games. Vijay Kumar beat back the
challenge of world champion Alexei Klimov of Russia, Chinese duo of Ding Feng
and Zhang Jian and German Christian Reitz in the 40-shot final to finish
runner-up in a thrilling finale behind Cuba’s Leuris Pupo who shot his way to
the gold with a world record equalling score of 34. The 26-year-old Army
subedar from Himachal Pradesh found the target 30 times out of 40 attempts in
the series comprising eight rounds of five shots each.
( c) GAGAN NARANG
Opening the medals account for India, Gagan Narang won
the country its first medal in the London Olympics 2012. Narang bagged a bronze
medal in the 10m air rifle event. Narang has won numerous medals in the ISSF
World Cups, World Championship, Commonwealth Games and the ASIAD, besides
creating a new world record in 2008.
(d) SAINA NEHWAL
Saina Nehwal gave India its maiden medal in Olympic
Games badminton . Her opponent folded up with a dodgy knee after leading 21-18,
1-0, but Saina was on the threshold of entering the zone from where she might
have dominated this bronze playoff, getting her tiring opponent to play long
rallies, even as she stumbled, slipped and asked for water breaks.
(e) MARY KOM
India’s star woman boxer MC Mary Kom, fivetime world
champion ensured a piece of history for herself and the country by fetching a
bronze in the flyweight 51kg category. “Magnificent Mary”, from Manipur, was
the lone Indian in fray when women’s boxing made its Olympic debut in the
London Games.
(f) YOGESHWAR
DUTT
Yogeshwar Dutt put up a brilliant display of powerpacked
freestyle wrestling in the Olympic Games and won a bronze medal. The
29-year-old experienced grappler from Sonepat in Haryana showed tremendous
fighting spirit and exhibited excellent technique against three very strong
rivals in the repechage rounds to clinch India’s fifth medal of the Games.
Many welfare schemes for women are
implemented by Government of India, State Governments and Union Territory
Administrations. The details of major schemes under implementation by Ministry
of Women and Child Development for the welfare of women are as under :-
i.
RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL CRECHE SCHEME FOR THE CHILDREN OF WORKING MOTHERS (RGNCS)
provides day care facilities to the children in the age group 0-6 years from
families with monthly income of less than 12000/-. In addition to being a safe
space for the children, the crèches provide services such as supplementary
nutrition, pre-school education and emergency health care, etc.
ii. CENTRAL
SOCIAL WELFARE BOARD: The main women welfare related schemes and programmes
being implemented by CSWB are family counselling centres, awareness generation
programme and condensed courses of education for women.
iii. NATIONAL MISSION
FOR EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN (NMEW) is an initiative of the Government of India for
empowering women holistically. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme sanctioned in
April 2011 and acts as an umbrella Mission with a mandate to strengthen
inter-sectoral convergence.
iv. WORKING WOMEN’S HOSTEL (WWH) Scheme envisages
provision of safe and affordable hostel accommodation to working women, single
working women, women working at places away from their home-towns and for women
being trained for employment.
v. SUPPORT TO TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME
(STEP) for Women was launched as a Central Sector Scheme during 1986-87. It
aims at making a significant impact on women by upgrading skills for self and
wage employment. The target group includes the marginalized assetless rural
women and urban poor.
vi. RASHTRIYA MAHILA KOSH (RMK) with a corpus of Rs.100
crore extends micro-finance services to bring about the socio-economic
upliftment of poor women.
vii. INDIRA GANDHI MATRITVA SAHYOG YOJANA (IGMSY) is
a Conditional Cash Transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating (P&L) women
introduced in the October 2010 to contribute to better enabling environment by
providing cash incentives for improved health and nutrition to pregnant and
nursing mothers.
viii. SWADHAR SCHEME: The Ministry of Women and Child
Development had been administering Swadhar scheme since 2001 for Women in
difficult circumstances. Under the Scheme, temporary accommodation, maintenance
and rehabilitative services are provided to women and girls rendered homeless
due to family discord, crime, violence, mental stress, social ostracism.
Another scheme with similar objectives/target groups namely Short Stay Home
(SSH) is being implemented by Central Social Welfare Board.
ix. UJJAWALA is a
comprehensive scheme for prevention of trafficking and rescue, rehabilitation
and reintegration of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
Making the first formal announcement on the country’s
Mars mission, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said India will send a
mission to the Red Planet that will mark a huge step in the area of science and
technology. “Recently, the Cabinet has approved the Mars Orbiter Mission. Under
this Mission, our spaceship will go near Mars and collect important scientific
information,” he said addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort
on the occasion of the 66th Independence Day. India will be the sixth country
to launch a mission to the Red Planet after the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan and
China. As per the proposal drawn up by the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO), the Rs. 450 crore Mars Orbiter Mission is expected to be launched in
November next year with a 25 kg scientific payload. The spacecraft is expected
to take nearly 300 days to reach the Martian orbit. The spacecraft will be
placed in an orbit of 500 x 80,000 km around Mars and has a tentative
scientific objective for studying the climate, geology, origin, evolution and
sustainability of life on the planet. Scientific payloads for the Mars Orbiter
Mission have been short-listed by ISRO’s Advisory Committee for Space Sciences
(ADCOS) review committee.
Planning Commission of India
passed privatization of water distribution in Delhi
The Planning Commission of India gave permission to the Delhi
Government move to engage with to involve private entities in supply of
water in several areas of the city on the lines to power sector.
The government said the private entities would rationalise the
water distribution network and ensure supply of water to the consumers 24X7.
The private sector would be involved in water distribution, management
and maintenance of Delhi Jal Board’s infrastructure in Malviya Nagar,
Vasant Vihar and Nangloi and they will be paid a “fee” for their services.
Planning Commission recommended mapping of all water bodies in
Delhi to ensure their proper preservation and maintenance.
Commission asked Delhi government to diminish supply of non-revenue
water and to told it encourage rain water harvesting and ensure regulated
exploration of ground water resources.
