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Punjab's Cabinet revamped the mineral policy to combat illegal mining, introduced Crusher and Landowner Mining Sites, launched the Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra for seniors, and initiated a mentorship program for rural schools.

Punjab Updates Mineral Policy, Launches New Initiatives

Punjab announces a revamped mineral policy with initiatives to combat illegal mining, stabilize prices, launch senior pilgrimages, and introduce a rural student mentorship program enhancing education and cultural heritage.

Punjab's Cabinet revamped the mineral policy to combat illegal mining

Punjab's Cabinet has revised its mineral policy, launching initiatives to curb illegal mining, boost sand and gravel availability, fund pilgrimages for seniors, and improve rural education through a mentorship program.

Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday paved way for checking illegal mining in the state and further reducing the price of sand and gravel for public.
A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers in a meeting held here under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister at his official residence.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister&rsquo;s Office said that the Cabinet also has approved significant amendments in the Punjab Minor Mineral Policy which aims to enhance the supply of raw materials in the market, reduce illegal mining and corruption, reduce consumer prices for the public, increase state revenues, and eliminate any potential monopoly in the mining sector.
The amendment stipulates Crusher Mining Sites (CRMS) thereby enabling crusher owners who possess land with gravel can now obtain a mining lease.
This move is expected to curb the illegal transportation of material from other states and increase the availability of crushed sand and bajri in the market, which are essential for development activities in the state.
Similarly, Landowner Mining Sites (LMS) will facilitate the Landowners with land containing sand deposits to apply for a mining lease and sell the material in the open market at the government&rsquo;s notified rates.
Previously, many mining sites remained non-operational due to the lack of consent from landowners, as they were unwilling to allow unknown individuals to mine their land.
The introduction of LMS will increase the number of operational mining sites, which will, in turn, boost market supply and state revenue. This move will also prevent monopolies in the mining sector.
Additionally, Deputy Commissioners have been granted the authority to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for government and Panchayat lands, as they are the custodians of these lands.
This change will streamline the process and expedite the operationalization of mining sites on government lands.
The royalty on sand has been increased to Rs 1.75/cft with a corresponding pit-head price of Rs 7/cft.&nbsp;
The royalty on gravel/RBM has been increased to Rs 3.15/cft with a corresponding pit-head price of Rs 9/cft. The Cabinet reiterated the commitment of state government to ensuring transparency, fairness, and economic growth.
These amendments will not only address the needs of mining stakeholders but also create an enabling framework for the legal and transparent conduct of mining activities across the state. The policy aims to boost the state's economy while upholding environmental and regulatory standards.
Similarly, the Cabinet also gave approval for provisions of Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Scheme under which senior citizens will be taken on a pilgrimage at the government&rsquo;s expense.
The government will bear the entire cost of the journey, including air-conditioned travel, comfortable accommodation, and meals. To make the pilgrimage memorable, the government will also present a special gift/ souvenirs to the travellers.
All citizens aged 50 years and above can avail from this scheme and it will be open to people of all castes, religions, income groups, and regions.
Residents from both cities and villages of Punjab can benefit from this initiative. The objective of this journey is to showcase the state&rsquo;s rich spiritual, religious, and cultural heritage by covering major religious sites.
Throughout the journey, spiritual discourses and devotional singing (satsang and kirtan) will be organized. At the end of the pilgrimage, prasad will be distributed to all travelers.
A budget of ₹100 crore has been allocated for this scheme, and if necessary, it will be further increased. The registration for Yatra will start from last week of April and yatra will begin from month of May.
The Cabinet also gave nod to implement School mentorship program in the state thereby stipulating that the IAS/IPS officers adopt rural schools across the state and mentor the students for excelling in life.
This Pilot project will be introduced in 80 schools of eminence of the state and every officer will be allotted the school for a period of five years irrespective of their place of positing.
This move will further strengthen the atmosphere of education through conversation with students and teachers along with it the officers will prepare the students for competitive exams and ensure training to teachers for upgrading their skills.
These officers will act a catalyst for mustering resources and resource person for development of these schools adding that these officers will work as mentors and not as bosses and this work will be voluntary service and interested &nbsp;officers will have to perform it along with their already allocated duties.

To deal with the pandemic and the financial &amp; health concerns that come with it,&nbsp;Insurance giant -&nbsp;LIC&nbsp;is helping its policymakers to revive their lapsed policies in the current financial year.&nbsp;
Insurance giant,&nbsp;LIC has announced a special window to revive old policies which have lapsed due to unpaid premiums and the window for revival is ending next week, that is on March 25.&nbsp;
Here's how to revive your lapsed LIC policy
The state-run insurance giant in a statement&nbsp;said, "In view of the prevailing circumstances, concessions are being offered in late fee for other than&nbsp;Term Assurance&nbsp;and High-Risk Plans, depending on the total premiums paid. There are no concessions on medical requirements. Eligible Health and Micro Insurance plans also qualify for the concession in a late fee."&nbsp;&nbsp;Under this Special Revival Campaign, Policies of specific eligible plans can be revived within 5 years from the date of the First Unpaid Premium subject to certain terms and conditions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Consession in late fee for eligible policies&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;* Up to Rs 1,00,000- Concession in latefee- 20%, Maximum consession- Rs 2000&nbsp;* From 1,00,001 to Rs.3,00,000- Concession in late fee 25%, Maximum consession- Rs.2,500&nbsp;* From 3,00,001 and above- Concession in late fee 30%, Maximum consession Rs 3000&nbsp;Policies which are in a lapsed condition during the premium paying term and not completed policy term are eligible to be revived in this campaign.
LIC has regularly allowed such windows with the last such opportunity in Aug 2021 and Nov 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lapsed LIC policy? You have 48 hours left to revive it, here is how

