General Affairs
Budget on Feb 1 beginning of a new tradition: PM Narendra Modi
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Ahead of Parliament's Budget session that began today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the advancement of Budget presentation to February 1 is the beginning of a new tradition.
"Today, a new tradition will begin. First, the budget is being advanced by nearly a month. And second, Rail Budget is being incorporated into this. There will be discussion on this also and the benefits that it will have in the coming times," he said.
"Everyone would remember that earlier budget used to take place at 5 pm. This practice was changed during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time," Modi said.
Modi hoped the current session will be "fruitful" and all political parties will work together for people's benefit.
"We had discussions with every political party individually and collectively. There should be productive and detailed discussion of the budget during the session," Modi said while addressing the media here.
"I urge all parties to help in smooth functioning of the session. I hope for fruitful discussions. We aim at positive and meaningful debates for public interest. I am hopeful all political parties will work together to move forward," he said.
After the Winter session was washed out due to protests over demonetisation, Modi had on Monday reached out to the Opposition at an all-party meeting attended by all major parties except the Trinamool Congress, which has been unhappy over the note ban and arrest of its MPs in chit fund cases.
Ahead of Parliament's Budget session that began today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the advancement of Budget presentation to February 1 is the beginning of a new tradition.
"Today, a new tradition will begin. First, the budget is being advanced by nearly a month. And second, Rail Budget is being incorporated into this. There will be discussion on this also and the benefits that it will have in the coming times," he said.
"Everyone would remember that earlier budget used to take place at 5 pm. This practice was changed during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time," Modi said.
Modi hoped the current session will be "fruitful" and all political parties will work together for people's benefit.
"We had discussions with every political party individually and collectively. There should be productive and detailed discussion of the budget during the session," Modi said while addressing the media here.
"I urge all parties to help in smooth functioning of the session. I hope for fruitful discussions. We aim at positive and meaningful debates for public interest. I am hopeful all political parties will work together to move forward," he said.
After the Winter session was washed out due to protests over demonetisation, Modi had on Monday reached out to the Opposition at an all-party meeting attended by all major parties except the Trinamool Congress, which has been unhappy over the note ban and arrest of its MPs in chit fund cases.
Budget Session: Full text of President Pranab Mukherjee's address in Parliament
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Describing the Budget Session 2017 as historic, President Pranab Mukherjee today lauded the Narendra Modi government's move to ban circulation of Rs 500, 1000 notes.
Addressing the joint session of Parliament marking the start of Budget Session, President Mukherjee spoke to various issues highlighting the government's achievements in the last one year.
The president while stressing that the government is committed to combat terrorism termed the September 29, 2016, surgical strikes across Line of Control (LoC) as a befitting reply to repeated incursions.
HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT'S SPEECH:
Honourable Members,
In this Basant season of renewal and resurgence, I welcome you all to this Joint Session of both Houses of Parliament. This is a historic session heralding the advancement of the Budget cycle and merger of the Railway Budget with the General Budget for the first time in independent India. We gather once again to celebrate democracy, a cherished value and culture that has prospered throughout the long history of our nation. Indeed, a culture that guides my government towards Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.
The ideal of saha na vavatu, saha nau bhunaktu - May we be protected together and blessed together with bliss - has inspired our civilisation from time immemorial. This year marks the 350th birth anniversary of the great Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singhji. We are also observing the one thousandth birth anniversary of the great saint-philosopher Ramanujacharya. The luminous path of social transformation and reform shown by them serves as a beacon for all, and is an inspiration to my government.
This year marks the Centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha, which gave a new direction to our freedom struggle and channelised janashaktiin the fight against colonial power. Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of Satyagrahainstilled in every Indian an indomitable self-belief, and spirit of sacrifice for the larger good. This janashaktiis today our greatest strength.
The resilience and forbearance demonstrated by our countrymen, particularly the poor, recently in the fight against black money and corruption, is remarkable. The same spirit has driven the LPG "Give It Up Campaign." Over 1.2 crore consumers have voluntarily given up their LPG subsidy, which has helped the underprivileged in accessing LPG connections. This janashakti has transformedSwachh Bharat Mission into a jan-andolan. 1.4 lakh villages, over 450 cities, 77 districts and 3 states have declared themselves Open Defecation Free. My government salutes the strength of janashaktiand pledges to constructively utilise it in Rashtra Nirman.
Honourable Members,
At the core of all my Government's policies is the welfare of the garib,dalit, peedit, shoshit, vanchit, kisan, shramik and yuva. My government is guided by the Antyodaya philosophy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. His centenary year is being observed as Garib Kalyan Varsh.
Financial inclusion is key to poverty alleviation. An unprecedented 26 crore plus Jan Dhan accounts have been opened for the unbanked. Over 20 crore RUPAY debit cards have been issued to enable cashless payments. Moving swiftly from "Jan Dhan to Jan Suraksha" close to 13 crore poor have been covered under various social security schemes.
To take the banking system to the doorstep of the poor and the unbanked, the Indian Postal Payment Bank has been started. The postal network with wider reach and deep penetration of over 1.5 lakh post offices will also function as postal banks. Besides the over 1 lakh bank-mitras appointed by banks, over 2.5 lakh Gram-Dak-Sewakswill also function as banking correspondents.
Over Rs 2 Lakh Crore has been provided through 5.6 crore loans sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana to ensure collateral-free bank financing for the unfunded, and to promote small businesses. Seventy percent of this has been availed of by women entrepreneurs.
Under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, which aims to empower women, particularly from the deprived sections, over Rs. Sixteen Thousand crore have been made available to Self Help Groups in the current Financial Year. The scheme aims to reach out to nearly 5 crore women soon.
Honourable Members,
My Government has taken many initiatives to improve the quality of life of the poor through assured housing, affordable healthcare, safe drinking water and sanitation, and access to clean energy.
My Government is committed to provide shelter to every houseless poor household through the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana with appropriate interest subvention on housing credit.
Poor sanitation further weakens the economic wherewithal of a poor household. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan aims to ensure health and sanitation, particularly for the poor. Under this mission, more than 3 crore toilets have been constructed.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will make clean energy accessible to the poor. This scheme aims to safeguard the health of women and children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel - LPG, liberating them from the ill-effects of smoky kitchens, and long hours of collecting firewood. Free gas connections are being provided to 5 crore poor households. Already 1.5 crore connections have been provided in the current financial year. It is noteworthy that 37 percent of theUjjwalabeneficiaries belong to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Under Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojana, out of the over 18,000 villages which have been in darkness since independence, over 11,000 have been electrified in a record time. Under UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) programme, over 20 crore LED bulbs have been distributed, resulting in savings of more than Rs. Ten thousand crore in the electricity bills of consumers, majority of whom are poor.
Several steps have been taken to make healthcare affordable and accessible to every citizen of our country, particularly the poor. Mission Indradhanush commits to vaccinate "every child everywhere" against preventable diseases. It has so far benefited 55 lakh children. Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadi Pariyojana has been launched to ensure that the poor have access to quality medicines at affordable prices. Special facilities created to control the endemic Japanese encephalitis have yielded encouraging results in significantly reducing mortality due to this disease.
Honourable Members,
In Kisan'swelfare lies the nation's prosperity. A favourable monsoon after consecutive years of drought, supplemented by farmer-oriented schemes has increased the acreage and yield of most Kharif crops. The sown area in the current Rabi season has shown six percent increase in comparison to last year.
My Government has taken various steps to transform the lives of our farmers. Focus has been on holistic development of agriculture sector - making available affordable credit, ensuring assured supply of seeds and fertilizers, improving irrigation facilities, comprehensive risk coverage, improving productivity through Soil Health Cards, assured market and remunerative prices for the produce through e-NAM(National Agriculture Market).
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana expanded the ambit of risk-coverage, doubled the sum insured, and facilitated lowest-ever premium for the farmers. During Kharif 2016, around 3.66 crore farmers were insured for a sum of Rs. 1.4 lakh crore.
With the objective of digitisation of all the live Kisan Credit Cards, another three crore cards will be converted into RUPAY debit cards soon. The corpus of NABARD fund has been doubled to Rs. Forty One Thousand crore to ensure easy credit access to farmers.
With focus on Per Drop More Crop and "Har Khet ko Pani", coverage under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana has been expanded. More than 12.7 lakh hectares have been brought under micro irrigation in the last two years.
Honourable Members may recall that soaring prices of pulses was a matter of grave concern around this time last year. My government has taken proactive steps and prices of pulses are now under control. To ensure fair price for farmers and to protect consumers, a buffer stock of 20 lakh tonnes of pulses has been envisaged against which 8 lakh tonnes of pulses have already been procured.
Honourable Members,
My government is making Nari Shakti an integral part of our development journey. Our women deserve equal opportunity. The Rio Olympics, where we took great pride in the performance of P.V. Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Deepa Karmakarand others, illustrates the strength of our women. Women are being inducted in combat streams of our Armed Forces. The nation is proud of its first three women fighter pilots. This reminds us of what we can achieve, as a nation, if women are fully empowered, and if their skills and talent are optimally utilised.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme that addresses the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio, is yielding encouraging results. Under the Sukanya Samridhi Yojana, launched with an objective of ensuring a secure future to our girl child, over one crore accounts have been opened and an amount of over Rs. eleven thousand crore has been deposited. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan will provide comprehensive ante-natal care by a qualified medical practitioner to all pregnant women. The revision ofMaternity Benefit Act and enhancement of maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks will support pregnant women at the workplace.
Honourable Members,
65 percent of our population today is below the age of 35. Our youth is our greatest strength and yuva urja needs to be effectively channelised. With the motto of "Har Haath ko Hunar", my government has taken several steps for skilling the youth and improving their employability. The work of skill development, that was earlier spread across 21 ministries and 50 departments, has been brought under one umbrella Ministry. The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana has been launched with a budget outlay of Rs. Twelve thousand crore, to train One crore youth over the next four years. Over 20 lakh youth have already benefited. National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme has been launched with a budget outlay of Rs. Ten thousand crore. 978 employment exchanges spread across the country have been integrated as part of the National Career Service Portal.
My Government has opened new avenues and made higher technical education more accessible to students from economically weaker sections. For the first time, ITI trainees have been provided with academic equivalence at matriculation and higher secondary level through bridge courses to enable them to pursue higher education. With the objective of providing training of international standards to youth, a nation-wide network of 50 India International Skill Centres is being established. The Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana has been launched for promoting entrepreneurship education and training amongst 7 lakh students.
My government has announced a package of Rs. Six thousand crore to boost employment generation and exports in the apparel and made-ups sector. This package is expected to generate over 1.1 crore jobs, mostly for women. Honourable Members,
Shram-eva jayate is one of the foremost guiding principles of my government and several measures have been taken for the welfare of the shramik. For the first time ever, minimum wages have been increased by 42 percent in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. For bonus coverage, the calculation ceiling limit has been doubled to Rs. Seven thousand, and the eligibility limit increased from Rs. Ten thousand to Rs. Twenty One thousand. This will directly benefit an additional 55 lakh workers. The Universal Account Number has ensured portability of EPF accounts and has safeguarded the interest of crores of workers.
Workers employed in the informal sector will benefit the most from my Government's decision to enable employers to pay wages to their employees through banks. This will increase compliance of payment of minimum wages. It shall ensure that workers in the unorganized sector also enjoy health benefits under Employees State Insurance Corporation and social security through Provident Fund.
Implementation of the 7th Pay Commission has benefited 50 lakh employees and 35 lakh pensioners. To protect senior citizens from the impact of interest-rate fluctuations, interest rate for senior citizens has been fixed at 8 percent payable monthly for a period of 10 years. Honourable Members, 30. Social and economic equality for the deprived and disempowered sections is the first promise of our constitution. My government is committed to fulfil this promise.
Through the Stand-up India initiative, my government plans to empower over two and a half lakh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women entrepreneurs. For promoting entrepreneurship, the National Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Hub has been launched, with an initial allocation of Rs. 490 crore.
Under the Forest Rights Act, about 16.5 lakh Individual Forest Rights titles have been granted over an area of 55.4 lakh acres of forest land. Further, Community Forest Rights titles have been distributed over an area of about 47 lakh acres of forest land.
The location of our mineral wealth largely coincides with tribal habitations in our country. The Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana will serve the dual purpose of ensuring sustainable mining activity as well as local area development for the betterment of the tribals and the poor inhabitants in the mining areas. District Mineral Foundation is a novel initiative in this regard.
My government has increased the allocation under the Tribal sub-plan. Fourteen different sectors have been identified under the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojanafor the empowerment of tribals. 100 out of the 300 clusters envisaged under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission, will be developed in tribal areas.
