-M.V.S. Prasad/ Dr K. Parameswaran
The World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) was jointly established in 1991 by UNESCO and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), against the framework of a conference held in Windhoek, Namibia. This conference emphasized the idea that press freedom should be understood as necessitating pluralism and independence for the mass media at large. Since then, the World Press Freedom Day has been celebrated every year on May 3rd.
May 3rd was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day by the UN General Assembly also. This happened in 1993, following a recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference.
The day serves to inform citizens about various kinds of violations of press freedom – a grim reminder that publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed and attacked. It is also the apt occasion to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.
In more practical terms, freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and various forms of published material in printed as well as allied forms like photographs, videos etc. While such freedom mostly implies the absence of interference from an overreaching state, its preservation may be sought through constitutional as well as other legal provisions.
The Idea of Press Freedom
Media freedom entails the right of any person to enjoy freedom of opinion and expression on a public basis. This includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers, as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ICT (like text messaging) and social media have enabled the diffusion of vital information to reach the widest number of people in the shortest span of time. Equally importantly, the phenomenon of social media has also enabled protesters to self-organize, and thus engaged the global youth in the fight to be able to freely express themselves and the aspirations of their wider communities.
At the same time, it has to be noted that media freedom is extremely fragile. It is also important to recognize that it is not yet within the reach of everyone. While the enabling environment for true media freedom is improving, the harsh reality is that many in the world still do not have access to basic communication technology. Furthermore, as more reporting is transmitted online, more and more online journalists including bloggers are being harassed and attacked. UNESCO has even dedicated a webpage, UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists.
States and governments too have a responsibility to ensure that national laws on freedom of expression are in accordance with internationally accepted principles as laid out in the Windhoek Declaration (adopted at Windhoek, Namibia) and UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators, which are both documents that they have endorsed.
Hindrances to Press Freedom
Media freedom is hindered mainly by two factors. One is a lack of any organized information system; the other is the lack of basic skills and literacy to access, understand and evaluate information. Many sections of the society not only lack access to express themselves publicly, but they are also deprived of ways of getting information that could educate and empower them. This lack of access has become a persistent paradox against the back ground of increasing spread of the World Wide Web and the consequent ease in accessing information.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), more than 60 percent of the world’s households still do not own a computer and no more than 35 percent of the world population consider themselves as “internet users” with the vast majority of those surveyed belonging to the “developing countries”. (This statistics is taken from a global study sponsored by the UNESCO).
Considering that the right to free speech and press freedom are deeply interconnected with the right to access information, it is a priority to bridge the digital divide both between and within countries. In fact, the participants at the recent 7th UNESCO Youth Forum underlined that democratizing access to ICTs is an urgent challenge. Universal access to information must be pursued especially in remote areas such as rural, remote and insular areas.
The Indian Context
In India, the constitution, while not mentioning the word "press", provides for "the right to freedom of speech and expression" (Article 19(1) a). However this right is subject to restrictions under sub clause (2), whereby this freedom can be restricted for reasons of "soverignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, preserving decency, preserving morality, in relation to contempt, court, defamation, or incitement to an offense".
For a proper functioning of democracy it is essential that citizens are kept informed about news from various parts of the country and even abroad, because only then can they form rational opinions. A citizen surely cannot be expected personally to gather news to enable him or her to form such opinions. Hence, the media play an important role in a democracy and serve as an agency of the people to gather news for them. It is for this reason that freedom of the press has been emphasized in all democratic countries, while it was not permitted in feudal or totalitarian regimes.
In developing countries like India, the media have a great responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and help the people in their struggle against poverty and other social evils. “Since a large section of the people is backward and ignorant, it is all the more necessary that modern ideas are brought to them and their backwardness removed so that they become part of enlightened India. The media have a great responsibility in this respect”. (Justice Markandey Katju, Justice, Supreme Court).
Right to Information Act
It is against the background of the quality of access to information that has received world wide concern that the Right to Information Act 2005 passed by the Parliament acquires great significance. The act mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information.
Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen may request information from a "public authority" (a body of Government or "instrumentality of State") which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to pro-actively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally. This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June, 2005 and came fully into force on 13 October, 2005.
In short, the act empowers every citizen to ask any questions from the government or seek any information, take copies of any governmental documents, inspect any governmental documents, inspect any work undertaken by the government and take samples of materials of any governmental work.
Right to Information is a fundamental human right, crucial to human development, and a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights. The experiences of the past seven years since the act has been in place shows that RTI has become a friend in need, making life easier and honorable for common people and empowers them to request and access public services successfully.
Firdaus Khan
Over 60% of mothers believe their biggest health threat to be breast cancer but heart disease kills 6 times as many women as breast cancer, said Dr KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India. Some risk factors are different for women than for men. Heart disease symptoms may be milder in women. Heart attacks often strike without warning. If a woman does not realize heart disease is a health threat, she will not make heart healthy changes or respond to symptoms once they occur.
The woman is at risk if:
1. Her father or brother below age 55 or her mother or sister below age 65 have had a heart attack, stroke, angioplasty or bypass surgery.
2. She is over 55 years old. (After age 65, the death rate increases sharply for women)
3. She smokes or is exposed to secondhand smoke every day.
4. Her blood pressure is over 135/85 mm Hg. Optimal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. Drug therapy is indicated when blood pressure is >140/90 mm Hg, or an even lower blood pressure in the setting of chronic kidney disease or diabetes (> 130/90 mm Hg).
5. She does not exercise for at least 30 minutes that includes moderate–intensity physical activity, like taking a brisk walk, on most days. For weight control, women need to exercise with 60–90 minutes with moderate–intensity activity on most days. About 70% of American women don't exercise regularly.
6. She has diabetes. After age 45, diabetes affects many more women than men. If diabetic, aim to achieve glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level less than 7%.