To deal with the pandemic and the financial concerns that come with it, Insurance giant, LIC is helping its policymakers to revive their lapsed policies 

Here's how you can revive your lapsed LIC policy

According to the statement, eligible health and micro insurance policies are also eligible for the late fee reduction.

To deal with the pandemic and the financial &amp; health concerns that come with it,&nbsp;Insurance giant -&nbsp;LIC&nbsp;is helping its policymakers to revive their lapsed policies in the current financial year.&nbsp;
Insurance giant,&nbsp;LIC has announced a special window to revive old policies which have lapsed due to unpaid premiums and the window for revival is ending next week, that is on March 25.&nbsp;
Here's how to revive your lapsed LIC policy
The state-run insurance giant in a statement&nbsp;said, "In view of the prevailing circumstances, concessions are being offered in late fee for other than&nbsp;Term Assurance&nbsp;and High-Risk Plans, depending on the total premiums paid. There are no concessions on medical requirements. Eligible Health and Micro Insurance plans also qualify for the concession in a late fee." &nbsp; &nbsp; Under this Special Revival Campaign, Policies of specific eligible plans can be revived within 5 years from the date of the First Unpaid Premium subject to certain terms and conditions. &nbsp; &nbsp; Consession in late fee for eligible policies &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; * Up to Rs 1,00,000- Concession in latefee- 20%, Maximum consession- Rs 2000 &nbsp; * From 1,00,001 to Rs.3,00,000- Concession in late fee 25%, Maximum consession- Rs.2,500 &nbsp; * From 3,00,001 and above- Concession in late fee 30%, Maximum consession Rs 3000 &nbsp; Policies which are in a lapsed condition during the premium paying term and not completed policy term are eligible to be revived in this campaign.
LIC has regularly allowed such windows with the last such opportunity in Aug 2021 and Nov 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Has AAP's Education Model Really Worked?