Honourable Members,
The success of the Indian cricket team at the World cup for the Blind, 2014 and the Indian Paralympics contingent at Rio 2016 demonstrates that our Divyang jan can scale great heights, if afforded an opportunity. My Government is committed to providing the Divyang jan equal opportunities for development. Besides increasing the percentage of reservation for Divyang jan from 3 to 4 per cent in government jobs, my government has accelerated filling up of backlog vacancies. Over 6 lakh Divyang jan have so far benefitted from 4700 special assistance camps organised across the country since May 2014.
The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan is improving accessibility for the Divyang jan at public places. For the first time, Speech and Language Disability, and Specific Learning Disability have been included in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. A common sign language is being developed for the entire country. The Niramaya Swasthya Bima Yojana provides Divyang jan affected by autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and those with multiple disabilities, a health insurance cover of up to One lakh rupees.
Honourable Members,
Like the strings of sitar, which produce different notes but come together to create a beautiful melody, people professing different faiths and religions constitute the spirit of India and contribute to the strength of the nation. The courage and sacrifice of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, whose 300thmartyrdom anniversary we observe this year; and the spirit of selfless service of Mother Teresa, who was cannonised recently, inspire us in equal measure. My government has taken several measures to ensure that the aspirations of people from all communities are fulfilled, and a more focussed approach has been taken towards inclusive development of the notified minority communities, namely Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parsis and Jains.
While scholarship and fellowship schemes have encouraged their educational empowerment; skill development schemes like Seekho aur kamao, Usttadand Nai Manzil have enabled their economic empowerment.
Just as all the drops of rainwater and streams converge in an ocean, all the policies of my government converge for the welfare of the poor, deprived and the underprivileged. From giving house to the shelter less to electrifying un-electrified villages, from giving free LPG connections to supplying LED bulbs to the poor, from Jan Dhan to Jan Suraksha, from making available affordable health care to providing quality education to the poor --- central to all the policies of my government is the welfare of the poor.
Honourable Members,
Balanced and equitable development of all regions is vital to India's progress. Under its proactive "Act East" policy, my government is focussing on reducing the isolation of the Eastern region and North-east by improving connectivity through road, rail, air, telecom, power and waterways.
My Government has started the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga with the execution of Two Thousand Five Hundred kilometres long Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-DhamraNatural Gas Pipeline Project. With an investment of around Rs. Twelve thousand Five hundred crore, this project will cater to energy requirements of five states,covering 40 districts and 2,600 villages. This project will also lead to the revival of three large fertilizer plants, industrialization of more than 20 cities and city gas network development in 7 cities.
My Government sees the North Eastern states as the Ashtalakshmi that can take India to new heights. The North East is the gateway to South East Asia. We are opening up road and rail routes to our neighbouring countries to boost the economic development of the region.
To ensure unhindered support and development of North Eastern states, my government is continuing with the special dispensation in the assistance pattern to the North-eastern states, and is providing assistance in the ratio of 90:10 for core central schemes and 80:20 for non-core schemes to these states.
By the end of the year, all Meter-Gauge tracks in the north-eastern states will be converted to Broad-Gauge. The railways have undertaken a major expansion in the region at a cost of around Rs. Ten thousand crore. Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have been put on the rail map, Agartala in Tripura has been connected with broad gauge line.
The Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited and Numaligarh Refinery Limited's wax unit are big projects that will create huge employment opportunities in the North East region. The Government has approved North East BPO promotion scheme in the Digital India programme for creation of employment opportunities.
The beauty and diversity of the North East makes it a natural hub for tourism. The Ministry of Tourism has identified a thematic circuit for the North East region.
My government has provided special financial assistance to mitigate the damages caused by unprecedented floods in the hilly and other areas of the country.
Honourable Members,
From highways to i-ways; from railways to waterways; from seaports to airports; from water pipelines to gas pipelines, from earth sciences to satellites, from rural infrastructure to smart cities, creation of vital next-generation infrastructure has received special attention of my government.
For modernization of Railways, the highest-ever capital outlay of Rs. 1.21 lakh crore has been provided. My government aims to connect all rural habitations with all weather roads. 73,000 kilometres of road has been built so far in rural areas. More than five thousand kilometres of roads in 44 Left Wing Extremism affected districts are being upgraded. The National Civil Aviation Policy, will give a major boost to air connectivity in the smaller cities and towns. Under the BharatNet Project, Optical Fibre Cables now cover over 75,700 Gram Panchayats, up from only 59 in May 2014.
India has launched 8 operational missions covering meteorological, navigation, and earth observation and communication satellites. ISRO completed the seven-satellite constellation of Indian Regional Navigational Satellite Systems, NaviC . ISRO added another feather to its cap this year by successfully launching 20 satellites in a highest-ever single launch.
My government is committed to optimally harness our marine wealth and give a new impetus to ocean-led development. Under the Sagarmala programme on port-led development, a total of 199 projects with an outlay of over Rs. Three lakh crore have been identified for implementation in the next three years. Of these, projects of more than Rs. One lakh crore are already under implementation. The seas surrounding the Indian Peninsula contain One thousand Three hundred and Eighty Two of our islands, out of which, to begin with, 26 have been earmarked for integrated development. The Blue Economy, with focus on sustainable development of fisheries will continue to receive our special attention.
As a reaffirmation of our commitment to clean energy, my government has taken giant strides in increasing our renewable energy capacity to 47 Giga Watts so far, against our target of 175 Giga Watts.
Placing fresh impetus on rural infrastructure, untied financial resources of over Rs. Two lakh crore are being transferred to Gram Panchayats during 2015-20. The allocation to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in 2016-17 has been over Rs. Forty Seven thousand crore which is the highest ever since the inception of the programme and the focus is now on creation of durable assets and rural infrastructure.
Giving a major boost to creation of urban infrastructure, annual action plan for 500 cities with an outlay of Rs. Fifty thousand crore has been approved. Metro Rail Projects have been sanctioned for four cities including Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Pune, and an extension of Chennai Metro has also been approved. Honourable Members,
My Government has taken bold decisions in the interest of the poor.
To combat the evils of black-money, corruption, counterfeit currency and terror financing, my government took the decision on 8th November, 2016 to demonetize old five hundred and one thousand rupee currency notes. My Government's very first cabinet decision was to set up an SIT on black-money. The passing of Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, amendments to treaties with Singapore, Cyprus and Mauritius to prevent misuse of provisions in such treaties for tax evasion and movement of black-money in India and the Taxation Amendment Act providing for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana,have together resulted in a comprehensive policy backed initiative against black-money
.The four-decade old demand of one-rank-one-pension (OROP) of our Armed Forces veterans has been fulfilled. The total financial implications would be around Rs. Eleven thousand crore. More than Rs. Six thousand Two hundred crore have been released in two tranches benefiting over 19.6 lakh veterans.
My government has taken decisive steps to give a fitting reply to the repeated incursions on our territorial sovereignty. On 29th September 2016 our defence forces successfully conducted surgical strikes at several launch pads along the Line of Control to prevent infiltration by terrorists. We are proud of the exemplary courage and valour displayed by our defence personnel and owe a debt of the gratitude to them.
Honourable Members,
Transforming the culture of governance, my Government has simplified procedures, repealed obsolete laws and eliminated scope for corruption.
The Direct Benefit Transfer programme of subsidies through the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM)Trinity has prevented leakages and helped save Rs Thirty Six thousand crore. PAHAL is the world's largest cash benefit transfer scheme that has saved over Rs. Twenty One thousand crore in two years. Digidhan Abhiyaanand Two lakh Common Service Centres are providing employment to over 5 lakh youth, and spreading digital literacy.
The launch of mobile app - BHIM- Bharat Interface for Money - is a tribute to the vision of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar who sought economic empowerment of the poorest. Within a few days, it has become one of the most popular mobile app-based payment mechanisms in the country. The biometric AADHAAR Payment system to be launched soon will usher a technological revolution in India. 61.Coal block and spectrum auctions illustrate the highest standards of transparency set by my government in allocation of natural resources. To carry this forward, government procurements have been brought under a single platform - Government eMarket Place (GeM).
The process of recruitment to government jobs has been made simpler and transparent by dispensing with interviews for recruitments to over Thirty Four lakh non-gazetted posts. The process of appointments to senior positions in government has also been streamlined and is guided solely by objectivity, merit and integrity.
Over Eleven hundred obsolete laws have been repealed and 400 more are in the process of being repealed. Legislations relating to Women, Divyang jan, Labour, Apprentices, Factories, Benami Transactions, Aadhaar and Real Estate, to mention a few - mirrors my Government's guiding philosophy of Transparency,and Social Justice.
Honourable Members,
Frequent elections put on hold development programmes, disrupt normal public life, and impact essential services and burden human resource with prolonged periods of election duty. My government welcomes a constructive debate on simultaneous conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies. Funding of elections to eradicate the misuse of money power also needs to be debated. My Government would welcome any decision taken by the Election Commission in this regard after consultations with political parties.
Honourable Members,
Celebrating the cultural diversity along with the richness of language and heritage of every state, my government has started the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharatprogramme. The uniqueness of this programme is to pair and entwine two different states with diverse cultures for over a year so that each state can assimilate the cultural spirit of the other.
Taking forward the concept of cooperative federalism through One nation-One tax and One nation-One market, both Houses of Parliament passed the Goods and Services Tax Act. 17 states governed by political parties across the political spectrum ratified this in a record 23 days. My Government is thankful to the GST Council for working to resolve outstanding issues.
Honourable Members,
India has been widely acclaimed as a bright spot in the global economy, at a time when global growth has been slow. The rate of inflation, the balance of payments, current account deficit and the fiscal deficit have been consistently reduced since 2014. Foreign Direct Investment and foreign exchange reserves have reached record levels. The country's macroeconomic fundamentals are very strong, creating a platform for sustained high growth.
FDI inflows in 2015-16 were US $ 55.6 billion, the highest-ever for any financial year.My Government further liberalized FDI policy provisions in various sectors in June 2016.
My Government is closely working with the State Governments to identify constraints in doing business. The rankings of the States/UTs show that the national implementation average of reforms stands at around 49 percent, much higher than last year's 32 pe rcent. India is ranked third in the list of top prospective host economies for 2016-18 in the World Investment Report 2016 released by UNCTAD. Honourable Members,
India has been facing the grave challenge of terrorism for the last four decades. Terrorism poses a serious danger to the global community. India will actively collaborate with other nations in decisively defeating these forces. My government is committed to combating terrorism, and to ensure that the perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice.
The State of Jammu and Kashmir has been affected by terrorism sponsored and supported from across the border. The attempts of infiltration, incidents of terrorist violence and loss of precious lives of civilians and security personnel remain a cause of grave concern. 72. There has been considerable success in containing Left Wing Extremism over the last three years, with the surrender of over 2600 extremists. The security situation in the North Eastern states has also shown significant improvement.
Honourable Members,
My Government, committed to the philosophy of partnerships for peace and progress, continues its active diplomacy aimed at facilitating national development, enhancing our security, and ensuring greater Indian influence in global fora.
The intensity of our international engagements has helped us shape a diverse and purposeful agenda with our global partners. There has been a consolidation of relations with friendly countries and major powers. The common desire of the South Asian region for greater prosperity and development led most of its nations to make common cause in their opposition to terrorism. Membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and signing of the Memorandum of Obligations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation were further reflections of India's growing and multi-dimensional role in global affairs.
India hosted the eighth BRICS Summit at Goa with its BIMSTEC outreach, and the sixth Heart of Asia Conference at Amritsar, marking important contributions to our regional and pluri-lateral outreach. India hosted a three day Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Delhi, in which more than 50 Asian and Pacific countries participated.
There are over Thirty million Overseas Indians, settled in almost every corner of the world. They continue to make invaluable contributions to Indian society and economy. My government will maximize the strengths of Indian diasporain nation building and for deepening our global outreach.
Realising the importance of developing tourism, my Government has approved the new e-VISApolicy and expanded the scope of e-tourist visa to include purposes such as short-term medical treatment and business trips. 161 countries are now covered under e-VISA. With over 88 lakh foreign tourist arrivals in 2016, tourism sector has shown a growth rate of over 10 percent.
India ratified the Paris agreement on 2nd October 2016, thereby sending a strong message of our commitment to combating climate change with focus on climate justice and sustainable lifestyle. The United Nations Environment Programme has recognized India as one of the countries on track in achieving its voluntary goals. 25 nations have signed the Framework Agreement of International Solar Alliance, the first treaty based organisation initiated by India.
Honourable Members,
Indians today have a deep sense of pride in the awakening of India caused by the momentous steps my government has undertaken. Our fellow citizens have exhibited great solidarity with our endeavours in transforming India. My government reiterates its commitment to fulfil the aspirations of our citizens. The Vision of Mahatma Gandhi and other founding fathers lays down a great path for a resurgent India. This path is of debate, discussion, accommodation and understanding. It is the rich tradition of Samvaad, Samanvayand Samvedna that will continue to guide the spirit of our nation building.