7. Her HDL (High Density Lipo-protein or "good" cholesterol) is less than 50mg/dL. LDL Goals are dependent upon risk. The following levels of lipids and lipoproteins in women should be encouraged through lifestyle approaches: LDL–C<100mg/dL; HDL–C>50mg/dL; triglycerides <150mg/dL; and non–HDL–C (total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol) <130 mg/dL. If a woman is at high risk or has hypercholesterolemia, intake of saturated fat
should be <7% and cholesterol intake <200 mg/d. For diabetic women, LDL should be <100. For vascular disease and very high risk women, LDL should be<70. HDL of 60 mg/dL is considered cardioprotective. One can raise HDL by taking in 2–3T of olive oil daily, quitting smoking, getting regular aerobic exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
8. She is overweight by 20 pounds or more (More than one–third of women are more than 20 pounds overweight.)
9. Either natural or through surgery, early menopause–before the age of 40 – is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
10. Taking birth control pills greatly increases risk of heart attack and stroke, especially after age 35.
11. She has a high demand/low control job with sustained high levels of stress. Stress is a normal part of life.
12. A healthy diet consists of eating fruits, vegetables and whole–grain high–fiber foods (aim for 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of whole fruit daily);
Eating fish, especially oily fish, at least twice a week
Limiting saturated fat to < 10% of energy, and if possible to <7%, cholesterol to <300 mg/dL.
Limiting alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink per day
Limiting sodium intake to <2.3 g/d (approximately 1 tsp salt)
Avoiding all trans–fatty acids (listed as "hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients section)
13. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid eating fish potentially high in methylmercury.
14. Having at least three of a cluster of symptoms that are listed below put her at risk:
High blood sugar >100 mg/dL after fasting;
High triglycerides – at least 150 mg/dL;
Low HDL (<50 mg/dL in women);
Blood pressure of 130/85 or higher and Waist >35 inches. (Waist measurement of 35 inches or more or waist–to–hip ratio greater than 0.80 is a predictor of high triglycerides and low HDL levels).
Organic farming is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances health of agro-ecosystem related to bio-diversity, nutrient bio-cycle and soil biological and microbial activities. It is normally defined as a system of farming without use of chemical inputs (fertilizers/insecticides etc.) and is primarily based on principal of use of natural on farm organic inputs (like farm yard manure, green manure, oil cakes, press mud etc.) and also natural biological pest control and plant protection measures to promote agro-economic system and soil biological activity.
Growing Area
Organic farming in India started receiving focused attention from 2004-05 when National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) was launched. In 2004-05, area under organic farming was 42,000 hectares. By March 2010 area under farming had increased to 1.08 million hectares. In addition, 3.40 million hectares is wild forest harvest collection area. Thus total area under organic certification process by March, 2010 was 4.48 million hectares which is 25 fold increase in last 6 years. In cultivated organic land 7.56 lakh hectares is certified while 3.2 lakh hectare is under conversion.
The States doing well in organic farming are Madhya Pradesh(4.40lakh hectares), Maharashtra (1.50 lakh hectares) and Orissa (95,000 hectares), having largest area under organic. Among crops cotton is the single largest crop accounting for nearly 40 percent of total area followed by rice, pulses, oilseeds and spices. India is the largest organic cotton grower in world, and accounts for 50 percent share of total world organic cotton production.
Nearly 6.00 lakh farmers under 920 grower groups produce 18.00 lakh tonnes of different organic commodities valued at Rs. 56-40 crores at farm gate price. Out of 18lakh tonnes organic produce, 54000 tonnes of produce valued at Rs. 561 crores was exported. Export of organic products has also grown steadily over the years. Value of exports which was Rs. 301 crores in 2006-07 has increased to 525.5 crores in 2009-10.
States Adopting Organic Farming
Nine States have drafted organic farming policies. Out of these, four States viz;Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram have declared their intention to go 100 percent organic. Sikkim has already converted nearly 40 percent of its total cultivated area under organic and has set target to convert entire State to organic by 2015. Other States have also defined schemes to promote organic farming. Recently Bihar has sanctioned a scheme worth Rs. 256 crores for promotion of organic farming for period 2010-11 to 2014-15. This scheme is 100 percent State Plan Scheme and entire funds shall be borne by State Government. The Scheme funded by the Central Government will be in addition to this scheme.
Promotion of Organic Farming
Organic farming is being promoted under National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
Regulatory Mechanism
For qualify assurance country has internationally acclaimed certification process in place for export, import and domestic markets. Foreign Trade Development and Regulation Act for exports and Agriculture Produce Grading, Marketing and Certification Act for domestic.
Assistance
Important components of assistance being provided under NPOF inter-alia include assistance to input production (large compost plants and bio-fertilizers), Quality control of organic inputs, Human resource development through trainings, PGS facilitation, Biological soil health assessment and awareness creation.
Main components under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and National Horticulture Mission (NHM) to assist organic farming are financial assistance to States for adoption and certification and financial assistance to States for vermin-compost production.
While need to maximize crop yield to meet the growing demand for food grains is critical, agricultural productivity has to be sustained in long run. There has been a deterioration in soil health due to removal of crop residues and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers, aided by distorted prices. To address these issues, the Government proposes to promote organic farming, methods, combining modern technology with traditional farming practices like green manuring, biological pest control and weed management. These measures will give further push to organic farming.
S.Balakrishnan
The name ‘Nilgiris’ or ‘The Blue Mountains’ is as poetic as the place itself. The Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu is home for the Toda, Kota, Kurumba, Irula, Paniyan and Kattunaicken tribes. The Government of India has identified all these six tribes as Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs). The verdant forest of the blue mountains has been their home for ages. Living amid the beautiful surroundings has probably made them artisans of equally beautiful handicrafts.
Well known among these six groups are the Toda people and their embroidery work. The Toda women are deft in embroidery work. Their traditional garment is of thick white cotton cloth with red, black or blue stripes, which is further embellished with hand embroidery. Woollen or cotton thread is used for this embroidery work. To suit modern taste and needs, a variety of items like cell phone pouch, table cloth, scarf & shawl, skirts & tops, drawstring purse & bag, coasters, frocks, bags, waist coat, etc are also made. This has been made possible under the ‘Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana’ (Ambedkar handicraft development scheme). Many women Self-Help Groups have been formed which, in turn, have been amalgamated into a federation. Though the pastoral Todas herded buffaloes and dealt in dairy produce, change in land use has deprived them of pasture lands. However, their unique craft has survived and stood the test of time.
The Kotas live in seven settlements, generally known as Kotagiri or Kokkal. They are village artisans who are good in carpentry, black smithy and pottery. As time changed, only a few families are engaged in these skills as a means of living. They eke out a living by cultivating small plots of patta land.
