Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Cabinet approves BharatNet implementation through Public Private Partnership Model in 16 States with optical fibre connectivity to all inhabited villages
Cabinet approves BharatNet implementation through Public Private Partnership Model in 16 States with optical fibre connectivity to all inhabited villages
Viability gap funding support upto Rs. 19,041 crores approved for implementation of BharatNet under PPP Model in 16 States
Approval also given for extending BharatNet connectivity to cover all remaining States/UTs in the country.
Posted On: 30 JUN 2021 4:12PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today accorded approval for revised implementation strategy of BharatNet through Public Private Partnership mode in 16 States of the country. BharatNet will now extend upto all inhabited villages beyond Gram Panchayats (GPs), in the said States. The revised strategy also includes creation, upgradation, operation, maintenance and utilization of BharatNet by the concessionaire who will be selected by a competitive international bidding process. The estimated maximum viability gap funding approved for the above PPP model is Rs. 19,041 crores.
The States covered under the Cabinet approval today are Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. An estimated 3.61 lakh villages including GPs will be covered.
The Cabinet also accorded in principle approval for extending BharatNet to cover all inhabited villages in the remaining States and UTs. Department of Telecommunication will separately workout the modalities for these (remaining) States/UTs.
The PPP Model will leverage Private Sector efficiency for operation, maintenance, utilization and revenue generation and is expected to result in faster roll out of BharatNet. The selected concessionaire (Private Sector Partner) is expected to provide reliable, high speed broadband services as per pre-defined Services Level Agreement (SLA). Extension of reach of BharatNet to all inhabited villages with reliable, quality, high speed broadband will enable better access of e-services offered by various Central and State Government agencies. It will also enable online education, telemedicine, skill development, e-commerce and other applications of broadband. It is expected that revenue will be generated from different sources including proliferation of broadband connections to individuals & institutions, sale of dark fibre, Fiberization of mobile towers, e-commerce etc.
Proliferation of broadband in rural areas will bridge the rural-urban divide of digital access and accelerate the achievement of Digital India. The penetration and proliferation of broadband is also expected to increase direct and indirect employment and income generation. The States where PPP Model is envisaged, will facilitate free Right of Way.
BharatNet PPP Model will bring in following consumer friendly advantages:
(a) Use of innovative technology by the Private Sector Provider for the consumers;
(b) High quality of service and Service Level to consumers;
(c) Faster deployment of network and quick connectivity to consumers;
(d) Competitive tariffs for services;
(e) Variety of services on high-speed broadband including Over the top (OTT) services and multi-media services as part of packages offered to consumers, and
(f) Access to all online services.
PPP Model in this critical infrastructure of Telecom is a novel initiative. The Private Sector Partner is also expected to bring an equity investment and raise resources towards capital expenditure and for operation and maintenance of the network. Hence, the PPP Model for BharatNet will enhance efficiency, quality of service, consumer experience and leverage private sector expertise, entrepreneurship and capacities for accelerating achievement of digital India. This will be in addition to substantial savings of public money.
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DS
(Release ID: 1731456)PIB
Monday, June 28, 2021
COVID-19:: Delta and Delta Plus Variants ::: Frequently Asked Questions -- PIB
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Delta and Delta Plus Variants :: Frequently Asked Questions
Posted On: 28 JUN 2021 2:52PM by PIB Mumbai
New Delhi / Mumbai, 28th June, 2021
Vaccines and COVID Appropriate Behaviour can help us fight the pandemic.
Secretary, Department of Biotechnology; Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research; and Director, National Centre for Disease Control have answered many questions about the Delta and Delta Plus variants of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. PIB has curated the answers, given at a COVID Media Briefing held by the Health Ministry on June 25, 2021.
Q. Why does a virus mutate?
Virus by its very nature mutates. It is part of its evolution. The SARS-Cov-2 virus is a single-stranded RNA virus. So, changes in the genetic sequence of the RNA are mutations. The moment a virus enters its host cell or a susceptible body, it starts replicating. When the spread of infection increases, the rate of replication also increases. A virus that has got a mutation in it is known as a variant.