Honourable Members,
We gather here today to redeem the trust reposed by our countrymen, particularly the poor, in the sacred Institution of Parliament. Every action of ours, in this temple of democracy must be an offering at the altar of the innumerable sacrifices that have built this nation. Let us work towards a common future, seeded in the promise of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, that will bring to all the equality and dignity enshrined in our constitution.
Describing the Budget Session 2017 as historic, President Pranab Mukherjee today lauded the Narendra Modi government's move to ban circulation of Rs 500, 1000 notes.
Addressing the joint session of Parliament marking the start of Budget Session, President Mukherjee spoke to various issues highlighting the government's achievements in the last one year.
The president while stressing that the government is committed to combat terrorism termed the September 29, 2016, surgical strikes across Line of Control (LoC) as a befitting reply to repeated incursions.
HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT'S SPEECH:
Honourable Members,
In this Basant season of renewal and resurgence, I welcome you all to this Joint Session of both Houses of Parliament. This is a historic session heralding the advancement of the Budget cycle and merger of the Railway Budget with the General Budget for the first time in independent India. We gather once again to celebrate democracy, a cherished value and culture that has prospered throughout the long history of our nation. Indeed, a culture that guides my government towards Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.
The ideal of saha na vavatu, saha nau bhunaktu - May we be protected together and blessed together with bliss - has inspired our civilisation from time immemorial. This year marks the 350th birth anniversary of the great Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singhji. We are also observing the one thousandth birth anniversary of the great saint-philosopher Ramanujacharya. The luminous path of social transformation and reform shown by them serves as a beacon for all, and is an inspiration to my government.
This year marks the Centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha, which gave a new direction to our freedom struggle and channelised janashaktiin the fight against colonial power. Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of Satyagrahainstilled in every Indian an indomitable self-belief, and spirit of sacrifice for the larger good. This janashaktiis today our greatest strength.
The resilience and forbearance demonstrated by our countrymen, particularly the poor, recently in the fight against black money and corruption, is remarkable. The same spirit has driven the LPG "Give It Up Campaign." Over 1.2 crore consumers have voluntarily given up their LPG subsidy, which has helped the underprivileged in accessing LPG connections. This janashakti has transformedSwachh Bharat Mission into a jan-andolan. 1.4 lakh villages, over 450 cities, 77 districts and 3 states have declared themselves Open Defecation Free. My government salutes the strength of janashaktiand pledges to constructively utilise it in Rashtra Nirman.
Honourable Members,
At the core of all my Government's policies is the welfare of the garib,dalit, peedit, shoshit, vanchit, kisan, shramik and yuva. My government is guided by the Antyodaya philosophy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. His centenary year is being observed as Garib Kalyan Varsh.
Financial inclusion is key to poverty alleviation. An unprecedented 26 crore plus Jan Dhan accounts have been opened for the unbanked. Over 20 crore RUPAY debit cards have been issued to enable cashless payments. Moving swiftly from "Jan Dhan to Jan Suraksha" close to 13 crore poor have been covered under various social security schemes.
To take the banking system to the doorstep of the poor and the unbanked, the Indian Postal Payment Bank has been started. The postal network with wider reach and deep penetration of over 1.5 lakh post offices will also function as postal banks. Besides the over 1 lakh bank-mitras appointed by banks, over 2.5 lakh Gram-Dak-Sewakswill also function as banking correspondents.
Over Rs 2 Lakh Crore has been provided through 5.6 crore loans sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana to ensure collateral-free bank financing for the unfunded, and to promote small businesses. Seventy percent of this has been availed of by women entrepreneurs.
Under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, which aims to empower women, particularly from the deprived sections, over Rs. Sixteen Thousand crore have been made available to Self Help Groups in the current Financial Year. The scheme aims to reach out to nearly 5 crore women soon.
Honourable Members,
My Government has taken many initiatives to improve the quality of life of the poor through assured housing, affordable healthcare, safe drinking water and sanitation, and access to clean energy.
My Government is committed to provide shelter to every houseless poor household through the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana with appropriate interest subvention on housing credit.
Poor sanitation further weakens the economic wherewithal of a poor household. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan aims to ensure health and sanitation, particularly for the poor. Under this mission, more than 3 crore toilets have been constructed.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will make clean energy accessible to the poor. This scheme aims to safeguard the health of women and children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel - LPG, liberating them from the ill-effects of smoky kitchens, and long hours of collecting firewood. Free gas connections are being provided to 5 crore poor households. Already 1.5 crore connections have been provided in the current financial year. It is noteworthy that 37 percent of theUjjwalabeneficiaries belong to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Under Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojana, out of the over 18,000 villages which have been in darkness since independence, over 11,000 have been electrified in a record time. Under UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) programme, over 20 crore LED bulbs have been distributed, resulting in savings of more than Rs. Ten thousand crore in the electricity bills of consumers, majority of whom are poor.
Several steps have been taken to make healthcare affordable and accessible to every citizen of our country, particularly the poor. Mission Indradhanush commits to vaccinate "every child everywhere" against preventable diseases. It has so far benefited 55 lakh children. Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadi Pariyojana has been launched to ensure that the poor have access to quality medicines at affordable prices. Special facilities created to control the endemic Japanese encephalitis have yielded encouraging results in significantly reducing mortality due to this disease.
Honourable Members,
In Kisan'swelfare lies the nation's prosperity. A favourable monsoon after consecutive years of drought, supplemented by farmer-oriented schemes has increased the acreage and yield of most Kharif crops. The sown area in the current Rabi season has shown six percent increase in comparison to last year.
My Government has taken various steps to transform the lives of our farmers. Focus has been on holistic development of agriculture sector - making available affordable credit, ensuring assured supply of seeds and fertilizers, improving irrigation facilities, comprehensive risk coverage, improving productivity through Soil Health Cards, assured market and remunerative prices for the produce through e-NAM(National Agriculture Market).
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana expanded the ambit of risk-coverage, doubled the sum insured, and facilitated lowest-ever premium for the farmers. During Kharif 2016, around 3.66 crore farmers were insured for a sum of Rs. 1.4 lakh crore.
With the objective of digitisation of all the live Kisan Credit Cards, another three crore cards will be converted into RUPAY debit cards soon. The corpus of NABARD fund has been doubled to Rs. Forty One Thousand crore to ensure easy credit access to farmers.
With focus on Per Drop More Crop and "Har Khet ko Pani", coverage under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana has been expanded. More than 12.7 lakh hectares have been brought under micro irrigation in the last two years.
Honourable Members may recall that soaring prices of pulses was a matter of grave concern around this time last year. My government has taken proactive steps and prices of pulses are now under control. To ensure fair price for farmers and to protect consumers, a buffer stock of 20 lakh tonnes of pulses has been envisaged against which 8 lakh tonnes of pulses have already been procured.
Honourable Members,
My government is making Nari Shakti an integral part of our development journey. Our women deserve equal opportunity. The Rio Olympics, where we took great pride in the performance of P.V. Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Deepa Karmakarand others, illustrates the strength of our women. Women are being inducted in combat streams of our Armed Forces. The nation is proud of its first three women fighter pilots. This reminds us of what we can achieve, as a nation, if women are fully empowered, and if their skills and talent are optimally utilised.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme that addresses the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio, is yielding encouraging results. Under the Sukanya Samridhi Yojana, launched with an objective of ensuring a secure future to our girl child, over one crore accounts have been opened and an amount of over Rs. eleven thousand crore has been deposited. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan will provide comprehensive ante-natal care by a qualified medical practitioner to all pregnant women. The revision ofMaternity Benefit Act and enhancement of maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks will support pregnant women at the workplace.
Honourable Members,
65 percent of our population today is below the age of 35. Our youth is our greatest strength and yuva urja needs to be effectively channelised. With the motto of "Har Haath ko Hunar", my government has taken several steps for skilling the youth and improving their employability. The work of skill development, that was earlier spread across 21 ministries and 50 departments, has been brought under one umbrella Ministry. The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana has been launched with a budget outlay of Rs. Twelve thousand crore, to train One crore youth over the next four years. Over 20 lakh youth have already benefited. National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme has been launched with a budget outlay of Rs. Ten thousand crore. 978 employment exchanges spread across the country have been integrated as part of the National Career Service Portal.
My Government has opened new avenues and made higher technical education more accessible to students from economically weaker sections. For the first time, ITI trainees have been provided with academic equivalence at matriculation and higher secondary level through bridge courses to enable them to pursue higher education. With the objective of providing training of international standards to youth, a nation-wide network of 50 India International Skill Centres is being established. The Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana has been launched for promoting entrepreneurship education and training amongst 7 lakh students.
My government has announced a package of Rs. Six thousand crore to boost employment generation and exports in the apparel and made-ups sector. This package is expected to generate over 1.1 crore jobs, mostly for women. Honourable Members,
Shram-eva jayate is one of the foremost guiding principles of my government and several measures have been taken for the welfare of the shramik. For the first time ever, minimum wages have been increased by 42 percent in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. For bonus coverage, the calculation ceiling limit has been doubled to Rs. Seven thousand, and the eligibility limit increased from Rs. Ten thousand to Rs. Twenty One thousand. This will directly benefit an additional 55 lakh workers. The Universal Account Number has ensured portability of EPF accounts and has safeguarded the interest of crores of workers.
Workers employed in the informal sector will benefit the most from my Government's decision to enable employers to pay wages to their employees through banks. This will increase compliance of payment of minimum wages. It shall ensure that workers in the unorganized sector also enjoy health benefits under Employees State Insurance Corporation and social security through Provident Fund.
Implementation of the 7th Pay Commission has benefited 50 lakh employees and 35 lakh pensioners. To protect senior citizens from the impact of interest-rate fluctuations, interest rate for senior citizens has been fixed at 8 percent payable monthly for a period of 10 years. Honourable Members, 30. Social and economic equality for the deprived and disempowered sections is the first promise of our constitution. My government is committed to fulfil this promise.
Through the Stand-up India initiative, my government plans to empower over two and a half lakh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women entrepreneurs. For promoting entrepreneurship, the National Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Hub has been launched, with an initial allocation of Rs. 490 crore.
Under the Forest Rights Act, about 16.5 lakh Individual Forest Rights titles have been granted over an area of 55.4 lakh acres of forest land. Further, Community Forest Rights titles have been distributed over an area of about 47 lakh acres of forest land.
The location of our mineral wealth largely coincides with tribal habitations in our country. The Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana will serve the dual purpose of ensuring sustainable mining activity as well as local area development for the betterment of the tribals and the poor inhabitants in the mining areas. District Mineral Foundation is a novel initiative in this regard.
My government has increased the allocation under the Tribal sub-plan. Fourteen different sectors have been identified under the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojanafor the empowerment of tribals. 100 out of the 300 clusters envisaged under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission, will be developed in tribal areas.
Honourable Members,
The success of the Indian cricket team at the World cup for the Blind, 2014 and the Indian Paralympics contingent at Rio 2016 demonstrates that our Divyang jan can scale great heights, if afforded an opportunity. My Government is committed to providing the Divyang jan equal opportunities for development. Besides increasing the percentage of reservation for Divyang jan from 3 to 4 per cent in government jobs, my government has accelerated filling up of backlog vacancies. Over 6 lakh Divyang jan have so far benefitted from 4700 special assistance camps organised across the country since May 2014.
The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan is improving accessibility for the Divyang jan at public places. For the first time, Speech and Language Disability, and Specific Learning Disability have been included in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. A common sign language is being developed for the entire country. The Niramaya Swasthya Bima Yojana provides Divyang jan affected by autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and those with multiple disabilities, a health insurance cover of up to One lakh rupees.
Honourable Members,
Like the strings of sitar, which produce different notes but come together to create a beautiful melody, people professing different faiths and religions constitute the spirit of India and contribute to the strength of the nation. The courage and sacrifice of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, whose 300thmartyrdom anniversary we observe this year; and the spirit of selfless service of Mother Teresa, who was cannonised recently, inspire us in equal measure. My government has taken several measures to ensure that the aspirations of people from all communities are fulfilled, and a more focussed approach has been taken towards inclusive development of the notified minority communities, namely Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parsis and Jains.
While scholarship and fellowship schemes have encouraged their educational empowerment; skill development schemes like Seekho aur kamao, Usttadand Nai Manzil have enabled their economic empowerment.
Just as all the drops of rainwater and streams converge in an ocean, all the policies of my government converge for the welfare of the poor, deprived and the underprivileged. From giving house to the shelter less to electrifying un-electrified villages, from giving free LPG connections to supplying LED bulbs to the poor, from Jan Dhan to Jan Suraksha, from making available affordable health care to providing quality education to the poor --- central to all the policies of my government is the welfare of the poor.