The Kurumba people are experts in basketry and other related bamboo works. The traditional occupation of the Kurumbas is gathering food, collection of honey and forest produce. They are good at herbal medicine and traditional healing. Now, they are mainly engaged in agriculture and those who do not own lands work as casual agricultural laborers. The other three groups – Irulas, Paniyans and Kattunaicken are not known for traditional handicrafts. They are generally food/forest produce gatherers, now working as casual agricultural/estate labourers.
Tamil Nadu has a total of about 6,51,321 tribal population as per 2001 census which constitutes 1.02% of the total population. There are 36 tribes and sub tribes in Tamil Nadu. They are distributed in almost all the districts and they have contributed significantly in the management of the forests. Literacy rate of the population is 27.9%. Most of the tribes in the State are cultivators, agriculture labourers or dependent on forests for their livelihood. But only these six groups are classified as primitive tribes.
Kalpana Palkhiwala
Goraiya, the house-sparrow, the little sweetie in countless poetry, lyrics, songs and folk-songs and paintings, is today facing a crisis of survival. Its been several years now that we miss the familiar “chi-chi-chi” every morning and the lovely sight of Goraiyas dancing around.
Following inspiration from a retired forest officer in Gujarat, a movement is on to save house sparrow. People get artificial nests for sparrow, parrot and squirrels either in terracotta or from waste of corrugated boxes, hang them at their places on trees or passages, plant them in farms, fields and even residential bungalows. And regularly put water and grains.
Universally familiar in appearance, the widespread and once abundant house sparrow has become a mystery bird and is becoming increasingly rare all over the World. Perky and bustling, house sparrows have always been gregarious, mingling with finches in the fields in autumn and winter, especially when stubble is available to them. For years we felt irritated by this permanent resident in our garden taking more than a fair share of food during the winter, but now weeks pass without a single one putting in an appearance. That took me to my school days when we read the well known Hindi writer Mahadevi Verma’s story ‘Goraiya’. That time it felt surprising- neither a king nor a fairy nor a great leader was the subject of a story, but a small Goraiya! Subramanyam Bharti also said , “A bird of freedom...”
A springtime hazard was sparrows’ unexplained liking for destroying flowers, especially yellow primroses and crocuses. Kicking up dust and bathing in new seedbeds was a further irritation. Noisy and gregarious, these cheerful exploiters of human beings’ rubbish and wastefulness have colonized most of the world. Found from the centre of cities, kitchen gardens, vacant places in houses to the farmland of the countryside, sparrows feed and breed near habitation. They are vanishing from the centre of many cities, but are not uncommon in most towns and villages. Sparrows might appear to be opportunists, but they are now struggling to survive everywhere on the earth along with many other once common birds. Their recent decline has earned them a place on the Red List in the Netherlands.
India has seen a massive decline of sparrows in recent years. Once a common- place bird in large parts of Europe, the sparrows’ population has now seen a sharp fall in United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy and Finland.
The house sparrow is an intelligent bird that has proven to be adaptable to most situation, i.e. nest sites, food and shelter, so has become the most abundant songbird in the world.Sparrows are very social birds and tend to flock together through most of the year. A flock’s range covers 1.5-2 miles, but it will cover a larger territory if necessary when searching for food. The sparrow’s main diet consists of grain seeds, especially waste grain and live stock feed. If grain is not available, its diet is very broad and adaptable. It also eats weeds and insects, especially during the breeding season. The parasitic nature of the house sparrow is quite evident as they are avid seekers of garbage tossed out by humans. In spring, flowers – especially those with yellow colours- are often eaten; crocuses, primroses and aconites seem to attract the house sparrow most. The birds also hunt butterflies.
Nesting
House sparrows are generally attracted to buildings for roosting, nesting, and cover. They look for any man-made nook or cranny in which to build their nests. Other sparrow nesting sites are clothes line poles with the end caps open, lofts, garden kitchens, or overhangs on a roof without a soffit. The sparrow makes its home in areas closely associated with human habitation. It is a common resident of agricultural, urban and sub-urban communities. The male house sparrow is highly territorial, aggressively defending the nesting site during breeding season. Species that attempt to nest within the sparrow’s territory are often be evicted; their eggs destroyed and at times incubating females are killed. The nest is a ball of dried vegetation, feathers, strings and papers with an opening on one side. It is a bulky mass also lined with grass, weeds and hair.
The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a member of the old world sparrow family Passeridae. Some consider it to be a relative of the Weaver Finch Family. A number of geographic races have been named, and are differentiated on the basis of size and cheek colour. Cheeks are grey in the west and white in the east. The shade of the colouration, particularly of the chestnut area in the males is also considered. Birds of the western hemisphere are larger than those in the tropical South Asian populations. Some varieties are the passer domesticus in Europe, passer persicus in Karun River, Khuzistan, passer bactrianus in Turkestan, Afghanistan and passer semiretschieensis which is easily seen in Semiryechensk Mountains in the eastern part of Russian Turkestan. The passer biblicus which is found in Palestine and Syria is paler and the colour of the chestnut area is not deep. The cheek is grey. The passer parkini is abundant in Srinagar, Kashmir in western Himalayas to Nepal. The passer indicus found in India, south of the Himalayas and in Sri Lanka.
In India, it is popularly known as Goraiya in the Hindi belt. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala it is known as Kuruvi. Telugu language has given it a name, Pichhuka, Kannadigas call it Gubbachchi, Gujaratis call it Chakli where as Maharashtrians call it Chimani. It is known as Chiri in Punjab, Chaer in Jammu and Kashmir, Charai Pakhi in West Bengal, and Gharachatia in Orissa. In Urdu language it is called Chirya while Sindhi language has termed it as Jhirki.
Features
This 14 to 16 cm long bird has a wing span of 19-25 cms.It is a small, stocky song bird that weighs 26 to 32 grams. The male sparrow has a grey crown, cheeks and underparts, and is black at the throat, upper breast and between the bill and eyes. The bill in summer is blue–black and the legs are brown. In winter the plumage is dulled by pale edgings, and the bill is yellowish brown. The female has no black coloring on the head or throat, or a grey crown; her upper part is streaked with brown. The juveniles are deeper brown.
The sparrow’s most common call is a short and incessant, slightly metallic ‘cheep, chirrup’. It also has a double call note- ‘phillip’ wherein originated the now obsolete name of ‘phillip sparrow’. While the young are in their nests, the older birds utter a long churr. At least three broods are reared in a season.
