Union Cabinet Approvals 2021 : 12th October 2021

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On October 13, 2021, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the following proposals which were briefed by Union ministers Piyush Goyal (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting

Cabinet approves the continuation of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) [SBM U] till 2025-26 for sustainable outcomes

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved thecontinuation of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) till 2025-26, with focus on sustainability of Open Defecation Free (ODF) outcomes, achieving scientific processing of Solid Waste in all cities, and managing Wastewater in cities with less than 1 lakh population in Census 2011 [cities not covered under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)].

Financial Outlay under SBM-Urban 2.0:

• A financial outlay of ₹1,41,600 crores has been finalized for SBM-U 2.0, including central share of ₹36,465 for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26 which is over 2.5 times the financial outlay of ₹62,009 crores in the last phase of the Mission.

Fund sharing pattern between Centre and States is as follows:

• Cities with million plus population: 25:75
• Cities with population between 1-10 lakhs: 33:67
• Cities with less than one lakh population: 50:50
• Union territories without legislature: 100:0
• Union territories with legislature: 80:20

Expected Outcomes under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0

Sanitation:

• All statutory towns to become at least ODF+
• All cities with <1 lakh population to be made ODF++
• Putting in place systems and processes so that all wastewater is safely treated and optimally reused and no untreated wastewater pollutes water bodies

Solid Waste Management:

• All cities to achieve at least 3-star Garbage Free certification

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0: Key Features

Over the next 5 years, the focus of SBM-U 2.0, launched on 1st October 2021 by Hon’ble Prime Minister, will be on sustaining the sanitation and solid waste management outcomes achieved and accelerating the momentum generated, thus achieving the Mission’s vision of a “Garbage Free” Urban India.

The Mission will be completely paperless, digital, leveraging digital technology for complete transparency and accountability through GIS-mapped waste management infrastructure, robust user interface, online grievance redressal system, end-to-end online monitoring of projects starting from project creation to fund release, and project progress monitoring on integrated GIS-based platform.

Key Components under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0

The following will be the key components for implementation under SBM-U 2.0:

Sustainable Sanitation:

The Mission will focus on ensuring complete access to sanitation facilities to serve additional population migrating from rural to urban areas in search of employment and better opportunities over the next 5 years. This will be done through the construction of over 3.5 lakhs individual, community and public toilets.

Complete liquid waste management in cities in less than 1 lakh population – a new component introduced under SBM-Urban 2.0 will ensure that systems and processes are set up in every city so that all wastewater is safely contained, collected, transported and treated and no wastewater pollutes our water bodies.

Sustainable Solid Waste Management:

100 percent source segregation of waste along with functional Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in every city,  with a focus on phasing out single use plastic

Setting up of construction & demolition (C&D) waste processing facilities and deployment of mechanical sweepers in National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) cities and in cities with more than 5 lakh population

Remediation of all legacy dumpsites, so that 14,000 acres of locked up land lying under 15 crore tonnes of legacy waste are freed up.

Objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban

In 2014, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, India adopted a holistic vision for urban planning and embarked on a journey of transformation in the water and sanitation sector. The announcement for the launch of SBM was made by  Prime Minister on 15th August 2014 with the Mission being formally launched on 2nd October 2014 with the following objectives:

• Eradication of open defecation in all statutory towns
• 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste in all statutory towns
• Effecting behaviour change through Jan Andolan

Achievements of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban

The Mission has revolutionized the sanitation space in urban India by providing 100% access to sanitation facilities in urban India. Under SBM-Urban, over 70 lakh household, community and public toilets have been built thus providing safe and dignified sanitation solutions for all

Access to sanitation facilities has been improved further through digital innovation such as SBM Toilets on Google Maps where over 65,000 public toilets across 3,300+ cities have been made live.

Urban India was declared open defecation free in 2019 following which the Mission has propelled urban India on the path of sustainable sanitation with over 3,300 cities and over 960 cities being certified ODF+ and ODF++ respectively.

Cities are progressing towards Water+ certification under the Water+ Protocol which focuses on treatment of wastewater and its optimum reuse.

In the area of scientific waste management, waste processing in India has gone up over four times from 18% in 2014 to 70% today.

Digital enablements such as Swachhata App, the digital grievance redressal platform introduced by MoHUA in 2016, has reinvented the way in which citizen grievance redressal is managed.

Swachh Survekshan, the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey covering over 4,000 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) was initiated under SBM-Urban in 2016.

Cabinet approves the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation – AMRUT 2.0 till 2025-26

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) till 2025-26, as a step towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat and with aim of making the cities ‘water secure’ and ‘self-sustainable’ through circular economy of water. 

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), first focused national water Mission was launched in June 2015 to facilitate ease of living to citizens in 500 cities by providing tap connections and sewer connections

• Total indicative outlay for AMRUT 2.0 is ₹ 2,77,000 crore including central share of ₹76,760 crore for five years from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26.

Taking forward the remarkable strides made under AMRUT, AMRUT 2.0, targets universal coverage of water supply by providing household tap connections in all 4,378 statutory towns.

• 100% coverage of household sewerage/ septage management in 500 AMRUT cities is other objective.
• Mission targets to provide 2.68 crore tap connections and 2.64 crore sewer/ septage connections to achieve the intended outcomes.
• Other key features of AMRUT 2.0 (U) include Pey Jal Survekshan which will encourage competition among cities for benchmarking urban water services.

Union Cabinet approves affiliation of 100 Schools in Government and private sector with Sainik School Society

In a paradigm shift to the existing pattern of Sainik Schools, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in its meeting held today has approved the proposal for launching of affiliated Sainik Schools under Sainik Schools Society, Ministry of Defence.

These Schools function as an exclusive vertical which will be distinct and different from existing Sainik Schools of MoD

To leverage the experience of administering 33 Sainik Schools across the country, it has been decided to set up 100 new affiliated Sainik Schools by inviting proposals from Government/ Private Schools /NGOs to apply for affiliation of existing or new Schools to the Sainik Schools Society. 

• Beginning from the academic year 2022-23 approximately 5,000 students are expected to receive admission in class VI in such 100 affiliated Schools.

Cabinet approves Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers for the year 2021-22 (from 1st October, 2021 to 31st March, 2022)

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates for P&K Fertilizers for the year 2021-22(from 1st October, 2021 to 31st March, 2022).

Per Kg Subsidy rates (in Rs.)

• N (Nitrogen) - 18.789
• P(Phosphorus) - 45.323
• K(Potash) - 10.116
• S(Sulphur) - 2.374

The CCEA also approved the inclusion of Potash derived from Molasses (0:0:14.5:0) under the NBS Scheme.

Financial Implications: Net subsidy required for Rabi 2021-22 after deducting savings will be Rs.28,655 crore.

Benefits: lt will give Rs. 438 per bag benefit on Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Rs. 100 per bag benefit each on NPK 10-26-26, NPK 20-20-0-13 & NPK 12-32-16 so as to maintain prices of these fertilizers affordable to the farmers.

Background:

Government is making available fertilizers, namely Urea and 24 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/ importers. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is being governed by NBS Scheme w.e.f. 01.04.2010.

• The subsidy would be released to fertilizer companies as per above rates so that they can make available fertilizers to farmers at an affordable price than it would have been otherwise.

 News Source : Multiple PIB Articles

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