Honourable Members,
Balanced and equitable development of all regions is vital to India's progress. Under its proactive "Act East" policy, my government is focussing on reducing the isolation of the Eastern region and North-east by improving connectivity through road, rail, air, telecom, power and waterways.
My Government has started the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga with the execution of Two Thousand Five Hundred kilometres long Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-DhamraNatural Gas Pipeline Project. With an investment of around Rs. Twelve thousand Five hundred crore, this project will cater to energy requirements of five states,covering 40 districts and 2,600 villages. This project will also lead to the revival of three large fertilizer plants, industrialization of more than 20 cities and city gas network development in 7 cities.
My Government sees the North Eastern states as the Ashtalakshmi that can take India to new heights. The North East is the gateway to South East Asia. We are opening up road and rail routes to our neighbouring countries to boost the economic development of the region.
To ensure unhindered support and development of North Eastern states, my government is continuing with the special dispensation in the assistance pattern to the North-eastern states, and is providing assistance in the ratio of 90:10 for core central schemes and 80:20 for non-core schemes to these states.
By the end of the year, all Meter-Gauge tracks in the north-eastern states will be converted to Broad-Gauge. The railways have undertaken a major expansion in the region at a cost of around Rs. Ten thousand crore. Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have been put on the rail map, Agartala in Tripura has been connected with broad gauge line.
The Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited and Numaligarh Refinery Limited's wax unit are big projects that will create huge employment opportunities in the North East region. The Government has approved North East BPO promotion scheme in the Digital India programme for creation of employment opportunities.
The beauty and diversity of the North East makes it a natural hub for tourism. The Ministry of Tourism has identified a thematic circuit for the North East region.
My government has provided special financial assistance to mitigate the damages caused by unprecedented floods in the hilly and other areas of the country.
Honourable Members,
From highways to i-ways; from railways to waterways; from seaports to airports; from water pipelines to gas pipelines, from earth sciences to satellites, from rural infrastructure to smart cities, creation of vital next-generation infrastructure has received special attention of my government.
For modernization of Railways, the highest-ever capital outlay of Rs. 1.21 lakh crore has been provided. My government aims to connect all rural habitations with all weather roads. 73,000 kilometres of road has been built so far in rural areas. More than five thousand kilometres of roads in 44 Left Wing Extremism affected districts are being upgraded. The National Civil Aviation Policy, will give a major boost to air connectivity in the smaller cities and towns. Under the BharatNet Project, Optical Fibre Cables now cover over 75,700 Gram Panchayats, up from only 59 in May 2014.
India has launched 8 operational missions covering meteorological, navigation, and earth observation and communication satellites. ISRO completed the seven-satellite constellation of Indian Regional Navigational Satellite Systems, NaviC . ISRO added another feather to its cap this year by successfully launching 20 satellites in a highest-ever single launch.
My government is committed to optimally harness our marine wealth and give a new impetus to ocean-led development. Under the Sagarmala programme on port-led development, a total of 199 projects with an outlay of over Rs. Three lakh crore have been identified for implementation in the next three years. Of these, projects of more than Rs. One lakh crore are already under implementation. The seas surrounding the Indian Peninsula contain One thousand Three hundred and Eighty Two of our islands, out of which, to begin with, 26 have been earmarked for integrated development. The Blue Economy, with focus on sustainable development of fisheries will continue to receive our special attention.
As a reaffirmation of our commitment to clean energy, my government has taken giant strides in increasing our renewable energy capacity to 47 Giga Watts so far, against our target of 175 Giga Watts.
Placing fresh impetus on rural infrastructure, untied financial resources of over Rs. Two lakh crore are being transferred to Gram Panchayats during 2015-20. The allocation to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in 2016-17 has been over Rs. Forty Seven thousand crore which is the highest ever since the inception of the programme and the focus is now on creation of durable assets and rural infrastructure.
Giving a major boost to creation of urban infrastructure, annual action plan for 500 cities with an outlay of Rs. Fifty thousand crore has been approved. Metro Rail Projects have been sanctioned for four cities including Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Pune, and an extension of Chennai Metro has also been approved. Honourable Members,
My Government has taken bold decisions in the interest of the poor.
To combat the evils of black-money, corruption, counterfeit currency and terror financing, my government took the decision on 8th November, 2016 to demonetize old five hundred and one thousand rupee currency notes. My Government's very first cabinet decision was to set up an SIT on black-money. The passing of Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, amendments to treaties with Singapore, Cyprus and Mauritius to prevent misuse of provisions in such treaties for tax evasion and movement of black-money in India and the Taxation Amendment Act providing for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana,have together resulted in a comprehensive policy backed initiative against black-money
.The four-decade old demand of one-rank-one-pension (OROP) of our Armed Forces veterans has been fulfilled. The total financial implications would be around Rs. Eleven thousand crore. More than Rs. Six thousand Two hundred crore have been released in two tranches benefiting over 19.6 lakh veterans.
My government has taken decisive steps to give a fitting reply to the repeated incursions on our territorial sovereignty. On 29th September 2016 our defence forces successfully conducted surgical strikes at several launch pads along the Line of Control to prevent infiltration by terrorists. We are proud of the exemplary courage and valour displayed by our defence personnel and owe a debt of the gratitude to them.
Honourable Members,
Transforming the culture of governance, my Government has simplified procedures, repealed obsolete laws and eliminated scope for corruption.
The Direct Benefit Transfer programme of subsidies through the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM)Trinity has prevented leakages and helped save Rs Thirty Six thousand crore. PAHAL is the world's largest cash benefit transfer scheme that has saved over Rs. Twenty One thousand crore in two years. Digidhan Abhiyaanand Two lakh Common Service Centres are providing employment to over 5 lakh youth, and spreading digital literacy.
The launch of mobile app - BHIM- Bharat Interface for Money - is a tribute to the vision of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar who sought economic empowerment of the poorest. Within a few days, it has become one of the most popular mobile app-based payment mechanisms in the country. The biometric AADHAAR Payment system to be launched soon will usher a technological revolution in India. 61.Coal block and spectrum auctions illustrate the highest standards of transparency set by my government in allocation of natural resources. To carry this forward, government procurements have been brought under a single platform - Government eMarket Place (GeM).
The process of recruitment to government jobs has been made simpler and transparent by dispensing with interviews for recruitments to over Thirty Four lakh non-gazetted posts. The process of appointments to senior positions in government has also been streamlined and is guided solely by objectivity, merit and integrity.
Over Eleven hundred obsolete laws have been repealed and 400 more are in the process of being repealed. Legislations relating to Women, Divyang jan, Labour, Apprentices, Factories, Benami Transactions, Aadhaar and Real Estate, to mention a few - mirrors my Government's guiding philosophy of Transparency,and Social Justice.
Honourable Members,
Frequent elections put on hold development programmes, disrupt normal public life, and impact essential services and burden human resource with prolonged periods of election duty. My government welcomes a constructive debate on simultaneous conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies. Funding of elections to eradicate the misuse of money power also needs to be debated. My Government would welcome any decision taken by the Election Commission in this regard after consultations with political parties.
Honourable Members,
Celebrating the cultural diversity along with the richness of language and heritage of every state, my government has started the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharatprogramme. The uniqueness of this programme is to pair and entwine two different states with diverse cultures for over a year so that each state can assimilate the cultural spirit of the other.
Taking forward the concept of cooperative federalism through One nation-One tax and One nation-One market, both Houses of Parliament passed the Goods and Services Tax Act. 17 states governed by political parties across the political spectrum ratified this in a record 23 days. My Government is thankful to the GST Council for working to resolve outstanding issues.
Honourable Members,
India has been widely acclaimed as a bright spot in the global economy, at a time when global growth has been slow. The rate of inflation, the balance of payments, current account deficit and the fiscal deficit have been consistently reduced since 2014. Foreign Direct Investment and foreign exchange reserves have reached record levels. The country's macroeconomic fundamentals are very strong, creating a platform for sustained high growth.
FDI inflows in 2015-16 were US $ 55.6 billion, the highest-ever for any financial year.My Government further liberalized FDI policy provisions in various sectors in June 2016.
My Government is closely working with the State Governments to identify constraints in doing business. The rankings of the States/UTs show that the national implementation average of reforms stands at around 49 percent, much higher than last year's 32 pe rcent. India is ranked third in the list of top prospective host economies for 2016-18 in the World Investment Report 2016 released by UNCTAD. Honourable Members,
India has been facing the grave challenge of terrorism for the last four decades. Terrorism poses a serious danger to the global community. India will actively collaborate with other nations in decisively defeating these forces. My government is committed to combating terrorism, and to ensure that the perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice.
The State of Jammu and Kashmir has been affected by terrorism sponsored and supported from across the border. The attempts of infiltration, incidents of terrorist violence and loss of precious lives of civilians and security personnel remain a cause of grave concern. 72. There has been considerable success in containing Left Wing Extremism over the last three years, with the surrender of over 2600 extremists. The security situation in the North Eastern states has also shown significant improvement.
Honourable Members,
My Government, committed to the philosophy of partnerships for peace and progress, continues its active diplomacy aimed at facilitating national development, enhancing our security, and ensuring greater Indian influence in global fora.
The intensity of our international engagements has helped us shape a diverse and purposeful agenda with our global partners. There has been a consolidation of relations with friendly countries and major powers. The common desire of the South Asian region for greater prosperity and development led most of its nations to make common cause in their opposition to terrorism. Membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and signing of the Memorandum of Obligations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation were further reflections of India's growing and multi-dimensional role in global affairs.
India hosted the eighth BRICS Summit at Goa with its BIMSTEC outreach, and the sixth Heart of Asia Conference at Amritsar, marking important contributions to our regional and pluri-lateral outreach. India hosted a three day Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Delhi, in which more than 50 Asian and Pacific countries participated.
There are over Thirty million Overseas Indians, settled in almost every corner of the world. They continue to make invaluable contributions to Indian society and economy. My government will maximize the strengths of Indian diasporain nation building and for deepening our global outreach.
Realising the importance of developing tourism, my Government has approved the new e-VISApolicy and expanded the scope of e-tourist visa to include purposes such as short-term medical treatment and business trips. 161 countries are now covered under e-VISA. With over 88 lakh foreign tourist arrivals in 2016, tourism sector has shown a growth rate of over 10 percent.
India ratified the Paris agreement on 2nd October 2016, thereby sending a strong message of our commitment to combating climate change with focus on climate justice and sustainable lifestyle. The United Nations Environment Programme has recognized India as one of the countries on track in achieving its voluntary goals. 25 nations have signed the Framework Agreement of International Solar Alliance, the first treaty based organisation initiated by India.
Honourable Members,
Indians today have a deep sense of pride in the awakening of India caused by the momentous steps my government has undertaken. Our fellow citizens have exhibited great solidarity with our endeavours in transforming India. My government reiterates its commitment to fulfil the aspirations of our citizens. The Vision of Mahatma Gandhi and other founding fathers lays down a great path for a resurgent India. This path is of debate, discussion, accommodation and understanding. It is the rich tradition of Samvaad, Samanvayand Samvedna that will continue to guide the spirit of our nation building.
Honourable Members,
We gather here today to redeem the trust reposed by our countrymen, particularly the poor, in the sacred Institution of Parliament. Every action of ours, in this temple of democracy must be an offering at the altar of the innumerable sacrifices that have built this nation. Let us work towards a common future, seeded in the promise of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, that will bring to all the equality and dignity enshrined in our constitution.
Indian Railways takes cue from south Beijing, develop green patches around railway tracks
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The heaps of garbage, unpleasant sight of open defecation and the 'lewd' graffiti on the walls as trains move slowly onto the Delhi region will be a thing of past now. Taking a cue from the 'green' South Beijing railway station, the Delhi Division of Indian Railway has begun developing green patches surrounding railway stations in Delhi.
The vacant rail land and the railway yards too will be covered with ornamental plants and shrubs to give it a pleasant look.
According to railway officials, encroachment on railway land is the biggest hurdle in keeping the railway lines clean. A senior official said development of green patches in Delhi began sometime ago but it failed due to large scale encroachment. The plan is a major initiative under the flagship 'Swachh Bharat Mission'. The contract has been placed and work has started at New Delhi station, which is expected to show results by end of April 2017, an official said.
THE TWO PHASE PLAN
To begin with, railway yards at New Delhi, Old Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations will be taken up. The plan is being developed in two phases. Many special drives were launched in last one year to clean up the garbage spread along the tracks approaching Delhi, but they failed to yield desired result.
"We managed to maintain cleanliness in some parts while those located close to big Jhhugi clusters remained filthy. Garbage was found to be accumulated again after a few days of the drive in areas near slums," Arora said.
However, the railways have spread new good earth on the vacant area near the tracks and the area is being fenced to restrict trespassing on railway land. Shrubs and flowers were planted on the area. But in the areas in close proximity of big JJ clusters, the scheme could not succeed much due to human defecation and other disturbances.