The nesting site is varied under eaves, in holes, in masonry or rocks, in ivy or creepers on houses or riverbanks, on sea-cliffs or in bushes in bays and inlets. When built in holes or ivy, the nest is an untidy litter of straw and rubbish, abundantly filled with feathers. Large well- constructed domed nests are often built when the bird nests in trees or shrubs, especially in rural areas.
Five to six eggs, profusely dusted, speckled or blotched with black, brown or ash-grey on a blue-tinted or creamy white ground, and usual types. Eggs are variable in size and shape as well as markings. Eggs are incubated by the female. The sparrow has the shortest incubation period of all the birds: 10 -12 days, and a female can lay 25 eggs each summer. The reproductive success increases with age and this is mainly by changes in timing, with older birds breeding earlier in the season.
Causes of Decline
Various causes for its dramatic decrease in population have been proposed, one of the more surprising being the introduction of unleaded petrol, the combustion of which produces compounds such as methyl nitrite, a compound which is highly toxic for small insects, which form a major part of a young sparrow’s diet. Other theories consider reducing areas of free growing weeds, or reducing the number of badly maintained buildings, which are important nesting opportunities for sparrows. Ornithologists and wildlife experts speculate that the population crash could be linked to a variety of factors like the lack of nesting sites in modern concrete buildings, disappearing kitchen garden, increased use of pesticides in farmlands and the non- availability of food sources. The recent threat is from mobile towers. The emission they sent out is disturbing to the sparrows. Which also effects the insects and the hatching of bird’s eggs.
K.S. Gopi Sunder of the Indian Cranes and Wetlands Working Group says: “Although there is no concrete evidence or study to substantiate the phenomenon, the population of house sparrows has definitely declined over the past few years.” He attributes this to a number of reasons like widespread use of chemical pesticides in farmlands, increased predation by crows and cats while crows grow in number as a result of garbage accumulation in the city.
According to Dr. V S Vijayan of the Coimbatore-based Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, though the avian species can still be spotted over two-thirds of the world’s land surface, “ironically, there has been a rapid decline in the population of these once abundant birds.” Changing lifestyles and architectural evolution have wreaked havoc on the bird habitat and food sources. Modern buildings are devoid of eaves and crannies, and coupled with disappearing home gardens, are playing a part in the disappearing act.
Today I miss the sparrows chirping and hopping from branch to branch in the bushes outside my house and remember Mahadevi Verma’s famous poem Goraiya - in which a sparrow is eating grains from hand and jumping on her shoulders and playing hide and seek. It is as vivid as if it were being played in front of me. I wish that it does not remain confined in the pages of Mahadevi Verma’s story and comes back to us as ever before.
When
in the calm and lonely night
a breezing wind sings a song
of quite unknown season of love...
I do start changing
the pages of my past days
one by one...
and even more to the introversion
where in the island of memories or
such as like
once hot summer's afternoon of June
I feel warmth of your that touch
even now feeling that at this moment...
-Firdaus Khan
My love!
in the age of
such a fiery noon
you are
the shadow of thick and fleshy tree…
In a burn up lonely night
you are the moonlight
silvery cool and calm...
In a life
like the wasteland
you are
the ocean of ever flowing
aabe zam-zam…
I am the earth
thirsty of years and years
you are
my immense rainy season...
You are the idol
My love
incarnates in my soul
At all
look at the inhibited dreams of mine
as I worship you for years and years
hiding of everyone...
in the age of
such a fiery noon
you are
the shadow of thick and fleshy tree…
In a burn up lonely night
you are the moonlight
silvery cool and calm...
In a life
like the wasteland
you are
the ocean of ever flowing
aabe zam-zam…
I am the earth
thirsty of years and years
you are
my immense rainy season...
You are the idol
My love
incarnates in my soul
At all
look at the inhibited dreams of mine
as I worship you for years and years
hiding of everyone...
-Firdaus Khan
My love!
in the age of
such a fiery noon
you are
the shadow of thick and fleshy tree…
In a burn up lonely night
you are the moonlight
silvery cool and calm...
In a life
like the wasteland
you are
the ocean of ever flowing
aabe zam-zam…
I am the earth
thirsty of years and years
you are
my immense rainy season...
You are the idol
My love
incarnates in my soul
At all
look at the inhibited dreams of mine
as I worship you for years and years
hiding of everyone...
in the age of
such a fiery noon
you are
the shadow of thick and fleshy tree…
In a burn up lonely night
you are the moonlight
silvery cool and calm...
In a life
like the wasteland
you are
the ocean of ever flowing
aabe zam-zam…
I am the earth
thirsty of years and years
you are
my immense rainy season...
You are the idol
My love
incarnates in my soul
At all
look at the inhibited dreams of mine
as I worship you for years and years
hiding of everyone...
-Firdaus Khan
My love!
in the age of
such a fiery noon
you are
the shadow of thick and fleshy tree…
In a burn up lonely night
you are the moonlight
silvery cool and calm...
In a life
like the wasteland
you are
the ocean of ever flowing
aabe zam-zam…
I am the earth
thirsty of years and years
you are
my immense rainy season...
You are the idol
My love
incarnates in my soul
At all
look at the inhibited dreams of mine
as I worship you for years and years
hiding of everyone...
in the age of
such a fiery noon
you are
the shadow of thick and fleshy tree…
In a burn up lonely night
you are the moonlight
silvery cool and calm...
In a life
like the wasteland
you are
the ocean of ever flowing
aabe zam-zam…
I am the earth
thirsty of years and years
you are
my immense rainy season...
You are the idol
My love
incarnates in my soul
At all
look at the inhibited dreams of mine
as I worship you for years and years
hiding of everyone...
-Firdaus Khan
Oh my Prince !
I will be waiting for you
through out the life...
You have stolen
all the dreams of my eyes.
My soul misfits
in unknown city
It looks for you quite often
lost here in an alien way...
Feel afraid being lonely
in this desert path
Pull me out of
the agony of separation...
Invite me in your land
if you can't come here...
Please don't torment me
I am your love...
-Firdaus Khan
Why you go away
Far, far from me
Often, that time
When
I need you
Very much...
Oh' Dear
Why you go away...