Q. What is the impact of mutations?
The normal process of mutations begins to impact us when it leads to changes in transmission levels or on treatment. Mutations can have positive, negative or neutral effects on human health.
Negative impacts include clustering of infections, increased transmissibility, ability to escape immunity and infect someone who has prior immunity, neutralization escape from monoclonal antibodies, improved binding to lung cells and increased severity of infection.
Positive impacts can be that the virus becomes non-viable.
Q. Why are frequent mutations seen in SARS-CoV-2 virus? When will the mutations stop?
SARS-CoV-2 can mutate due to the following reasons:
- Random error during replication of virus
- Immune pressure faced by viruses after treatments such as convalescent plasma, vaccination or monoclonal antibodies (antibodies produced by a single clone of cells with identical antibody molecules)
- Uninterrupted transmission due to lack of COVID-appropriate behaviour. Here the virus finds excellent host to grow and becomes more fit and more transmissible.
The virus will continue to mutate as long as the pandemic remains. This makes it all the more crucial to follow COVID appropriate behavior.
Q. What are Variants of Interest (VoI) and Variants of Concern (VoC)?
When the mutations happen – if there is any previous association with any other similar variant which is felt to have an impact on public health – then it becomes a Variant under Investigation.
Once genetic markers are identified which can have association with receptor binding domain or which have an implication on antibodies or neutralizing assays, we start calling them as Variants of Interest.
The moment we get evidence for increased transmission through field-site and clinical correlations, it becomes a Variant of Concern. Variants of concern are those that have one or more of the following characteristics:
- Increased transmissibility
- Change in virulence/ disease presentation
- Evading the diagnostics, drugs and vaccines
The 1st Variant of Concern was announced by the UK where it was found. Currently there are four variants of concern identified by the scientists - Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.
Q. What are Delta and Delta Plus variants?
These are the names given to variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus, based on the mutations found in them. WHO has recommended using letters of the Greek Alphabet, i.e., Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617), etc., to denote variants, for easier public understanding.
Delta variant, also known as SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617, has about 15-17 mutations. It was first reported in October 2020. More than 60% of cases in Maharashtra in February 2021 pertained to delta variants.
It is the Indian scientists who identified the Delta Variant and submitted it to the global database. Delta variant is classified as a Variant of Concern and has now spread to 80 countries, as per WHO.
Delta variant (B.1.617) has three subtypes B1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3, among which B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.3 have been classified as Variant of Interest, while B.1.617.2 (Delta Plus) has been classified as a Variant of Concern.
The Delta Plus variant has an additional mutation in comparison to Delta variant; this mutation has been named as the K417N mutation. ‘Plus’ means an additional mutation has happened to the Delta variant. It does not mean that the Delta Plus variant is more severe or highly transmissible than the Delta variant.
Q. Why has the Delta Plus Variant (B.1.617.2) been classified as a Variant of Concern?
The Delta Plus variant has been classified as Variant of Concern because of the following characteristics:
- Increased transmissibility
- Stronger binding to receptors of lung cells
- Potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response
- Potential post vaccination immune escape
Q. How often are these mutations studied in India?
Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) coordinated by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) along with Union Health Ministry, ICMR, and CSIR monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 on a regular basis through a pan India multi-laboratory network. It was set up with 10 National Labs in December 2020 and has been expanded to 28 labs and 300 sentinel sites from where genomic samples are collected. The INSACOG hospital network looks at samples and informs INSACOG about the severity, clinical correlation, breakthrough infections and re-infections.
More than 65,000 samples have been taken from states and processed, while nearly 50,000 samples have been analysed of which 50% have been reported to be Variants of Concern.
Q. On what basis are the samples subjected to Genome Sequencing?
Sample selection is done under three broad categories:
1) International passengers (during the beginning of the Pandemic)
2) Community surveillance (where RT-PCR samples report CT Value less than 25)
3) Sentinel surveillance - Samples are obtained from labs (to check transmission) and hospitals (to check severity)
When there is any public health impact noticed because of genetic mutation, then the same is monitored.