The yards have been planned to be developed on the lines of South Beijing station in China. The vacant land in the yards of Delhi and New Delhi station has been planned to be planted with shrubs and grass and maintained as green patch in between the train operation area.
The heaps of garbage, unpleasant sight of open defecation and the 'lewd' graffiti on the walls as trains move slowly onto the Delhi region will be a thing of past now. Taking a cue from the 'green' South Beijing railway station, the Delhi Division of Indian Railway has begun developing green patches surrounding railway stations in Delhi.
The vacant rail land and the railway yards too will be covered with ornamental plants and shrubs to give it a pleasant look.
According to railway officials, encroachment on railway land is the biggest hurdle in keeping the railway lines clean. A senior official said development of green patches in Delhi began sometime ago but it failed due to large scale encroachment. The plan is a major initiative under the flagship 'Swachh Bharat Mission'. The contract has been placed and work has started at New Delhi station, which is expected to show results by end of April 2017, an official said.
THE TWO PHASE PLAN
To begin with, railway yards at New Delhi, Old Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations will be taken up. The plan is being developed in two phases. Many special drives were launched in last one year to clean up the garbage spread along the tracks approaching Delhi, but they failed to yield desired result.
"We managed to maintain cleanliness in some parts while those located close to big Jhhugi clusters remained filthy. Garbage was found to be accumulated again after a few days of the drive in areas near slums," Arora said.
However, the railways have spread new good earth on the vacant area near the tracks and the area is being fenced to restrict trespassing on railway land. Shrubs and flowers were planted on the area. But in the areas in close proximity of big JJ clusters, the scheme could not succeed much due to human defecation and other disturbances.
The yards have been planned to be developed on the lines of South Beijing station in China. The vacant land in the yards of Delhi and New Delhi station has been planned to be planted with shrubs and grass and maintained as green patch in between the train operation area.
Manohar Parrikar orders probe into Army-mobile tower scam
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Cracking his whip against corruption, defence minister Manohar Parrikar has ordered a CBI inquiry into an alleged scam involving mobile towers on army land and misappropriation of funds.
A recently retired lieutenant general and a senior high-profile officer, who was indirectly part of surgical strikes on Pakistan, are likely to be under the scanner during the probe.
After the CBI inquiry into the alleged case of corruption was launched, the retired Lt Gen had lost his appointment as a member of the Armed Forces Tribunal, senior government sources told Mail Today.
In one of the instances to be probed, senior army officers had allegedly got cell phone towers belonging to a private cellular service provider firm on military cantonment land while allegedly favouring private firms and individuals in the process.
"One of the complaints was received by defence ministry from army officials regarding misappropriation of funds in installation of mobile towers inside the Hissar cantonment. There were also complaints about other such cases on different locations and that is why, a CBI inquiry has been recommended in the case by Parrikar," sources said.
The recommendation for the CBI probe was sent earlier this month.
According to sources, the private firm, which installed the three cell towers had also constructed bus shelters inside the Hisar military station, had been given permission in a hush hush manner allegedly in connivance with authorities there.
The matter had come to light after two colonel-rank officers raised the flag against the alleged corrupt practices going on in the Hisar military station, including the installation of the mobile towers and unnecessary renovation of old residential buildings inside the campus, sources said.
Senior army sources said the officers were also asked to keep mum by the senior officer and they were given very poor ratings in their annual confidential reports by them.
To suppress the matter, one of the Colonels posted at Ambala, who wrote a complaint to the Defence Minister and the then army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, was made to face disciplinary proceedings for writing directly to Parrikar about his grievances and bypassing the chain of command.
The retired lt general, who took part in the Pathankot operations, had strong links with higher ups in the force and could manage to get the matter hushed up, the sources alleged.
Sources said the time around which this alleged scam took place in Hissar, the senior high profile officer was commanding the station and was later on posted to a very important assignment at the Army Headquarters.
Cracking his whip against corruption, defence minister Manohar Parrikar has ordered a CBI inquiry into an alleged scam involving mobile towers on army land and misappropriation of funds.
A recently retired lieutenant general and a senior high-profile officer, who was indirectly part of surgical strikes on Pakistan, are likely to be under the scanner during the probe.
After the CBI inquiry into the alleged case of corruption was launched, the retired Lt Gen had lost his appointment as a member of the Armed Forces Tribunal, senior government sources told Mail Today.
In one of the instances to be probed, senior army officers had allegedly got cell phone towers belonging to a private cellular service provider firm on military cantonment land while allegedly favouring private firms and individuals in the process.
"One of the complaints was received by defence ministry from army officials regarding misappropriation of funds in installation of mobile towers inside the Hissar cantonment. There were also complaints about other such cases on different locations and that is why, a CBI inquiry has been recommended in the case by Parrikar," sources said.
The recommendation for the CBI probe was sent earlier this month.
According to sources, the private firm, which installed the three cell towers had also constructed bus shelters inside the Hisar military station, had been given permission in a hush hush manner allegedly in connivance with authorities there.
The matter had come to light after two colonel-rank officers raised the flag against the alleged corrupt practices going on in the Hisar military station, including the installation of the mobile towers and unnecessary renovation of old residential buildings inside the campus, sources said.
Senior army sources said the officers were also asked to keep mum by the senior officer and they were given very poor ratings in their annual confidential reports by them.
To suppress the matter, one of the Colonels posted at Ambala, who wrote a complaint to the Defence Minister and the then army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, was made to face disciplinary proceedings for writing directly to Parrikar about his grievances and bypassing the chain of command.
The retired lt general, who took part in the Pathankot operations, had strong links with higher ups in the force and could manage to get the matter hushed up, the sources alleged.
Sources said the time around which this alleged scam took place in Hissar, the senior high profile officer was commanding the station and was later on posted to a very important assignment at the Army Headquarters.
Cargo ships collision causes damage to ecosystem near Chennai, Coast Guard to rescue
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The collision of an oil tanker and an LPG carrier near Ennore port, 20km away from Chennai has lead to death of a large number of fish and turtles near Ernarvur beach.
On early Saturday morning, MT Dawn tanker Kancheepuram an inward bound ship collided with MT BW Maple - a Liquified Pertroleum Gas carrier about 12 fathom into the sea.
Inititally, officials from the Kammaraj port said that there was no damage to life nor any oil spill and that the ships were stable and afloat.
But after residential fishermen smelled an oil based stench, authorities were informed. It was found that there was heavy furnace oil spill of close to a ton when fire broke out on MT Dawn Kancheepuram.
The Coast Guard immediately mobilised the Pollution Control Team after communicating with the district collector and authorities from Pollution Board, Kamarajar Port and Fisheries department.
Contradicting the statement provided by Kamarajar Port authorities, Coast Guard confirmed of an oil spillage in a patch of 50m x 30m along the beach stretch.
The Coast Guard also initiated the mopping operation along with Oil MOP Skimmer and is expected to continue till Tuesday.
Officials consider this accident to be caused by human error and are expected to affirm it after a probe but call it a narrow escape as no major accident occurred causing human loss or polluting the sea.
However, residents of Chinnakuppam stated that close 35 turtles and countless fish were washed dead ashore covered with oil film causing panic among the fishermen hamlet.
The dead turtles belonged to the endangered Olive Ridley species which visit the Marina coast to lay its eggs at this time of the year.
The collision of an oil tanker and an LPG carrier near Ennore port, 20km away from Chennai has lead to death of a large number of fish and turtles near Ernarvur beach.
On early Saturday morning, MT Dawn tanker Kancheepuram an inward bound ship collided with MT BW Maple - a Liquified Pertroleum Gas carrier about 12 fathom into the sea.
Inititally, officials from the Kammaraj port said that there was no damage to life nor any oil spill and that the ships were stable and afloat.
But after residential fishermen smelled an oil based stench, authorities were informed. It was found that there was heavy furnace oil spill of close to a ton when fire broke out on MT Dawn Kancheepuram.
The Coast Guard immediately mobilised the Pollution Control Team after communicating with the district collector and authorities from Pollution Board, Kamarajar Port and Fisheries department.
Contradicting the statement provided by Kamarajar Port authorities, Coast Guard confirmed of an oil spillage in a patch of 50m x 30m along the beach stretch.
The Coast Guard also initiated the mopping operation along with Oil MOP Skimmer and is expected to continue till Tuesday.
Officials consider this accident to be caused by human error and are expected to affirm it after a probe but call it a narrow escape as no major accident occurred causing human loss or polluting the sea.
Officials consider this accident to be caused by human error and are expected to affirm it after a probe but call it a narrow escape as no major accident occurred causing human loss or polluting the sea.
However, residents of Chinnakuppam stated that close 35 turtles and countless fish were washed dead ashore covered with oil film causing panic among the fishermen hamlet.
The dead turtles belonged to the endangered Olive Ridley species which visit the Marina coast to lay its eggs at this time of the year.
Business Affairs
The Economic Survey and the 'Twin Balance Sheet Problem'
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The Economic Survey devotes considerable attention to what it terms India's Twin Balance Sheet problem - overleveraged and distressed companies and the rising NPAs in Public Sector Bank balance sheets. The issue is important because it is holding up private investment in the country and therefore, growth in all sorts of sectors. It has identified most of the issues that prevented many measures introduced by the government - from Sarfaesi Act, to Asset Reconstruction Companies, to Strategic Debt Restructuring and the Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets. It omits mention of one important issue though why most of these measures have had only limited success. And that is the fact that while there are enough laws now for a bank or any other organisation to take over a stressed asset, it is much more difficult to dispose of them and get any decent money back.
Taking over a steel plant which is unable to meet its debt obligations using the SDR route, for example, might seem like a good idea. But if the steel sector is in distress, the bank will find it hard to get a good price for that asset from any buyer. Worse, it cannot hold on to it indefinitely - unless it keeps running, a physical asset tends to deteriorate very fast. And the longer it takes for a bank or an asset reconstruction company or any other organisation to dispose of it, the value continues to deteriorate.
Selling an asset easily depends a lot on the economic conditions - both for the country as a general and the sector in particular. For example, in the past two years, there have been many deals in the cement sector and some in the power sector with stronger companies taking over assets or entire divisions of weaker, overleveraged companies, sometimes with the helpful nudge from lenders to the weak companies. But not all sectors have seen similar deals. In places where there is tremendous overcapacity or where creating a new business is easier and less expensive than taking over an older one, these deals will not happen. Also, what happens to loans to a service oriented sector, say airlines. The reason bankers found themselves in a spot with Kingfisher and many other now defunct airlines was because the airlines had few tangible assets that could be sold off. Most airlines operated with leased aircraft and the lessor simply took back the aircraft.
The suggestion of the Economic Survey that a Public Sector Asset Reconstruction Company (PARA) be formed to buy the biggest, most complex NPAs and then dispose of them. It might seem like a reasonable idea but it fails to take into account that the PARA (which others have dubbed a Bad Bank) will face the same problem disposing assets. If there is a market for the stressed asset, recovering money would not be a problem. The real issue now is that there isn't much of a market for stressed assets in many sectors plagued with overcapacity.
The Economic Survey devotes considerable attention to what it terms India's Twin Balance Sheet problem - overleveraged and distressed companies and the rising NPAs in Public Sector Bank balance sheets. The issue is important because it is holding up private investment in the country and therefore, growth in all sorts of sectors. It has identified most of the issues that prevented many measures introduced by the government - from Sarfaesi Act, to Asset Reconstruction Companies, to Strategic Debt Restructuring and the Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets. It omits mention of one important issue though why most of these measures have had only limited success. And that is the fact that while there are enough laws now for a bank or any other organisation to take over a stressed asset, it is much more difficult to dispose of them and get any decent money back.
Taking over a steel plant which is unable to meet its debt obligations using the SDR route, for example, might seem like a good idea. But if the steel sector is in distress, the bank will find it hard to get a good price for that asset from any buyer. Worse, it cannot hold on to it indefinitely - unless it keeps running, a physical asset tends to deteriorate very fast. And the longer it takes for a bank or an asset reconstruction company or any other organisation to dispose of it, the value continues to deteriorate.
Selling an asset easily depends a lot on the economic conditions - both for the country as a general and the sector in particular. For example, in the past two years, there have been many deals in the cement sector and some in the power sector with stronger companies taking over assets or entire divisions of weaker, overleveraged companies, sometimes with the helpful nudge from lenders to the weak companies. But not all sectors have seen similar deals. In places where there is tremendous overcapacity or where creating a new business is easier and less expensive than taking over an older one, these deals will not happen. Also, what happens to loans to a service oriented sector, say airlines. The reason bankers found themselves in a spot with Kingfisher and many other now defunct airlines was because the airlines had few tangible assets that could be sold off. Most airlines operated with leased aircraft and the lessor simply took back the aircraft.