-Firdaus Khan
- Budget identifies five objectives relating to growth recovery, private investment, supply bottlenecks, malnutrition and governance matters
- GDP growth to be 7.6 per cent (+ 0.25 percent) during 2012-13
- Amendment to the FRBM Act proposed as part of Finance Bill. New concepts of “Effective Revenue Deficit” and “Medium Term Expenditure Framework” introduced
- Central subsidies to be kept under 2 per cent of GDP; to be further brought down to 1.75 per cent of GDP over the next 3 years.
- Proposed: Mobile based fertilizer management system; LPG transparency portal; scaling up and rolling out of Aadhar enabled payment for government schemes in at least 50 districts.
- Rs. 30,000 crore to be raised through disinvestment
- Efforts to reach broadbased consensus on FDI in multi-brand retail
- Rajiv Gandhi Equity Saving Scheme: to allow income tax deduction to retail investors on investing in equities
- Rs. 15,888 crore to be provided for capitalization of public sector banks and financial institutions
- A central “Know Your Customer” depository to be developed
- Swabhimaan: remaining habitations to be covered; to be extended to more habitations; ultra small branches to be set up in Swabhimaan habitations
- Investment in 12th Plan in infrastructure to go uptoRs. 50,00,000 crore; half of this is expected from private sector
- Tax Free Bonds of Rs. 60,000 crore to be allowed for financial infrastructure projects
- Allocation of Road Transport and Highways Ministry enhanced by 14 per cent to Rs. 25,360 crore
- Financial package of Rs. 3,884 crore for waiver of loans to handloom weavers and their cooperative societies; mega handloom clusters in Andhra, Jharkhand; weaver service centres in Mizoram, Nagaland and Jharkhand ; powerloom mega cluster in Maharashtra; Rs. 500 crore pilot schemes for geo-textiles in North-Eastern region
- Rs. 5,000 crore India Opportunities Venture Fund to help small enterprises
- Allocation to agriculture enhanced; RKVY gets Rs. 9,217 crore; BGREI gets Rs. 1,000 crore; Rs.2242 crore project to improve dairy productivity; Rs. 500 crore for coastal aquaculture
- Various other agricultural activities merged into 5 missions
- Target for agricultural credit raised to Rs. 5,75,000 crore
- Interest subvention for short-term crop loans to farmers at 7 per cent interest continues; additional 3 per cent for prompt paying farmers
- Rs. 200 crore for awards to incentivise agricultural research
- Provisions under rural housing fund increased to Rs. 4,000 crore from Rs. 3,000 crore
- Interest subvention of 1 percent on housing loans uptoRs. 15 lakh extended for one more year
- AIBP allocation raised by 13 per cent to Rs. 14,242 crore
- National Mission on Food Processing to be started in cooperation with State Governments
- Scheduled Caste Sub Plan allocation increases by 18 per cent to Rs. 37,113 crore; Tribal Sub Plan by 17.6 per cent to Rs. 21,710 crore
- Multi-sectoralprogramme to address maternal and child malnutrition in 200 high burden districts
- 58 per cent rise in allocation to ICDS, at Rs. 15,850 crore
- Rural drinking water and sanitation gets 27 per cent rise in allocation to Rs. 14,000 crore; PMGSY gets 20 per cent rise to Rs. 24,000 crore
- Projects covering length of 8800 km to be awarded under NHDP against 7,300 km during 2011-12
- RTE-SSA gets Rs. 25,555 crore allocation, showing an increase of 21 per cent; 6000 schools to be set up at block level as model schools in the 12th Plan; Credit Guarantee Fund to be set up for better flow of credit to students
- National Urban Health Mission is being launched
- 34 per cent increase in allocation to National Rural Livelihood Mission, to Rs. 3915 crore
- Rs. 1000 crore allocated for National Skill Development Fund
- Bharat Livelihood Foundation to be established to support livelihood interventions particularly in tribal areas
- Widow pension and disability pension raised from Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 per month
- Grant on death of primary breadwinner of a BPL family in the age group 18-64 years doubled to Rs. 20,000
- Defence services get Rs. 193407 crore; any further requirement to be met
- 4000 residential quarters to be constructed for Central Armed Police Forces
- UID-Aadhar to get adequate funds for enrolment of 40 crore persons, in addition to the 20 crore persons already enrolled
- White Paper on Black Money to be laid in the current session of Parliament
- Tax proposals mark progress in the direction of movement towards DTC and GST
- Income tax exemption limit raised from Rs.1,80,000 to Rs.2,00,000; upper limit of 20 per cent tax slab raised from Rs.8 lakh to Rs.10 lakh
- Interest from savings bank accounts deductible upto Rs.10,000; deduction of upto Rs.5,000 for preventive health check-up
- Senior citizens without business income exempt from advance tax
- Investment linked deduction of capital expenditure enhanced for certain businesses; new sectors eligible for investment linked deduction
- Turnover limit for compulsory tax audit for SMEs raised from Rs.60 lakh to Rs.1 crore
- STT on cash delivery reduced by 20 per cent to 0.1%
- General Anti Avoidance Rule being introduced to counter aggressive tax avoidance
- A number of measures proposed to deter generation and use of unaccounted money
- All services to attract service tax except those in the negative list
- Central Excise and Service Tax being harmonized
- Standard rate of excise duty raised from 10 per cent to 12 per cent; service tax rates raised from 10 per cent to 12 per cent; no change in peak customs duty of 10 per cent on non-agricultural goods
- Relief in indirect taxes to sectors under stress; agriculture, infrastructure, mining, railways, roads, civil aviation, manufacturing, health and nutrition, and environment get duty relief
- Certain cigarettes and bidis attract higher excise duty; large cars attract higher customs duty
- Excise imposed on unbranded jewellery also; measures to minimize impact on small artisans and goldsmiths; branded silver jewellery exempted from excise duty
- Net gain of Rs.41,440 crore due to taxation proposals
- Total expenditure budgeted at Rs. 14,90,925 crore; plan expenditure at Rs. 5,21,025 crore – 18 per cent higher than 2011-12 budget; non plan expenditure at Rs. 9,69,900 crore
- Fiscal deficit targeted at 5.1 per cent of GDP, as against 5.9 per cent in revised estimates for 2011-12
- Central Government debt at 45.5 per cent of GDP as compared to Thirteenth Finance Commission target of 50.5 per cent
- Medium-term Expenditure Framework Statement to be introduced; will set forth 3-year rolling target for expenditure indicators
The Union Budget 2012-13 presented by the Finance Minister ShriPranab Mukherjee in LokSabha today identifies five objectives to be addressed effectively in the ensuing fiscal year. They include focus on domestic demand driven growth recovery; create conditions for rapid revival of high growth in private investment; address supply bottlenecks in agriculture, energy and transport sectors particularly in coal, power, national highways , railways and civil aviation; intervene decisively to address the problem of malnutrition especially in the 200 high-burden districts and expedite coordinated implementation of decisions being taken to improve delivery systems , governance, and transparency; and address the problem of black money and corruption in public life.
