Cabinet Approvals on July 18

Following are the Cabinet approvals given on July 18, 2018.

Cabinet approves establishment of Medical College, Salempur at Deoria, Uttar Pradesh
On July 18, 2018, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for establishment of new medical college at Deoria.

• This college would be built at a cost of Rs.250 crore under Phase-II of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Under the scheme, the criteria for one medical in every three Parliamentary Constituencies and one Government medical college in each State was adopted.
• Also a requirement of 24 additional medical colleges including eight medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh has been approved.
• The college was recommended by the state government of Uttar Pradesh and would be an up-gradation of District Hospital, Deoria.

Cabinet approves Policy framework for streamlining the working of Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) in Pre-NELP and NELP Blocks
On July 18, 2018, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the policy framework for streamlining the operations of Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs).
i. This has been done for increased domestic production of hydrocarbon resources.
ii. The Framework includes:

• Special dispensation for E&P activities in North Eastern Region (NER) where exploration period has been increased by two years and appraisal period by one year. Government has also allowed marketing including pricing freedom for natural gas to stimulate natural gas production in NER.
• Sharing of Royalty and Cess in Pre-NELP Exploration Blocks.
• Extending tax benefits under Section 42 of Income Tax, 1961prospectively to operational blocks under Pre-NELP discovered fields.
• Relaxing the timeline from 7days to 15 days for giving written notice to notify the occurrence of a Force Majure event in the PSCs.

Cabinet approves continuation of the Schemes of Pre-Matric, Post Matric and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Schemes
On July 18, 2018, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for Continuation of the following schemes.

• Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme;
• Post Matric Scholarship Scheme; and
• Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme

i. The total cost for the continuation of the scheme would be Rs. 5338.32 crore for period up to 2019-20.
ii. These are beneficial for the students belonging to Minority Communities during 2017-18 to 2019-20. A total of 70 lakh students would be benefitted by it annually.
iii.  Although 30% of scholarships are earmarked for girl students, more than 35% of the total scholarships are disbursed to them.
Features of the scheme are:

• These Schemes shall be implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and scholarships are disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
• Around 70 lakh scholarships are likely to be disbursed.
• Scholarship is awarded to students who have secured not less than 50% marks in the previous final examination.
• The students should be studying in Government Schools/ Institutes or recognized private schools/ institutes.
• The State/Community-wise target/allocation as per Census 2011.
• Physical targets are fixed only for fresh scholarships.
• Renewal scholarships are also awarded, in addition to the fresh scholarships. Renewal scholarships are for all such students who have been awarded scholarships in the previous years and fulfill the eligibility criteria.

About the individual schemes:
Pre-matric Scholarship Scheme:

• The objective of the Scheme is to encourage parents from minority communities to send their school going children (from Class I to X) to school, lighten their financial burden on school education and sustain their efforts to support their children to complete school education.
• Annual income of parents/ guardian should not be more than Rs 1.00 Lakh.
• Target- 30,00,000 (Thirty lakh) for Fresh applicants.

Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme:

• The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious minority students with better opportunities for higher education, increase their rate of attainment in higher education and enhance their employability in organized sector.
• Annual income of parents/guardians should not be more than Rs. 2.00 Lakh.
• Target- 5,00,000 (Five lakh) for Fresh applicants.

Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme:

• The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious minority to pursue professional and technical courses at under Graduate and post Graduate levels.
• Annual income of parents/guardians should not be more than Rs. 2.50 Lakh.
• Target- 60,000 for Fresh applicants.

Entitlements of the Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme:

• Full Course fee reimbursed to the students from 85 institutes listed under the scheme; and for others at Rs. 20,000/- per annum subject to actuals.
• Maintenance allowance at Rs. 10,000/- per annum for hostellers and at Rs. 5,000/- for day scholars.

Cabinet approves Special Package for Irrigation Projects in Vidarbha, Marathwada and other chronically drought prone areas of Rest of Maharashtra
On July 18, 2018, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the implementation of Centrally Sponsored-Scheme for Maharashtra.

• Under this completion of 83 Minor Irrigation projects and 8 major/medium irrigation projects of Marathawada, Vidharbha and drought prone areas of the rest of Maharashtra will take place.
• This would help in creation of additional potential of 3.77 L Hectares in the region.
• The projects included under special package are over and above the 26 major/ medium projects of Maharashtra having ultimate potential of 8.501 Ha being funded under PMKSY-AIBP, which are planned to be completed by December,2019.
• Progress of the projects would be monitored by State as well as Central Water Commission.
• The cost of the projects as on 01.04.2018 is estimated to be Rs. 13,651.61 crore.
• Total Central Assistance to be provided for implementation of these projects is Rs. 3,831.41 crore. Rest is to be provided by Government of Maharashtra. It is also envisaged that State Share may be arranged through NABARD.
• It will generate employment of approximately 341 lakh man-days for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers.

Cabinet approves Special Remission to Prisoners on the occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved to grant Special Remission to Prisoners as part of Commemoration of 150^th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This will be done in three phases.
i. In Phase-l, the prisoners will be released on 2nd October, 2018 (Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi).
ii. In Phase-ll prisoners will be released on 10^th April, 2019 (Anniversary of Champaran Satyagrah).
iii. In Phase-Ill, prisoners will be released on 2^nd October 2019 (Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi):-
iv .Eligibility of the prisoners for the special remission:

• Women convicts of 55 years of age and above, who have completed  50% of their actual sentence period.
• Transgender convicts of 55 years of age and above, who have completed 50% of their actual sentence period.
• Male convicts of 60 years of age and above, who have completed 50% of their actual sentence period.
• Physically challenged/disabled convicts with 70% disability and more  who have completed 50% of their actual sentence period.
• Terminally ill convicts.
• Convicted prisoners who have completed two-third (66%) of their actual sentence period.

v. Special remission will not be given to prisoners who have been given death sentences or life imprisonment.
vi. Cases of convicts involved in serious and heinous crimes like Dowry death, Rape, Human Trafficking and convicted under POTA, UAPA, TADA, FICN, POCSO Act, Money Laundering, FEMA, NDPS, Prevention of Corruption Act, etc. will not be considered.
vii. State Governments and UT Administrations will be advised to constitute a Committee to examine the cases. They will place the recommendations of the Committee before Governor for consideration and approval under Article 161 of the Constitution.

Cabinet approves determination of Fair and Remunerative Price payable by Sugar Mills for 2018-19 sugar season
On July 18, 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2018-19.

• This has been done keeping in view the interest of sugarcane farmers. The FRP so approved shall be applicable for purchase of sugarcane from the farmers in the sugar season 2018-19 (starting w.e.f. 1^st October, 2018) by the sugar mills.
• The FRP for sugarcane is Rs. 275/- per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10%; providing a premium of Rs. 2.75/qtl for each 0.1 % increase in recovery over and above 10%.
• This would ensure a return of more than 50 % over the cost to the farmers. The total remittance to the sugarcane farmers will be more than Rs. 83,000 crore.
• In case of mills where recovery is below 9.5%. Such farmers will get Rs. 261.25 per quintal for sugarcane in place of Rs. 255/qtl in the current season.
• The sugar sector impacts the livelihood of about 5 crore sugarcane farmers and their dependents and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills.

Festivals of India:
♦ Andhra Pradesh: Brahmotsavam.
♦ Arunachal Pradesh: Losar festival.
♦ Assam: Bohag Bihu.
♦ Bihar: Chhath Puja.
♦ Chhattisgarh: Bastar Dussehra.