The suggestion of the Economic Survey that a Public Sector Asset Reconstruction Company (PARA) be formed to buy the biggest, most complex NPAs and then dispose of them. It might seem like a reasonable idea but it fails to take into account that the PARA (which others have dubbed a Bad Bank) will face the same problem disposing assets. If there is a market for the stressed asset, recovering money would not be a problem. The real issue now is that there isn't much of a market for stressed assets in many sectors plagued with overcapacity.
Sensex slides 91 pts, Nifty breaches 8,600-level ahead of Economic Survey
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The Indian benchmark indices extended losses for the second session straight today as participants kept their bets to a minimum tracking the Economic Survey due later in the day.
Weak global cues contributed to the mood.
At 10.15 AM, the S&P BSE Sensex was trading 27,757, down 91.90 points, while the Nifty was trading 8,597, down 35.40 points.
"The immediate support for the Nifty index is placed around 8600 - 8560; whereas the index is expected to rally up to 8678 - 8737 in the short term," said an Angel Broking report.
Sentiment remained conspicuously cautious as investors preferred to reduce their positions ahead of the Economic Survey due today and the Union budget tomorrow.
"Union Budget is lined up on Wednesday and hence, traders chose to stay quite two days ahead of it," the report added.
Coal India, GAIL, TCS and Axis Bank dragged the BSE index down, falling as much as 2.73 per cent.
Global Markets
A subdued trend in Asia coupled with a decline on the Wall Street after President Donald Trump's controversial crackdown on immigration and his plans to overhaul work-visa programmes dampened sentiment further here, traders added.
In the Asian region, most markets are closed today for a public holiday. Japan's Nikkei was down 1.33 per cent in early deals.
The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.61 per cent lower yesterday.
The Indian benchmark indices extended losses for the second session straight today as participants kept their bets to a minimum tracking the Economic Survey due later in the day.
Weak global cues contributed to the mood.
At 10.15 AM, the S&P BSE Sensex was trading 27,757, down 91.90 points, while the Nifty was trading 8,597, down 35.40 points.
"The immediate support for the Nifty index is placed around 8600 - 8560; whereas the index is expected to rally up to 8678 - 8737 in the short term," said an Angel Broking report.
Sentiment remained conspicuously cautious as investors preferred to reduce their positions ahead of the Economic Survey due today and the Union budget tomorrow.
"Union Budget is lined up on Wednesday and hence, traders chose to stay quite two days ahead of it," the report added.
Coal India, GAIL, TCS and Axis Bank dragged the BSE index down, falling as much as 2.73 per cent.
Global Markets
A subdued trend in Asia coupled with a decline on the Wall Street after President Donald Trump's controversial crackdown on immigration and his plans to overhaul work-visa programmes dampened sentiment further here, traders added.
In the Asian region, most markets are closed today for a public holiday. Japan's Nikkei was down 1.33 per cent in early deals.
The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.61 per cent lower yesterday.
Property prices fell after note ban; may dip further: Economic Survey
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Property prices fell due to cash crunch following demonetisation and could decline further as investing undeclared income in real estate becomes more difficult, says the Economic Survey.
"Demonetisation could have particularly profound impact on the real estate sector," it said in an analysis on the impact of note ban announced on November 8.
On short-term effect on the sector through December-end, the Economic Survey 2016-17 said that "prices declined, as wealth fell while cash shortages impeded transactions".
Talking about the likely longer-term effect, the pre- Budget document tabled in Parliament today said, "prices could fall further as investing undeclared income in real estate becomes more difficult".
It said that tax component could rise, especially if Goods and Services Tax, slated for roll out in July, is imposed on real estate.
Much of the black money accumulated was ultimately used to evade taxes on property sales, the Survey said, adding that this type of tax evasion would diminish with curbs on unaccounted wealth and financial transactions taking place increasingly through electronic means.
While too early to assess whether there will be permanent effects, the Survey said, the weighted average price of real estate in eight major cities, which was already on a declining trend fell further after November 8, 2016.
"An equilibrium reduction in real estate prices is desirable as it will lead to affordable housing for the middle class, and facilitate labour mobility across India currently impeded by high and unaffordable rents," it said.
Property prices fell due to cash crunch following demonetisation and could decline further as investing undeclared income in real estate becomes more difficult, says the Economic Survey.
"Demonetisation could have particularly profound impact on the real estate sector," it said in an analysis on the impact of note ban announced on November 8.
On short-term effect on the sector through December-end, the Economic Survey 2016-17 said that "prices declined, as wealth fell while cash shortages impeded transactions".
Talking about the likely longer-term effect, the pre- Budget document tabled in Parliament today said, "prices could fall further as investing undeclared income in real estate becomes more difficult".
It said that tax component could rise, especially if Goods and Services Tax, slated for roll out in July, is imposed on real estate.
Much of the black money accumulated was ultimately used to evade taxes on property sales, the Survey said, adding that this type of tax evasion would diminish with curbs on unaccounted wealth and financial transactions taking place increasingly through electronic means.
While too early to assess whether there will be permanent effects, the Survey said, the weighted average price of real estate in eight major cities, which was already on a declining trend fell further after November 8, 2016.
"An equilibrium reduction in real estate prices is desirable as it will lead to affordable housing for the middle class, and facilitate labour mobility across India currently impeded by high and unaffordable rents," it said.
GDP to be lower at 6.5 % in financial year 2017: Economic Survey
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Demonetisation will shave off the economic growth for the current fiscal by 0.25 per cent to 0.50 per cent though it will have long-term benefits for the economy by reducing interest rates and eliminating corruption, besides bringing in more activities in the formal sector.
The cash squeeze, following junking of high value notes of Rs 500/1000 on November 8, 2016, the Economic Survey for 2016-17 said, "will have significant implications for GDP, reducing 2016-17 growth by 0.25 to 0.50 percentage points compared to the baseline of 7 per cent".
The Survey has, however, projected the growth rate for 2017-18 at 6.75-7.5 per cent. For the current fiscal, the GDP growth has been estimated at 6.5 per cent, lower than 7.1 per cent projected by the Central Statistics Office earlier this month.
It expressed hope that the remonetisation exercise will eliminate cash squeeze by April 2017 while asserting that the adverse impact of demonetisation on GDP growth will be transitional.
"Once the cash supply is replenished, which is likely to be achieved by end-March 2017, the economy would revert to the normal," the document said.
The costs of demonetisation include contraction in cash money supply and subsequent, albeit temporary, slowdown in GDP growth, while the benefits to the economy will be in the form of increased digitalisation, greater tax compliance, reduction in real estate prices, increased long-run tax revenue collections and GDP growth.
It further said effective cash in circulation fell sharply although by much less than commonly believed a peak of 35 per cent in December, rather than 62 per cent in November since many of the old high denomination notes continued to be used for transactions in the weeks after November 8.
The Survey, presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament today, said that the recorded GDP will understate impact on informal sector as its activities are not fully captured in the Index of Industrial Production.
These 'contractionary' effects due to demonetisation will dissipate by year-end when currency in circulation will once again be in line with estimated demand, it said.
As regards the impact of note ban on the real estate, the Survey said that the weighted average prices in eight major cities which was already on a declining trend fell further after November 8, 2016.
"It goes on to add that an equilibrium reduction in real estate prices is desirable as it will lead to affordable housing for the middle class and facilitate labour mobility across India currently impeded by high and unaffordable rents," it said
The Survey also suggested fast remonetisation and especially, free convertibility of cash to deposits including through early elimination of withdrawal limits.
"This would reduce the GDP growth deceleration and cash hoarding," it said, adding that continued impetus to digitalisation while ensuring that this transition is gradual, inclusive, based on incentives rather than controls and appropriately balancing the costs and benefits of cash versus digitalisation would maximise long-term benefits and minimise short-term costs.
It also suggested that following up on demonetisation, the government should bring land and real estate into the GST and reduce tax rates and stamp duties.
"An improved tax system could promote greater income declaration and dispel fears of over-zealous tax administration," it added.
Demonetisation will shave off the economic growth for the current fiscal by 0.25 per cent to 0.50 per cent though it will have long-term benefits for the economy by reducing interest rates and eliminating corruption, besides bringing in more activities in the formal sector.
The cash squeeze, following junking of high value notes of Rs 500/1000 on November 8, 2016, the Economic Survey for 2016-17 said, "will have significant implications for GDP, reducing 2016-17 growth by 0.25 to 0.50 percentage points compared to the baseline of 7 per cent".
The Survey has, however, projected the growth rate for 2017-18 at 6.75-7.5 per cent. For the current fiscal, the GDP growth has been estimated at 6.5 per cent, lower than 7.1 per cent projected by the Central Statistics Office earlier this month.
It expressed hope that the remonetisation exercise will eliminate cash squeeze by April 2017 while asserting that the adverse impact of demonetisation on GDP growth will be transitional.
"Once the cash supply is replenished, which is likely to be achieved by end-March 2017, the economy would revert to the normal," the document said.
The costs of demonetisation include contraction in cash money supply and subsequent, albeit temporary, slowdown in GDP growth, while the benefits to the economy will be in the form of increased digitalisation, greater tax compliance, reduction in real estate prices, increased long-run tax revenue collections and GDP growth.
It further said effective cash in circulation fell sharply although by much less than commonly believed a peak of 35 per cent in December, rather than 62 per cent in November since many of the old high denomination notes continued to be used for transactions in the weeks after November 8.
The Survey, presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament today, said that the recorded GDP will understate impact on informal sector as its activities are not fully captured in the Index of Industrial Production.
These 'contractionary' effects due to demonetisation will dissipate by year-end when currency in circulation will once again be in line with estimated demand, it said.
As regards the impact of note ban on the real estate, the Survey said that the weighted average prices in eight major cities which was already on a declining trend fell further after November 8, 2016.
"It goes on to add that an equilibrium reduction in real estate prices is desirable as it will lead to affordable housing for the middle class and facilitate labour mobility across India currently impeded by high and unaffordable rents," it said
The Survey also suggested fast remonetisation and especially, free convertibility of cash to deposits including through early elimination of withdrawal limits.
"This would reduce the GDP growth deceleration and cash hoarding," it said, adding that continued impetus to digitalisation while ensuring that this transition is gradual, inclusive, based on incentives rather than controls and appropriately balancing the costs and benefits of cash versus digitalisation would maximise long-term benefits and minimise short-term costs.
It also suggested that following up on demonetisation, the government should bring land and real estate into the GST and reduce tax rates and stamp duties.
"An improved tax system could promote greater income declaration and dispel fears of over-zealous tax administration," it added.
Economic Survey 2017: Significant uptick in migration of labour
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There has been a significant increase in migration of labour from one state to the other as well as one district to another in the last 5 years, the Economic Survey 2016-17 has revealed.
"The new Cohort-based Migration Metric(CMM) shows that inter-state labour mobility averaged 5-6.5 million people between 2001 and 2011, yielding an inter-state migrant population of about 60 million and an inter-district migration as high as 80 million," the survey says.
"The first-ever estimates of internal work-related migration using railways data for the period 2011-2016 indicate an annual average flow of close to 9 million migrant people between the states. Both these estimates are significantly greater than the annual average flow of about 4 million suggested by successive Censuses and higher than previously estimated by any study."
Search for employment and education are the two primary reasons why people tend to migrate from their home state or district. Between 2001 and 2011, the rate of growth of labour migrants nearly doubled relative to the previous decade, rising to 4.5 per cent per annum. The acceleration of migration was more pronounced for females that increased at nearly twice the rate of male migration in the 2000s. There was also a doubling of the stock of inter-state out migrants to nearly 12 million in the 20-29 year old age group.
"One plausible hypothesis for this acceleration in migration is that the rewards (in the form of prospective income and employment opportunities) have become greater than the costs and risks that migration entails. Higher growth and a multitude of economic opportunities could therefore have been the catalyst for such an acceleration of migration," the survey says.
Not knowing the native language of a state no longer appears to be a reason for not migrating to that area even as political borders do impede migration. At the same time conventional knowledge that people from poorer states with lower per capita income and expenditure tend to migrate to states that are better off has been reinstated. States such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have high net out-migration while others like Goa, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have relatively higher net in-migration.
The higher level of migration in India, coupled with poor mapping creates a problem of duplicity that hinders correct measurement of the state of the economy. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had in the past raised this issue. He did not endear himself with those in the government due to the same.
"There are problems with the way we count GDP which is why we need to be careful sometimes just talking about growth, he had said.
"We have to be a little careful about how we count GDP because sometimes we get growth because of people moving into different areas. It is important that when they move into newer areas, they are doing something which is adding value. We do lose some, we gain some and what is the net, let us be careful about how we count that."
Cheif Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian has projected a wide GDP growth range between 6.75-7.5 per cent for the fiscal ending March 31, 2017. GDP growth in the previous fiscal 2015-16 was 7.6 per cent.