ShriPranab Mukherjee said that India’s GDP growth in 2012-13 is expected to be 7.6 per cent +/-0.25 per cent. He said that in 2011-12, India’s GDP is estimated to grow at 6.9 per cent after having grown at the rate of 8.4 per cent in each of the two preceding years. He said though the global crisis had affected India, it still remains among the front runners in economic growth. Shri Mukherjee said the slowdown is primarily due to deceleration in industrial growth. Stating that the headline inflation remained high for most part of the year, the Finance Minister expressed hope that it will moderate further in the next few months and remain stable thereafter.
Shri Mukherjee laid emphasis on striking a balance between fiscal consolidation and strengthening macroeconomic fundamentals. He announced introduction of amendments to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003 (FRBM Act) as part of the Finance Bill 2012. He said that concept of “Effective Revenue Deficit” and “Medium Term Expenditure Framework” statement are two important features of Amendment to FRBM Act in the direction of expenditure reforms. This statement shall set forth a three year rolling targets for expenditure indicators.
The Finance Minister called for a need to have a close look at the growth of revenue expenditure, particularly, on subsidies. He announced that from 2012-13 while subsidies related to food and for administering the Food Security Act will be fully provided for, all other subsidies would be funded to the extent that they can be borne by the economy without any adverse implications. He said that the Government will endeavor to restrict the expenditure on central subsidies under 2 per cent of GDP in 2012-13and over the next three years, it would be further brought down to 1.75 per cent of GDP.Shri Mukherjee said that based on recommendations of the Task Force headed by ShriNandanNilekani, a mobile-based Fertilizer Management System has been designed to provide end-to-end information on movement of fertilizers and subsidies which will be rolled out nation-wide during 2012. He said that transfer of subsidy to the retailer and eventually to the farmers will be implemented in subsequent phases which will benefit 12 crore farmer families.
On the tax reforms, the Finance Minister said that the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill will be enacted at the earliest after expeditious examination of the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee. He said drafting of model legislation for Centre and State Goods and Services Tax (GST) in concert with States is under progress. He added that the GST network will be set up as a National Information Utility and will become operational by August 2012.
On the disinvestment policy, Shri Mukherjee said that the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) are being given a level playing field vis-Ã -vis private sector with regard to practices like buy-backs and listing at stock exchange. Stating that while in 2011-12, the Government will raise about Rs.14,000crore from disinvestment as against a target of Rs.40,000 crore, the Finance Minister proposed to raise Rs.30,000 crore through disinvestment in 2012-13. He said at least 51 per cent ownership and management of CPSEs will remain with the Government.
Calling for strengthening investment environment, Shri Mukherjee said that efforts are on to arrive at a broad-based consensus in respect of decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail up to 51 per cent. He proposed to introduce a new scheme called Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme to allow for income tax deduction of 50 per cent to new retail investors who invest up to Rs.50,000 directly in equities and whose annual income is below Rs.10 lakh. The scheme will have a lock-in period of 3 years. Regarding capital markets, the Finance Minister proposed to allow Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) to access Indian Corporate Bond market. He also proposed simplifying the process of Initial Public Offer (IPO).
ShriPranab Mukherjee said that the Government is committed to protect the financial health of Public Sector Banks and Financial Institutions. He proposed to provide Rs. 15,888 crore for capitalization of Public Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks and other financial institutions including NABARD. He added that a Central Know Your Customer (KYC) depositary will be developed in 2012-13 to avoid multiplicity of registration and data upkeep.
The Finance Minister informed that out of 73,000 identified habitations that were to be covered under “Swabhimaan” campaign for providing banking facilities by March 2012, about 70,000 habitations have been covered while the rest are likely to be covered by March 31, 2012. He added that as a next step Ultra Small Branches are being set up at these habitations. In 2012-13, Swabhimaan campaign will be extended to more habitations.
Emphasizing on infrastructure and industrial development, Shri Mukherjee said that during the 12th Plan, infrastructure investment will go up to Rs.50 lakh crorewith half of this expected from private sector. Stating that in 2011-12 tax free bonds for Rs.30,000 crore were announced for financing infrastructure projects, he proposed to double it to raise Rs.60,000 crore in 2012-13. The Minister proposed to allow External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) to part finance Rupee debt of existing power projects.
The Finance Minister ShriPranab Mukherjee announced a target of covering 8,800 km. under NHDP next year and increase in allocation of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry by 14 per cent to Rs.25,360 crore in 2012-13. He proposed to permit ECB for working capital requirements of the Airline Industry for a period of one year, subject to a total ceiling of US dollar 1 billion to address the immediate financial concerns of the Civil Aviation Sector. He added that a proposal to allow foreign airlines to participate up to 49 per cent in the equity of an air transport undertaking is under active consideration.
Expressing concern over shortage in housing sector, the Finance Minister proposed various measures to address the shortage of housing for low income groups in major cities and towns including ECB for low cost housing projects and setting up of a Credit Guarantee Trust Fund.
Regarding textile sector, the Finance Minister announced setting up of two more mega clusters, one to cover Prakasam and Guntur districts in Andhra Pradesh and other for Godda and neighboring districts in Jharkhand in addition to 4 mega handloom clusters already operationalized. He also proposed setting up of three Weavers Service Centres, one each in Mizoram, Nagaland and Jharkhand. The Minister proposed aRs. 500 crore pilot scheme in twelfth plan for promotion and application of Geo-textiles in the North East. A powerloom Mega Cluster will be set up in Ichalkaranji in Maharashtra.