Q. What is the trend of Variants of Concern circulating in India?
As per the latest data, 90% of samples tested have been found to have Delta Variants (B.1.617). However, B.1.1.7 strain which was the most prevalent variant in India in the initial days of the pandemic has decreased.
Q. Why public health action is not taken immediately after noticing mutations in virus?
It is not possible to say whether the mutations noticed will increase transmission. Also, until there is scientific evidence that proves a correlation between rising number of cases and variant proportion, we cannot confirm there is a surge in the particular variant. Once mutations are found, analysis is made week on week to find if there is any such correlation between the surge of cases and variant proportion. Public health action can be taken only after scientific proofs for such correlation are available.
Once such correlation is established, this will help greatly to prepare in advance when such variant is seen in another area/region.
Q. Do COVISHIELD and COVAXIN work against the variants of SARS-CoV-2?
Yes, COVISHIELD and COVAXIN are both effective against the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants. Lab tests to check vaccine effectiveness on Delta Plus Variant are ongoing.
Delta Plus Variants: The virus has been isolated and is being cultured now at ICMR’s National Institute of Virology, Pune. Laboratory tests to check vaccine effectiveness are ongoing and the results will be available in 7 to 10 days. This will be the first result in the world.
Q. What are the public health interventions being carried out to tackle these variants?
The public health interventions needed are the same, irrespective of the variants. The following measures are being taken:
- Cluster containment
- Isolation & Treatment of cases
- Quarantining of contacts
- Ramping up vaccination
Q. Do public health strategies change as the virus mutates and more variants arise?
No, public health prevention strategies do not change with variants.
Q. Why is continuous monitoring of mutations important?
Continuous monitoring of mutations is important to track potential vaccine escape, increased transmissibility and disease severity.
Q. What does a common man do to protect him/her from these Variants of Concern?
One must follow COVID Appropriate Behaviour, which includes wearing a mask properly, washing hands frequently and maintaining social distancing.
The second wave is not over yet. It is possible to prevent a big third wave provided individuals and society practise protective behaviour.
Further, Test Positivity Rate must be closely monitored by each district. If the test positivity goes above 5%, strict restrictions must be imposed.
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Thursday, June 24, 2021
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
PM shares a blog post on reforms and policy-making --- Reforms by Conviction and Incentives -- PIB
Prime Minister's Office
PM shares a blog post on reforms and policy-making
Reforms by Conviction and Incentives
Posted On: 22 JUN 2021 2:50PM by PIB Delhi
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today shared his blog post on reforms, center-state bhagidari, innovative policy making during Covid times. The post was posted on LinkedIn platform.
In a tweet the Prime Minister said:
"Reforms by Conviction and Incentives...my @LinkedIn post on innovative policy making in the time of COVID-19, powered by the spirit of Centre-State Bhagidari."
Reforms by Conviction and
Incentives
The Covid-19 pandemic has come with whole new set of
challenges to Governments across the world in terms of policy-making. India is
no exception. Raising enough resources for public welfare while ensuring sustainability
is proving to be one of the biggest challenges.
In this back-drop of financial crunch seen across the
world, do you know that Indian states were able to borrow significantly more in
2020-21? It would perhaps
pleasantly surprise you that states were able to raise an extra Rs 1.06 lakh
crores in 2020-21. This
significant increase in availability of resources was made possible by an
approach of Centre-State bhagidari.
When we formulated our economic response to the Covid-19
pandemic, we wanted to ensure that our solutions do not follow a ‘one size fits
all’ model. For a federal country of
continental dimensions, finding policy instruments at the national level to
promote reforms by State Governments is indeed challenging. But, we had faith
in the robustness of our federal polity and we moved ahead in the spirit
of Centre-State bhagidari.
In May 2020, as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package,
the Government of India announced that State Governments would be allowed
enhanced borrowing for 2020-21. An extra 2% of GSDP was allowed, of which 1%
was made conditional on the implementation of certain economic reforms. This
nudge for reform is rare in Indian public finance. This was a nudge,
incentivising the states to adopt progressive policies to avail additional
funds. The results of this exercise are not only encouraging but also run
contrary to the notion that there are limited takers for sound economic
policies.