There has been a significant increase in migration of labour from one state to the other as well as one district to another in the last 5 years, the Economic Survey 2016-17 has revealed.
"The new Cohort-based Migration Metric(CMM) shows that inter-state labour mobility averaged 5-6.5 million people between 2001 and 2011, yielding an inter-state migrant population of about 60 million and an inter-district migration as high as 80 million," the survey says.
"The first-ever estimates of internal work-related migration using railways data for the period 2011-2016 indicate an annual average flow of close to 9 million migrant people between the states. Both these estimates are significantly greater than the annual average flow of about 4 million suggested by successive Censuses and higher than previously estimated by any study."
Search for employment and education are the two primary reasons why people tend to migrate from their home state or district. Between 2001 and 2011, the rate of growth of labour migrants nearly doubled relative to the previous decade, rising to 4.5 per cent per annum. The acceleration of migration was more pronounced for females that increased at nearly twice the rate of male migration in the 2000s. There was also a doubling of the stock of inter-state out migrants to nearly 12 million in the 20-29 year old age group.
"One plausible hypothesis for this acceleration in migration is that the rewards (in the form of prospective income and employment opportunities) have become greater than the costs and risks that migration entails. Higher growth and a multitude of economic opportunities could therefore have been the catalyst for such an acceleration of migration," the survey says.
Not knowing the native language of a state no longer appears to be a reason for not migrating to that area even as political borders do impede migration. At the same time conventional knowledge that people from poorer states with lower per capita income and expenditure tend to migrate to states that are better off has been reinstated. States such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have high net out-migration while others like Goa, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have relatively higher net in-migration.
The higher level of migration in India, coupled with poor mapping creates a problem of duplicity that hinders correct measurement of the state of the economy. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had in the past raised this issue. He did not endear himself with those in the government due to the same.
"There are problems with the way we count GDP which is why we need to be careful sometimes just talking about growth, he had said.
"We have to be a little careful about how we count GDP because sometimes we get growth because of people moving into different areas. It is important that when they move into newer areas, they are doing something which is adding value. We do lose some, we gain some and what is the net, let us be careful about how we count that."
Cheif Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian has projected a wide GDP growth range between 6.75-7.5 per cent for the fiscal ending March 31, 2017. GDP growth in the previous fiscal 2015-16 was 7.6 per cent.
General Awareness
Indian Railways At a Glance
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Dear Readers,we have collected some important information about Indian Railways. We hope, it will help you in Competitive exams.
Indian Railways is an Indian state-owned enterprise, owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is one of the world’s largest railway networks comprising 115,000 km and 7,112 stations.
- Railways were first introduced to India in the year 1853 from Mumbai to Thane
- Indian Railways Nationalised in 1951
- The country’s first railway, built by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway
- The Indian railway system is the largest in Asia and fourth in the world based on rail transport network size after USA, China and Russia
- It is the biggest employer in the world and the largest single undertaking in the country
- It has the second biggest electrified system in the world after Russia
- Indian Railways is divided into 16 zones.which are further sub-divided into 68 divisions
- Each zone is headed by a general manager
Railway Zones
Name Established Headquarters Divisions Southern 14 April 1951 Chennai Chennai,
Tiruchirappalli,
Madurai, and Salem,
Palakkad,
Thiruvananthapuram Central 5 November 1951 Mumbai Mumbai, CST,
Bhusawal, Pune,
Solapur and
Nagpur Western 5 November 1951 Mumbai Mumbai, Central,
Ratlam, Ahmedabad,
Rajkot,
Bhavnagar and
Vadodara Eastern 14 April 1952 Kolkata Howrah, Sealdah,
Asansol and
Malda Town Northern 14 April 1952 Delhi Delhi, Ambala,
Firozpur, Lucknow and
Moradabad North Eastern 14 April 1952 Gorakhpur Izzatnagar,
Lucknow and
Varanasi South Eastern 1955 Kolkata Adra,
Chakradharpur,
Kharagpur and Ranchi Northeast Frontier 15 January 1958 Maligaon Alipurduar, Katihar,
Rangia,
Lumding and
Tinsukia South Central 2 October 1966 Secunderabad Vijayawada,
Secunderabad,
Guntakal, Guntur,
Hyderabad and Nanded East Central 1 October 2002 Hajipur Danapur, Dhanbad,
Mughalsarai,
Samastipur
and Sonpur North Western 1 October 2002 Jaipur Jaipur, Ajmer,
Bikaner and Jodhpur East Coast 1 April 2003 Bhubaneswar Khurda Road,
Sambalpur and
Visakhapatnam North Central 1 April 2003 Allahabad Allahabad,
Agra and Jhansi South East Central 1 April 2003 Bilaspur Bilaspur, Raipur
and Nagpur South Western 1 April 2003 Hubli Hubli,
Bangalore,
Mysore and
Gulbarga West Central 1 April 2003 Jabalpur Jabalpur,
Bhopal and
Kota
Railway Tracks:
- Track – Distance between rails
- Broad Gauge – 1676mm
- Metre Gauge – 1000mm
- Narrow Gauge – 762mm/610mm
Manufacturing Unit
Name of the Unit Location Chittaranjan Locomotive Works Chittaranjan, West Bengal Central Organisation for Railway Electrification Allahabad, UP Diesel Locomotive Works Varanasi, UP Diesel Loco Modernisation Works Patiala, Punjab Integral Coach Factory Chennai, Tamil Nadu Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala, Punjab Rail Wheel Factory Bangalore, Karnataka Rail Coach Factory Raebareli, UP Rail Wheel Plant Chhapra, Bihar Diesel Component Factory Dankuni, West Bengal
Luxury Train routes
Name Run by Route Palace on Wheels Rajasthan Tourism Delhi-Jaipur-Sawai-Madhopur-Chittorgarh-Udaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Bharatpur-Agra-Delhi Deccan Odyssey Maharashtra Tourism New Delhi – Sawai Madhopur – Agra – Jaipur – Udaipur – Vadodara – Ellora Caves – Mumbai The Golden Chariot Karnataka Tourism Bengaluru, Kabini, Mysore-Belur – Halebidu – Hampi – Badami –Goa – Bengaluru Royal Rajasthan on Wheels Rajasthan Tourism Delhi – Jaipur – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur –Sawai – Madhopur – Chittorgarh – Udaipur – Bharatpur – Agra – Delhi
Important Railway Committees
- Shahnawaz Committee – 1954, High Level Safety Review Committee
- Kanjaru Committee – 1962, Railway Accidents Committee
- Wahchoo Committee – 1968, Railway Safety Committee
- Seekari Committee – 1978, Railway Accidents Enquiry Committee
- Khanna Committee – 1998, Railway Safety Review Committee
- Arvind Panagariya committee – 2016 to fast-track bullet train project
Important facts about Railway:
- First train in India – Mumbai to Thane, With 400 passengers, this train completed its journey of 34 kms with the help of three engines–Sahib, Sindh and Sultan.
- Father of Indian Railway – Lord Dalhousie
- Fastest train – The Bhopal Shatabdi Express,1988,betweenAgra and New Delhi
- Slowest train in India- Nilgri Express,between Chennai and Mettupalayam
- First electric train – Deccan Queen, 1931,connects Mumbai with Pune .
- First double-decker train – Shatabdi train was flagged off in October 2011
- First air-conditioned double-decker train – Shatabdi train will run from Mumbai to Goa
- First underground railway (Metro Railway) – Kolkata Metro(1984)
- Largest Zone in Indian Railways – Northern Railway
- A platform surrounded by rail lines from all the four sides – Island platform
- First railway station – Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai.
- Longest running train -Vivek Express. It runs from Dibrugarh in upper Assam to Kanyakumari at the southern tip of Tamil Nadu.
- Longest railway platform –Gorakhpur railway station, Uttar Pradesh
- First A.C. train between Bombay and Baroda started – 1936
- First broad gauge super fast train – rajdhani express new delhi howrah 1stmarch 1969
- First metre gauge super fast train – pink city express new delhi jaipur 17thoct 1981
- First narrow gauge super fast train – shivalik deluxe express kalka – shimla 9thaug 1996
- First time table 1853 central india
- First stamp on indian railways 4 annas 10thdec 1936 by king george
- First ac train mumbai and baroda 1936
- First automatic signalling system 1928
- First railway book stall – 1877 allahabad wheeler & co ltd
- First wagon in india 1920 jessop & co., Kolkata
- First vestibuled train 1stjune 1930, deccan queen
- World’s first double decker train – 1862 bb&cir
- First railway tunnel of Indian railway -Parsik tunnel
- First rail minister after independence – John Mathai and before independence Asif Ali
- Countries there is no railway line – Lebanon,Mauritius reunion, Libya, Argentina, Afghanistan, Papua,New Guinea
- Trains that have placed in Guinness Book -Darjeeling Toy Train, Nilgiri Mountain Train Simla Toy Train, Mathenron Toy Train, Place on wheels Royal Orient, Buddha circular Express, Fairy Queen.
- Satpura Express numerical name 10001/10002 – run between Jabalpur and Balaghat
- Longest train -Prayagraj Express (26 Coaches, New Delhi–Allahabad)
- Highest Railway station in India – Similiguda (996.08 mt from sea level in the Valtair division of Southern–Eastern Railway)
- Highest river bridge manufactured under Konkan Railway – Panval River Rail bridge (64 mt. high)
- Division that has maximum number of tunnels – Kalka Simla division of Northern Railway (103 tunnels)
- Longest railway bridge of Indian railway – Railway bridge in Kerala near Kochchi joins Idapalli to Vallerpadma (Length 4.62 km)
- Last railway station of Northern Railway and Indian Railway – Bajalta
- Indian state has maximum rail routes – Uttar Pradesh
- Himsagar Express passes through – 11 States(Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala)
- Railway station that has all the three rails -Dumdum Railway station (EMU rail service circular Railway and Metro Railway)
- Railway station has smallest name from the English alphabets -IB (Between Howrah–Nagpur)
- Railway station has longest name – Venkatanarsimharajuvaripeta (Tamilnadu)
- First female operator in Delhi Metro – Minakshi Sharma.
- First female to become the member of Railway Board – Vijaylaxmi Vishwanathan
- Longest platform situated – Khadagpur (West Bengal)
- Train only for women run – From Churchgate to Boriwali in Mumbai
- Metro Rail in Calcutta – 1984
- Railway week celebrated on 10–16April.
- 19 Railway Recruitment Boards are there in India
- First tourist rail – Palace on wheels in 1982 between Delhi–Jaipur
- Railway accident in the history of Indian Railway occurred in Morghat (Pure–Bombay root) on 5 January, 1869
- Longest rail route in India – from Dibrugarh (Assam) To Kanyakumari
- First monorail operate in India – From Sarhind to Alampur and Bhawani mandi to Patiala
- India’s first indigenous steam engine – F–734
- First longest railway tunnel situated between Monkey hill and Khandala (2100 mt)
- First telecommunication between guard and driver – Mumbai–New Delhi (Rajdhani Express)
- First Rajdhani Express ran between New Delhi–Howrah , 1969
- First DC electrical rail engine – Lokmanya (CLW manufactured it in 1961)
- First computer reservation system start in New Delhi, 2002
- Biggest railway yard located in India-Itarasi (Madhya Pradesh)
- Southern Eastern Railway is known as ‘Blue chip’
- Metroman – Shridharan (Delhi Metro Rail Engineers)
- First Duranto Express ran between Sialdah and New Delhi 18 September, 2009
- Numbers of Indian railway used to be of 5 Digits from 20 December, 2010
- Busiest railway station in Indian-Lucknow (64 Trains everyday).
- First railway factory established in Jamalpur, 1890
- Train runs between India and Pakistan – Samjhauta Express, Thar Express
- Railway zone launched first Railway Time Table -Central Railway
- State with minimum rail routes – Manipur
- First blind friendly train, from Mysuru to Varanasi – Train no. 16226/ 16230.
Other Important Recent Facts :
- Dial 138 for medical emergency on train launched by Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways.
- Golden Day in the history of Northeast – 10 August 2015
- Harsh Vardhan, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu and Prakash Javadekar flagged off the special train(16 coaches) named Science Express Climate Action Special – “Climate Change” – 64 locations.
- Japan offered to finance India’s first bullet train with an estimated cost of Rs. 90000 crores – Mumbai and Ahmedabad with speed 300km/h and 350km/h.
- Delhi Metro’s bagged ranked first in“information during travel” and holds second position in “train cleanliness and comfort”.
- Japanese maglev fastest passenger train across the world, has broken an earlier speed record of 581 kmph as the train reached 603 kmph.
- First Compressed Natural Gas(CNG)flagged off – two trains(Rewari to Rohtak and Rewari to Bikaner station) from Haryana’s Rewari station.