The Finance Minister proposed to set up a Rs.5000 croreIndia Opportunities Venture Fund with SIDBI to enhance availability of equity to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Stating that agriculture will continue to be a priority for Government, Shri Mukherjee proposed an increase by 18 per cent to Rs. 20,208 crore in the total Plan Outlay for the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation in 2012-13. He said that the outlay for RashtriyaKrishiVikasYojana (RKVY) is being increased to Rs. 9217 crore in 2012-13.
Underlining importance of timely access to affordable credit for farmers, the Finance Minister proposed to raise the target for agricultural credit to Rs.5,75,000 crore, which represents an increase of Rs. 1,00,000 crore over the target for the current year.. He said that a short term RRB Credit Refinance Fund is being set up to enhance the capacity of Regional Rural Banks to disburse short term crop loans to the small and marginal farmers. He added that Kisan Credit Card Scheme will be modified to make it a smart card which can be used at ATMs.
The Financed Minister said that in order to have a better out reach of the food processing sector, a new centrally sponsored scheme titled National Mission on Food Processing will be started in cooperation with the States in 2012-13.
The Finance Minister proposed an increase of 18 per cent to Rs.37,113crore for Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and an increase of 17.6 per cent to Rs.21,710 crore for Tribal Sub Plan during 2012-13.
Regarding food security, Shri Mukherjee said that National Food Security Bill 2011 is before Parliamentary Standing Committee. He said a multi-sectoralprogramme to address maternal and child malnutrition in selected 200 high burdened districts is being rolled out during 2012-13. He further said that an allocation of Rs.15,850 crore has been made for ICDS scheme which is an increase of 58% and Rs.11,937 crore for National Programme of Mid-Day Meals in schools for the year 2012-13. He added that an allocation of Rs.750 crore is proposed for Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls, SABLA.
The allocation for rural drinking water and sanitation is proposed to be increased by over 27 per cent to Rs. 14,000 crore and for PradhanMantri Road SadakYojana by 20 per cent to Rs. 24,000 crore in 2012-13. He proposed to enhance the allocation under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to Rs. 20,000 crore with Rs.5,000 crore exclusively earmarked for .creating warehousing facilities.
The Finance Minister proposed an increase in allocation by 21.7 per cent for Right to Education – SarvaShikshaAbhiyan to Rs.25,555 crore and by 29 per cent for RashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyan to Rs. 3,124 crore, He proposed to set up a Credit Guarantee Fund to ensure better flow of funds to students.
Regarding health sector he proposed an increase in allocation for NRHM to Rs.20,822 crore in 2012-13. He also said that National Urban Health Mission is being launched.
The Finance Minister said that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has had a positive impact. He proposed an allocation of Rs.3915 crore for National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) which represents an increase of 34 per cent. He proposed to provide Rs.200 crore to enlarge the corpus to Rs.300 crore of the Women’s SHG’s Development Fund. He said the fund will also support the objectives of Aajeevika i.e. NRLM and will empower women SHGs to access bank credit. He also proposed to establish a Bharat Livelihoods Foundation of India through Aajeevika which will support and scale up civil society initiatives and interventions particularly in the tribal regions covering around 170 districts.
Allocation under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is proposed to be raised by 37 per cent to Rs. 8447 crore. Under the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme for BPL beneficiaries, the monthly pension amount per person is being raised from Rs. 200 to Rs.300.
The Finance Minister announced a provision of Rs.1,93,407crore for Defence Services including Rs.79,579 crore for capital expenditure. He said the allocation is based on present needs and any further requirement would be met.
Addressing Governance related issues, Shri Mukherjee said adequate funds are proposed to be allocated to complete enrolments of another 40 crore persons under UID Mission. Outlining the steps taken by the Government to address the issue of black money, the Minister proposed to lay a White Paper on Black Money in the current session of Parliament.
In the Budget Estimates for 2012-13, the Gross Tax Receipts are estimated at Rs.10, 77,612 crore which is an increase of 15.6 per cent over the Budget Estimates and 19.5 per cent over the revised estimates for 2011-12. After devolution to States, the net tax to the Centre in 2012-13 is estimated at Rs. 7,71,071crore. The Non Tax Revenue Receipts are estimated at Rs.1,64,614crore and Non-debt Capital Receipts at Rs.41,650 crore. The total expenditure for 2012-13 is budgeted at Rs.14,90,925 crore. Of this Rs.5,21,025crore is the Plan Expenditure while Rs.9,69,900 crore is budgeted as Non Plan Expenditure.
The tax proposals are guided by the need to move towards the Direct Tax Code(DTC) in the case of direct taxes and Goods & Services Tax (GST) in the case of indirect taxes.
Individual income upto Rs.2 lakh will be free from income tax; income upto Rs.1.8 lakh was exempt in 2011-12. Income above Rs.5 lakh and upto Rs.10 lakh now carries tax at the rate of 20 per cent; the 20% tax slab was from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.8 lakh in 2011-12. A deduction of upto Rs.10,000 is now available for interest from savings bank accounts. Within the existing limit for deduction allowed for health insurance, a deduction of upto Rs.5000 is being allowed for preventive health check-up. Senior citizens not having income from business will now not need to pay advance tax.
While no changes have been made in corporate taxes, the budget proposes a number of measures to promote investment in specific sectors. In order to provide low cost funds to some stressed infrastructure sectors, withholding tax on interest payments on external borrowings (ECBs) is being reduced from 20 percent to 5 per cent for 3 years. These sectors are - power, airlines, roads and bridges, ports and shipyards, affordable housing, fertilizer, and dam.
Investment linked deduction of capital expenditure in some businesses is proposed to be provided at 150 per cent as against the current rate of 100 per cent. These sectors include cold chain facility, warehouses forstoring food-grains, hospitals, fertilizers and affordable housing. Bee keeping, container freight and warehousing for storage of sugar will now also be eligible for investment linked deduction.
The budget also proposes weighted deduction for R&D expenditure, agri-extension services and expenditure on skill development in the manufacturing sector.
For small and medium enterprises (SMEs) the turnover limit for compulsory tax audit of accounts as well as for presumptive taxation is proposed to be raised from Rs. 60 lakh to Rs. 1 crore. In order to augment funds for SMEs, sale of residential property will be exempt from capital gains tax, if the proceeds are used for purchase of plant and machinery, etc.
A General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) is being introduced in order to counter aggressive tax avoidance. Securities transaction tax (STT) is being reduced by 20 per cent on cash delivery transactions, from 0.125% to 0.1%. Alternative Minimum Tax is proposed to be levied from all persons, other than companies, claiming profit linked deductions.