The four reforms to which additional borrowings were linked
(with 0.25% of GDP tied to each one) had two characteristics. Firstly, each of the reforms was linked to improving the Ease of
Living to the public and particularly the poor, the vulnerable, and the middle
class. Secondly, they also promoted fiscal sustainability.
The first reform under the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ policy
required State Governments to ensure that all ration cards in the State under
the National Food Security Act (NFSA) were seeded with the Aadhaar number of
all family members and that all Fair Price Shops had Electronic Point of Sale
devices. The main benefit
from this is that migrant workers can draw their food ration from anywhere in
the country. Apart from these benefits to citizens, there is the financial
benefit from the elimination of bogus cards & duplicate members. 17 states
completed this reform and were granted additional borrowings amounting to Rs.
37,600 crores.
The second reform, aimed at improving ease of doing business,
required states to ensure that renewal of business-related licences under 7
Acts is made automatic, online and non-discretionary on mere payment of
fees. Another
requirement was implementation of a computerized random inspection system and
prior notice of inspection to reduce harassment and corruption under a further
12 Acts. This reform (covering 19 laws) is of particular help to micro and
small enterprises, who suffer the most from the burden of the ‘inspector
raj'. It also promotes an improved investment climate, greater investment
and faster growth. 20 states completed this reform and were allowed additional
borrowing of Rs. 39,521 crores.
The 15th Finance Commission and several academics have
emphasised the crucial importance of sound property taxation. The third reform required states to notify floor rates of property
tax and of water & sewerage charges, in consonance with stamp duty
guideline values for property transactions and current costs respectively, in
urban areas. This would
enable better quality of services to the urban poor and middle class, support
better infrastructure and stimulate growth. Property tax is also progressive in
its incidence and thus the poor in urban areas would benefit the
most. This reform also benefits municipal staff who often face delay in
payment of wages. 11 states completed these reforms and were granted additional
borrowing of Rs. 15,957 crores.
The fourth reform was introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT) in lieu of free electricity supply to farmers. The requirement was for formulation of a state-wide
scheme with actual implementation in one district on a pilot basis by year end.
Additional borrowing of 0.15% of GSDP was linked to this. A component was
also provided for reduction in technical & commercial losses and another
for reducing the gap between revenues and costs (0.05% of GSDP for
each). This improves the finances of distribution companies, promotes
conservation of water and energy and improves service quality through better
financial and technical performance. 13 states implemented at least one
component, while 6 states implemented the DBT component. As a result, Rs.
13,201 crore of additional borrowings was permitted.
Overall, 23 states availed of additional borrowings of Rs.
1.06 lakh crores out of a potential of Rs. 2.14 lakh crores. As a result,
the aggregate borrowing permission granted to states for 2020-21 (conditional
and unconditional) was 4.5% of the initially estimated GSDP.
For a large nation with complex challenges as ours, this
was a unique experience. We have often seen that for various reasons, schemes
and reforms remain un-operational often for years. This was a pleasant
departure from the past where the Centre & States came together to roll out
public friendly reforms in a short span of time amidst the pandemic. This was made possible due to our approach of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and
Sabka Vishwas. Officials who have been
working on these reforms suggest that without this incentive of additional
funds, enactment of these policies would have taken years. India has seen a
model of ‘reforms by stealth and compulsion’. This is a new model of ‘reforms
by conviction and incentives’. I am thankful to all the states who took the lead in ushering in
these policies amidst tough times for the betterment of their citizens. We
shall continue working together for the rapid progress of 130 crore Indians.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reforms-conviction-incentives-narendra-modi/?published=t
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Monday, June 21, 2021
Friday, June 18, 2021
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
SB Order - 10 of 2021 dtd 15-06-2021
No Provision to allow Investment through withdrawal form (SB-7) under SAS MPKBY Agency system ....
Monday, June 14, 2021
Friday, June 11, 2021
Issuance of ATM cards to POSB customers -- clarification
ATM cards to the POSB customers - Social Security Pension holders with minimum balance of Rs.500-
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