- Mobile-‘m-Indicator’ launched for the safety of women-Mumbai suburban trains.
- Mumbai will get its 1st double-decker bridge on P D’Mello Road at CST that will have railway tracks and a motorway.
- India’s 1st railway-line built between Gandhidham and Tuna-Tekra Port under PPP model inaugurated in Gujarat.
- Union cabinet approved a proposal to redevelop 400 railway stations using a contract method called the “Swiss challenge”- 400 stations.
- Gatimaan Express,India’s 1st semi-high speed train service with supersonic calliber between Delhi and Agra at a speed of 160 kph
- India’s 1st Diesel Electric Multiple Unit(DEMU) train service with an air-conditioned coach is launched in Kochi – Ernakulam-Tripunithura-Piravom train service.
- 1st goods train from Lumding to Silchar in Assam-210Km.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged 1st train service from Thalaimannar to Madhu Road in Northern Sri Lanka.
- Indian Railways IRCTC Launched Ru-Pay pre-paid debit card-24th March 2015.
- Delhi & Tokyo may ink pact for India’s first Bullet Train – Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
- Diamond Quadtrilateral project – High speed rail connects Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi
- Current Railway Minister – Suresh Prabhu
Dear Readers,we have collected some important information about Indian Railways. We hope, it will help you in Competitive exams.
Indian Railways is an Indian state-owned enterprise, owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is one of the world’s largest railway networks comprising 115,000 km and 7,112 stations.
- Railways were first introduced to India in the year 1853 from Mumbai to Thane
- Indian Railways Nationalised in 1951
- The country’s first railway, built by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway
- The Indian railway system is the largest in Asia and fourth in the world based on rail transport network size after USA, China and Russia
- It is the biggest employer in the world and the largest single undertaking in the country
- It has the second biggest electrified system in the world after Russia
- Indian Railways is divided into 16 zones.which are further sub-divided into 68 divisions
- Each zone is headed by a general manager
Railway Zones
| Name | Established | Headquarters | Divisions |
| Southern | 14 April 1951 | Chennai | Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, and Salem, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Central | 5 November 1951 | Mumbai | Mumbai, CST, Bhusawal, Pune, Solapur and Nagpur |
| Western | 5 November 1951 | Mumbai | Mumbai, Central, Ratlam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Vadodara |
| Eastern | 14 April 1952 | Kolkata | Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol and Malda Town |
| Northern | 14 April 1952 | Delhi | Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Lucknow and Moradabad |
| North Eastern | 14 April 1952 | Gorakhpur | Izzatnagar, Lucknow and Varanasi |
| South Eastern | 1955 | Kolkata | Adra, Chakradharpur, Kharagpur and Ranchi |
| Northeast Frontier | 15 January 1958 | Maligaon | Alipurduar, Katihar, Rangia, Lumding and Tinsukia |
| South Central | 2 October 1966 | Secunderabad | Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Guntakal, Guntur, Hyderabad and Nanded |
| East Central | 1 October 2002 | Hajipur | Danapur, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Samastipur and Sonpur |
| North Western | 1 October 2002 | Jaipur | Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur |
| East Coast | 1 April 2003 | Bhubaneswar | Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Visakhapatnam |
| North Central | 1 April 2003 | Allahabad | Allahabad, Agra and Jhansi |
| South East Central | 1 April 2003 | Bilaspur | Bilaspur, Raipur and Nagpur |
| South Western | 1 April 2003 | Hubli | Hubli, Bangalore, Mysore and Gulbarga |
| West Central | 1 April 2003 | Jabalpur | Jabalpur, Bhopal and Kota |
Railway Tracks:
- Track – Distance between rails
- Broad Gauge – 1676mm
- Metre Gauge – 1000mm
- Narrow Gauge – 762mm/610mm
Manufacturing Unit
| Name of the Unit | Location |
| Chittaranjan Locomotive Works | Chittaranjan, West Bengal |
| Central Organisation for Railway Electrification | Allahabad, UP |
| Diesel Locomotive Works | Varanasi, UP |
| Diesel Loco Modernisation Works | Patiala, Punjab |
| Integral Coach Factory | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Rail Coach Factory | Kapurthala, Punjab |
| Rail Wheel Factory | Bangalore, Karnataka |
| Rail Coach Factory | Raebareli, UP |
| Rail Wheel Plant | Chhapra, Bihar |
| Diesel Component Factory | Dankuni, West Bengal |
Luxury Train routes
| Name | Run by | Route |
| Palace on Wheels | Rajasthan Tourism | Delhi-Jaipur-Sawai-Madhopur-Chittorgarh-Udaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Bharatpur-Agra-Delhi |
| Deccan Odyssey | Maharashtra Tourism | New Delhi – Sawai Madhopur – Agra – Jaipur – Udaipur – Vadodara – Ellora Caves – Mumbai |
| The Golden Chariot | Karnataka Tourism | Bengaluru, Kabini, Mysore-Belur – Halebidu – Hampi – Badami –Goa – Bengaluru |
| Royal Rajasthan on Wheels | Rajasthan Tourism | Delhi – Jaipur – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur –Sawai – Madhopur – Chittorgarh – Udaipur – Bharatpur – Agra – Delhi |
Important Railway Committees
- Shahnawaz Committee – 1954, High Level Safety Review Committee
- Kanjaru Committee – 1962, Railway Accidents Committee
- Wahchoo Committee – 1968, Railway Safety Committee
- Seekari Committee – 1978, Railway Accidents Enquiry Committee
- Khanna Committee – 1998, Railway Safety Review Committee
- Arvind Panagariya committee – 2016 to fast-track bullet train project
Important facts about Railway:
- First train in India – Mumbai to Thane, With 400 passengers, this train completed its journey of 34 kms with the help of three engines–Sahib, Sindh and Sultan.
- Father of Indian Railway – Lord Dalhousie
- Fastest train – The Bhopal Shatabdi Express,1988,betweenAgra and New Delhi
- Slowest train in India- Nilgri Express,between Chennai and Mettupalayam
- First electric train – Deccan Queen, 1931,connects Mumbai with Pune .
- First double-decker train – Shatabdi train was flagged off in October 2011
- First air-conditioned double-decker train – Shatabdi train will run from Mumbai to Goa
- First underground railway (Metro Railway) – Kolkata Metro(1984)
- Largest Zone in Indian Railways – Northern Railway
- A platform surrounded by rail lines from all the four sides – Island platform
- First railway station – Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai.
- Longest running train -Vivek Express. It runs from Dibrugarh in upper Assam to Kanyakumari at the southern tip of Tamil Nadu.
- Longest railway platform –Gorakhpur railway station, Uttar Pradesh
- First A.C. train between Bombay and Baroda started – 1936
- First broad gauge super fast train – rajdhani express new delhi howrah 1stmarch 1969
- First metre gauge super fast train – pink city express new delhi jaipur 17thoct 1981
- First narrow gauge super fast train – shivalik deluxe express kalka – shimla 9thaug 1996
- First time table 1853 central india
- First stamp on indian railways 4 annas 10thdec 1936 by king george
- First ac train mumbai and baroda 1936
- First automatic signalling system 1928
- First railway book stall – 1877 allahabad wheeler & co ltd
- First wagon in india 1920 jessop & co., Kolkata
- First vestibuled train 1stjune 1930, deccan queen
- World’s first double decker train – 1862 bb&cir
- First railway tunnel of Indian railway -Parsik tunnel
- First rail minister after independence – John Mathai and before independence Asif Ali
- Countries there is no railway line – Lebanon,Mauritius reunion, Libya, Argentina, Afghanistan, Papua,New Guinea
- Trains that have placed in Guinness Book -Darjeeling Toy Train, Nilgiri Mountain Train Simla Toy Train, Mathenron Toy Train, Place on wheels Royal Orient, Buddha circular Express, Fairy Queen.
- Satpura Express numerical name 10001/10002 – run between Jabalpur and Balaghat
- Longest train -Prayagraj Express (26 Coaches, New Delhi–Allahabad)
- Highest Railway station in India – Similiguda (996.08 mt from sea level in the Valtair division of Southern–Eastern Railway)
- Highest river bridge manufactured under Konkan Railway – Panval River Rail bridge (64 mt. high)
- Division that has maximum number of tunnels – Kalka Simla division of Northern Railway (103 tunnels)
- Longest railway bridge of Indian railway – Railway bridge in Kerala near Kochchi joins Idapalli to Vallerpadma (Length 4.62 km)
- Last railway station of Northern Railway and Indian Railway – Bajalta
- Indian state has maximum rail routes – Uttar Pradesh
- Himsagar Express passes through – 11 States(Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala)
- Railway station that has all the three rails -Dumdum Railway station (EMU rail service circular Railway and Metro Railway)
- Railway station has smallest name from the English alphabets -IB (Between Howrah–Nagpur)
- Railway station has longest name – Venkatanarsimharajuvaripeta (Tamilnadu)
- First female operator in Delhi Metro – Minakshi Sharma.
- First female to become the member of Railway Board – Vijaylaxmi Vishwanathan
- Longest platform situated – Khadagpur (West Bengal)
- Train only for women run – From Churchgate to Boriwali in Mumbai
- Metro Rail in Calcutta – 1984
- Railway week celebrated on 10–16April.
- 19 Railway Recruitment Boards are there in India
- First tourist rail – Palace on wheels in 1982 between Delhi–Jaipur
- Railway accident in the history of Indian Railway occurred in Morghat (Pure–Bombay root) on 5 January, 1869
- Longest rail route in India – from Dibrugarh (Assam) To Kanyakumari
- First monorail operate in India – From Sarhind to Alampur and Bhawani mandi to Patiala
- India’s first indigenous steam engine – F–734
- First longest railway tunnel situated between Monkey hill and Khandala (2100 mt)
- First telecommunication between guard and driver – Mumbai–New Delhi (Rajdhani Express)
- First Rajdhani Express ran between New Delhi–Howrah , 1969
- First DC electrical rail engine – Lokmanya (CLW manufactured it in 1961)
- First computer reservation system start in New Delhi, 2002
- Biggest railway yard located in India-Itarasi (Madhya Pradesh)
- Southern Eastern Railway is known as ‘Blue chip’
- Metroman – Shridharan (Delhi Metro Rail Engineers)
- First Duranto Express ran between Sialdah and New Delhi 18 September, 2009
- Numbers of Indian railway used to be of 5 Digits from 20 December, 2010
- Busiest railway station in Indian-Lucknow (64 Trains everyday).
- First railway factory established in Jamalpur, 1890
- Train runs between India and Pakistan – Samjhauta Express, Thar Express
- Railway zone launched first Railway Time Table -Central Railway
- State with minimum rail routes – Manipur
- First blind friendly train, from Mysuru to Varanasi – Train no. 16226/ 16230.
Other Important Recent Facts :
- Dial 138 for medical emergency on train launched by Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways.
- Golden Day in the history of Northeast – 10 August 2015
- Harsh Vardhan, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu and Prakash Javadekar flagged off the special train(16 coaches) named Science Express Climate Action Special – “Climate Change” – 64 locations.
- Japan offered to finance India’s first bullet train with an estimated cost of Rs. 90000 crores – Mumbai and Ahmedabad with speed 300km/h and 350km/h.
- Delhi Metro’s bagged ranked first in“information during travel” and holds second position in “train cleanliness and comfort”.
- Japanese maglev fastest passenger train across the world, has broken an earlier speed record of 581 kmph as the train reached 603 kmph.
- First Compressed Natural Gas(CNG)flagged off – two trains(Rewari to Rohtak and Rewari to Bikaner station) from Haryana’s Rewari station.
- Mobile-‘m-Indicator’ launched for the safety of women-Mumbai suburban trains.
- Mumbai will get its 1st double-decker bridge on P D’Mello Road at CST that will have railway tracks and a motorway.
- India’s 1st railway-line built between Gandhidham and Tuna-Tekra Port under PPP model inaugurated in Gujarat.
- Union cabinet approved a proposal to redevelop 400 railway stations using a contract method called the “Swiss challenge”- 400 stations.
- Gatimaan Express,India’s 1st semi-high speed train service with supersonic calliber between Delhi and Agra at a speed of 160 kph
- India’s 1st Diesel Electric Multiple Unit(DEMU) train service with an air-conditioned coach is launched in Kochi – Ernakulam-Tripunithura-Piravom train service.
- 1st goods train from Lumding to Silchar in Assam-210Km.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged 1st train service from Thalaimannar to Madhu Road in Northern Sri Lanka.
- Indian Railways IRCTC Launched Ru-Pay pre-paid debit card-24th March 2015.
- Delhi & Tokyo may ink pact for India’s first Bullet Train – Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
- Diamond Quadtrilateral project – High speed rail connects Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi
- Current Railway Minister – Suresh Prabhu
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