The Finance Minister has proposed a series of measures to deter the generation and use of unaccounted money. In the case of assets held abroad, compulsory reporting is being introduced and assessment upto 16 years will now be allowed to be re-opened. Tax will be collected at source on trading in coal, lignite and iron ore; purchase of bullion or jewellery above Rs. 2 lakh in cash; and transfer of immovable property (other than agricultural land) above a specified threshold. Unexplained money, credits, investments, expenditures etc. will be taxed at the highest rate of 30 per cent irrespective of the slab of income.
The Finance Minister has made an effort to widen the service tax base, strengthen its enforcement and bring it as close as possible to the central excise. A common simplified registration form and a common return are being introduced for central excise and service tax.
All services will now attract service tax, except those in the negative list. The negative list has 17 heads and includes specified services provided by the government or local authorities, and services in the fields of education, renting of residential dwellings, entertainment and amusement, public transportation, agriculture and animal husbandry. A number of other services including health care, and services provided by charities, independent journalist, sport persons, performing artists in folk and classical arts, etc are exempt from service tax. Film industry also gets tax exemption on copyrights relating to recording of cinematographic films.
Service tax rate is being increased from 10 per cent to 12 per cent, with consequential change in rates for services that have individual tax rates. The standard rate of excise duty for non-petroleum goods is also being raised from 10 per cent to 12 per cent. No change is proposed in peak rate of customs duty of 10 per cent on non-agricultural goods.
The Budget offers relief to different sectors of economy, especially those under stress. Import of equipment for fertilizer projects are being fully exempted from basic customs duty of 5 per cent for 3 years. Basic customs duty is also being lowered for a number of equipment used in agriculture and related areas.
In the realm of infrastructure, customs relief is being given to power, coal and railways sectors. While steam coal gets full customs duty exemption for 2 years (with the concessional counter-veiling duty of 1 per cent), natural gas, LNG and certain uranium fuel get full duty exemption this year. Different levels of duty concessions are being provided to help mining, railways, roads, civil aviation, manufacturing, health and nutrition and environment. So as to help modernization of the textile industry, a number of equipment are being fully exempted from basic customs duty, and lower customs duty is being proposed for some other items used by the textile industry.
Customs duty is being raised for gold bars and coins of certain categories, platinum and gold ore. Customs duty is to be imposed on coloured gem stones. Excise duty on certain categories of cigarettes and bidis, pan masala and chewing tobacco is being increased. Customs duty is being increased on completely built large cars/ SUVs/ MUVs of value exceeding $40,000.
Silver jewellery will now be fully exempt from excise duty. Unbranded precious metal jewellery will attract excise duty on the lines of branded jewellery. Operations are being simplified and measures taken to minimize impact of this provision on small artisans and goldsmiths.
While direct tax proposals in the Budget will result in a net revenue loss of Rs.4,500crore, indirect taxes will result in a net revenue gain of Rs.45,940 crore. Thus, the tax proposals will lead to a net gain of Rs.41,440crore.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today he said, some of the built heritage and antiquarian remains have already disappeared due to hostile weather conditions and pressure of urbanization. As no comprehensive survey/documentation of all monuments and heritage-sites was undertaken in the past, it is difficult to say as to how many of them have been lost. However, in order to prepare a comprehensive documentation and database of all the protected/unprotected monuments and antiquities, the Central Government has launched a National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities. Further, a National Commission for Heritage Sites Bill, 2009 has been introduced in the Parliament with the objectives to fully meet the obligations cast by the UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention, 1972 as well as to protect even the modern architecture of heritage value.
The Minister said, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the Ministry of Urban Development in conjunction with the State Governments concerned has identified 63 cities for the development of basic infrastructure facilities and urban services that also include development of heritage sites. A list of the 63 cities is at the Annexure.
List of cities identified by JNNURM for the development of basic infrastructure facilities and urban services
Sl. No. | City | State |
1. | Hyderabad | Andhra Pradesh |
2. | Vishakhapatnam | -do- |
3. | Vijayawada | -do- |
4. | Guwahati | Assam |
5. | Itanagar | Arunachal Pradesh |
6. | Patna | Bihar |
7. | Bodh Gaya | -do- |
8. | Raipur | Chhattisgarh |
9. | Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
10. | Delhi | NCT of Delhi |
11. | Ahmedabad | Gujarat |
12. | Vadodara | -do- |
13. | Surat | -do- |
14. | Rajkot | -do- |
15. | Panaji | Goa |
16. | Shimla | Himachal Pradesh |
17. | Faridabad | Haryana |
18. | Jamshedpur | Jharkhand |
19. | Dhanbad | -do- |
20. | Ranchi | -do- |
21. | Jammu | Jammu & Kashmir |
22. | Srinagar | -do- |
23. | Bangalore | Karnataka |
24. | Mysore | -do- |
25. | Cochin | Kerala |
26. | Thiruananthapuram | -do- |
27. | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh |
28. | Jabalpur | -do- |
29. | Indore | -do- |
30. | Ujjain | -do- |
31. | Greater Mumbai | Maharashtra |
32. | Nasik | -do- |
33. | Nanded | -do- |
34. | Nagpur | -do- |
35. | Pune | -do- |
36. | Shillong | Meghalaya |
37. | Imphal | Manipur |
38. | Aizawal | Mizoram |
39. | Kohima | Nagaland |
40. | Bhubaneswar | Orissa |
41. | Puri | -do- |
42. | Pondicherry | Pondicherry |
43. | Ludhiana | Punjab |
44. | Amritsar | -do- |
45. | Jaipur | Rajasthan |
46. | Ajmer-Puskar | -do- |
47. | Gangatok | Sikkim |
48. | Chennai | Tamil Nadu |
49. | Madurai | -do- |
50. | Coimbatore | -do- |
51. | Agartala | Tripura |
52. | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh |
53. | Varanasi | -do- |
54. | Agra | -do- |
55. | Kanpur | -do- |
56. | Allahabad | -do- |
57. | Mathura | -do- |
58. | Meerut | -do- |
59. | Dehradun | Uttarakhand |
60. | Nainital | -do- |
61. | Hardwar | -do- |
62. | Kolkata | West Bengal |
63. | Asansol | -do- |
