-
Right to Information Act passed.
-
The Cabinet approved setting up of second Administrative Reforms Commission to prepare a detailed blue print of public Administration system .
-
Conference of Chief Secretaries organised to focus on good governance, administrative reforms and related issues and model code of governance finalised and circulated to all Chief Secretaries of States..
-
Cabinet endorsed/approved setting up of National Institute for Smart Government as a not-for-profit Company with equity of 49 per cent by Government and 51 per cent by the private sector.
-
A Digital Repository to disseminate the knowledge of best practices in the area of Good Governance being launched shortly.
-
So far 105 Information Facilitation Counters set up by different Ministries/Departments.
-
Organizations awarded for successfully implementing e-Governance initiatives during the National Conference on e-Governance.
-
Workshops organized at Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata for creating awareness and building capacities in the area of Record Management.
-
Eleven films on good governance practices of States produced.
-
78 Reports of various Administrative Reforms Commissions/Committees spanning from pre-British era till date being digitized.
-
The presentation on best practices of the States being organized every month to share the experiences with other States.
*****
14
DEFENCE
-
Reduction of troops in Jammu & Kashmir as a confidence building measure.
-
A Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare created to look into the welfare of the Ex-Servicemen and their family members.
-
The budget allocation for defence ministry increased to an all time high of Rs. 83,000 crore keeping in view the increased need for modernisation of armed forces.
-
Recommendations of the Phase I of the AV Singh Committee Report involving restructuring of the officers’ cadre in the three services implemented.
-
Exhibitors from 13 countries attended the fifth International Aerospace exhibition, Aero India-2005 held in Bangalore.
-
Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard carried out the unprecedented massive relief and rescue operations in aid of Tsunami victims and during the recent snow avalanche in J&K.
-
A group of ministers constituted to go into the issue of ‘One Rank One Pension’ Scheme for retired servicemen.
-
The first indigenously built Sukhoi MK-I aircraft inducted in the Air Force.
-
Manufacturing of country’s first aircraft carrier - Air Defence Ship, formally begun in Kochi.
-
The new South Western Command of the Indian Army inaugurated in Jaipur.
-
The Agni-II Missile, Prithvi-III, a modified version of surface-to-surface missile Supersonic Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Brahmos successfully flight tested.
-
The Indian Air Force recorded lowest accident rate last year as compared to other Air Forces of the world during the last 35 years.
-
IAF Cheetal Helicopter set a new world record of landing at an attitude of 25, 150 ft.
-
Air Marshal Padmavathy Bandopadhyay taken over as the first lady Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force.
-
Air Force held joint exercise with the Air Force of South Africa and Singapore.
-
A joint Indo-UK Command post planning exercise Emerald Mercury held.
-
India and Russia signed a protocol on military technical cooperation.
-
Kelkar Committee set up to recommend changes in the acquisition procedure and enabling a greater participation of private sector in Defence production.
*******
10
-
-
National Mission for Manuscripts launched the first ever National Survey of Manuscripts and established over 40 manuscript research and manuscript conservation centres all across the country.
-
Structural conservation of 678 monuments including World Heritage Monument undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India during the year.
-
The ASI executed Ajanta-Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project (Phase I) and also carried out chemical preservations on the paintings of Ajanta, Sanchi Stupa, Shiv Temple, Rajasthan, Khajuraho Temples and painted ceilings of the Taj Complex.
-
Documentation work of antiquities of site museums of the ASI taken up besides the completion of digital documentation at Sarnath, Nalanda, Nagarjuna Konds, Chennai, Goa and Delhi.
-
Registration of antiquities undertaken in Andhra Pradesh, Uttranchal, Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Pondichery, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu.
-
A digitization programme for converting rare books and manuscripts into digital format initiated at the National Library Kolkata, Rampur Raza Library and Khuda Baksh Library.
-
Seventy five years of the historic Dandi March observed.
-
Central Advisory Board on culture set up.
-
A National Folk Theatre Festival organized as an annual event under the Zonal Cultural Centres at Kolkata.
-
The new building – Bhasha Bhawan, of the National Library, Kolkata inaugurated with State-of–the-art facilities.
*****
-
The National Rural Electricity Infrastructure and Household Electrification Programme launched to provide access to electricity to all households in five years. The Centre will provide 90 per cent capital subsidy under the scheme.
-
The Government announced the National Electricity Policy which aims at accelerated development of power sector, providing supply of electricity to all areas and protecting interests of consumers and other stakeholders.
-
The Centre has issued guidelines for competitive bidding for determination of tariff for procurement of power by distribution licensees as provided for in the Electricity Act, 2003.
-
Power generation during the year 2004-05 registered a 5.2 per cent growth.
-
2000 MW fresh capacity added by NTPC during the year.
-
The Central Electricity Authority completed preparation of pre-feasibility reports of 162 schemes with an aggregate installed capacity of over 47000 MW under the 50000 MW hydro-electric initiatives.
-
78 schemes of capacity of 34,020 MW with first year indicative tariff below Rs.2.50/Kwh selected for taking up detailed S&I and preparation of DPRs.
-
57 schemes aggregating to an installed capacity of 27.816 MW have already been allotted to CPSUs/State Power Utilities for preparation of DPRs.
-
7 schemes of capacity of 1415 MW allotted to IPPs by State Governments for preparation of DPRs.
-
Since January, 2004, 11 independent power producers facilitated to arrive at financial closure for an installed capacity of about 4000 MW entailing an investment of Rs.15000 crores.
-
Investment sanctions granted for 7 new transmission systems including strengthening of the national grid.
-
An Expert Committee on Energy Policy actively pursuing the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme aimed at bringing about techno-commercial revival of the distribution system.
-
Review of the Electricity Act, 2003 being carried out and the concern of the stakeholders pertaining to affordability and availability of power for the rural poor being addressed through the Electricity policy and the Tariff policy.
-
An Appellate Tribunal for Electricity under Section 110 of the Electricity Act notified and to be operationalised soon.
-
567 projects costing Rs.19,489 crores approved and Rs.5541 crores released under APDRP and Rs.956 crores incentive released to six states.
-
A comprehensive awareness creation programme for energy conservation launched.
*******
27
LABOUR
-
The rate of interest, 9.5 per cent, on Employees Provident Fund amount of subscribers for 2002-03 and 2003-04 approved as recommended by the Central Board of Trustees.
-
“Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana”, the first of its kind, launched to provide unemployment allowance to workers during involuntary unemployment.
-
About 20000 establishments with six lakh members brought within the purview of the Employees Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
-
As EPF dues Rs. 1,894.82 crore recovered from the defaulting establishments.
-
Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) increased eligibility wage ceiling from Rs.6,500 to Rs.7,500 netting in about 1.10 lakh more workers.
-
ESI Scheme extended to new geographical areas bringing in 1.50 lakh additional employees within its coverage; additional 8,000 factories and establishments brought within its coverage following intensive surveys in implemented areas.
-
ESI Scheme extended to educational institutions as also to all municipal corporations, municipalities, cantonment board areas and other notified town areas.
-
Labour Minister held consultations with Employers and Central Trade Unions to build a consensus on labour reforms and called for adequate social security net for workers.
-
The Payment of Wages Act, 1936 being amended prescribing more stringent grievance redressal machinery for workers.
-
Cabinet approved amending of the Factories Act to allow women to work in night shifts with adequate safeguards.
-
Unorganized Sector Workers’ Bill 2004 being redrafted in consultation with social partners to promote well being of workers in the unorganised sector as envisaged in the NCMP.
-
Housing subsidy per unit for beedi workers doubled and eligibility ceiling also increased.
-
One time grant of Rs. 2 crore to be given to State governments, ESIC and NGOs for construction of hospitals for beedi workers.
-
Five hundred existing ITIs, to be upgraded at an estimated cost of Rs. 160 crore for imparting skills to workers to meet international standards and new ITIs sanctioned in Jammu & Kashmir and North Eastern States.
-
Tripartite consultation process further strengthened to deal with workers’ issue.
-
One hundred more National Child Labour Projects launched to rehabilitate children withdrawn from work that includes sanction of 1362 Special schools of 50 children each.
-
ESIC medical relief teams deployed to Tsunami affected areas for providing emergency medical services including free supply of drugs and dressings to the affected people.
-
Employees Provident Fund Organisation made special arrangements for expeditious disposal of claims and facilitate payment of provident fund and pension to the families of the members of the Fund killed in Tsunami fury.
*****
22
Share with your friends: |