As Delhi goes to vote tomorrow, many of us would be basing our votes on the reforms brought about in the Delhi Education System by Arvind Kejriwal&rsquo;s Aam Aadmi Party over the past five years. Garnering great appreciation and some pretty staggering outcomes in India and catching international eyeballs. Delhi schools have witnessed a great change for the better under the current government. But what exactly did the AAP do to achieve this? What is the &lsquo;Delhi education model&rsquo;? And does it really deserve a pat on the back?
 Let&rsquo;s try and find out.
 Delhi government schools were recently in the news when they beat their private counterparts in overall passing-percentage. The schools registered passing percentages of 94% against the city&rsquo;s overall&nbsp; 91.87% in the 2019 12th CBSE Board Exams.&nbsp;
 Along with that, the Kejriwal Govt. took a big step by developing new and better infrastructure for existing government schools. The AAP did not fulfill the promise of building 500 new schools as per their manifesto, developing 30 new schools instead. Land shortage in the capital has been cited as the main reason for not building the promised number of schools as per Akshay Marathe, the media adviser of the AAP.&nbsp;
 However, to match the deficit, 8000 new classrooms were built in 30 existing schools under the Delhi Government. Now, in a country where only 60% of government schools have electricity and 27% have access to computers, such focus on infrastructure is a welcome step forward.&nbsp;
 That commitment is visible in how the AAP&rsquo;s leaders have spoken on infrastructure development. The blatantly sad situation of not having even desks to sit on and then comparing themselves to private schools&rsquo; students was a major concern we wished to resolve for our students, said Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister who also handles the department of education. Atishi Marlena, the former educational advisor to the AAP, further reinforced how the state of the school is directly related to the performance and the learning outcomes of the students. She&rsquo;s also spoken about how teachers, staff, and students alike felt a sense of ownership and appreciation when they looked at their new improved schools, only which motivated them to work harder.&nbsp;
 To further bolster the idea of ownership and participation in the school, the Delhi Government made sure to setup School Management Committees or SMCs. Under Article 21 of the Right To Education Act of 2009, it is compulsory for schools to have SMCs, which was not the case before. Despite the mandate, SMCs in Delhi schools were not functioning optimally.&nbsp; A School management committee is comprised of teachers and parents of the students of the local school, who help in monitoring and maintaining the functions of the school. They are given 5 lakhs rupees per shift, which they decide how to spend, for the maintenance and betterment of their school.
 Apart from this, appointing Estate Managers for the school, regular training sessions, and adding happiness curriculum and entrepreneurship curriculum to syllabi in schools are some other steps that AAP took in the past five years to develop a robust education system.
 Now, with dropout rates going up to almost 15% for both girls and boys&nbsp; in our country, it is not easy to dream of a strong education system. To combat these high dropout rates, the Delhi Govt. introduced the &ldquo;Chunauti&rdquo; scheme in 2016. Inspired by Nobel Prize winning economist Abhijit Banerjee&rsquo;s model, the scheme divides students into three groups based on their ability to read and write Hindi and English and solve mathematics.&nbsp;
 Students from grade 6 are put into three groups: Pratibha (for the best performing students), Nishtha (for the average performers) and Neo Nishtha (for those who barely pass). These students are given special classes to bridge the learning gap, and are taught in a different manner to counter their chances of dropping out of school once they reach higher classes.
 And yet not all is rosy about this picture. According to a report published by various newspapers the higher pass percentage is due to a large number of students failing in 9th standard examinations. As per data with the Delhi government, of the 3,11,824 Class 9 students in government schools, only 1,64,065 made it to Class 10 in 2016-17. In the same period for private schools, of the 1,05,187 students in Class 9, around 97,714 made it to Class X &mdash; a pass percentage of 92 per cent.
 The Govt has been accused of deliberately filtering out students from 6th standard onwards which boosts the pass percentage in the board exams since only capable students end up giving the exams. The AAP blames the no-detention policy till 8th standard for this result where no student is held back based on his/her performance. Due to which the students are not given proper attention by the teachers&nbsp; because their results don't matter to them going to the next year.
 The Chunauti scheme put in place to boost students&rsquo; performance has also come under scanner. Many educationists have warned that segregating students into different groups can adversely impact their mental health and confidence. For example, in an article by the Hindustan Times, Janaki Rajan, and educationist and teacher at Jamia Milia Islamia said that this kind of labelling is dangerous and violates the RTE Act.
 &ldquo;The major issue with Chunauti is that children are being labelled and it also violates provisions of the Right to Education Act. Children cannot be termed as slow learners by testing them on lesser known set of books. There are times when children cannot talk until they are two years old. But after that they speak entire lines fluently. This is the magic of development. But this kind of labelling is extremely dangerous and fascist.&rdquo;
 Delhi&rsquo;s education system is far from perfect, and given that it&rsquo;s still struggling to&nbsp; balance a shortage of teachers and schools with an ever increasing population, improving it is a big mountain to climb.Yet, despite the shortcomings and the occasional pitfalls, the current govt has shown the strength and political desire to improve this system.&nbsp;
 If the ability to learn from our mistakes, which we often preach to our young, is also imbibed by the govt and the policy makers; we can truly hope to achieve the level of education that we have been yearning for.

Is "Odd-Even" really the answer to Delhi's smog problem?

Delhi NCR just went through another stint of the odd-even rule from 4 to 15 November and right at the beginning of this schedule, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal put out a tweet saying-
&nbsp;Even though, the smog and pollution in Delhi seem a bit better than before. Is it really the odd-even rule that did it? And more importantly, is it really the solution to this issue? Let&rsquo;s try and answer that.
Every year around the month of late October and November Delhi and most of northern India gets covered with a layer of smog. It gets intensified due to the festival of Diwali accompanied by a lot of cracker burning.&nbsp;
But that&rsquo;s not the entire reason for this problem. Delhi is one of the most populated and polluted cities of the world with a lot of vehicles, industries and construction sites which add to this pollution problem.
One of the major reasons that have been cited by various studies and organizations is the stubble burning which happens around the Delhi region in the neighbouring states around the same time. It also gets aggravated because the wind pattern over the capital is stagnant during this time which doesn&rsquo;t allow the pollution and the smog to go away.
The odd-even policy aims to cut through this problem by rationing the number of vehicles on the road mainly to bring down the level of PM2.5; one of the major particulate matters contributing to this smog.
Studies done by TERI and IITK indicate that the contribution to the PM2.5 by vehicular pollution is between 20 to 28%. Surprisingly, the passenger vehicles including taxis and CNG cars is only 2 percent.
The IITK study also showed that the contribution by 2 wheeler vehicles stood higher at 6% and the major share went to trucks at 9.2%.&nbsp;
This data clearly indicated that the odd-even scheme alone can&rsquo;t solve the problem. Especially when certain exceptions like taxis, women drivers and two wheelers are put in place. The root causes need to be found and an exhaustive plan is necessary to be acted upon.
So what are these causes?
One of those major causes is the stubble burning in the states of Punjab and Haryana. According to a report by SAFAR, stubble burning contribution rose to its highest at 46% this year. Even though, the state govt. put up plans and provisions to counter this. This issue still stands tall.
According to an estimate, about 17% of the particulate matter can be reduced if the roads in the National Capital Region are paved, leading to a decline in the dust particles in the air.
Along with that, biomass burning and the burning of plastics is also a major concern. Even though, various fines and punishments have been implemented by the govt. They do not seem to have percolated through to the bottom.
Thus, it is very clear that the odd-even policy is not the solution to the problem. At least not the only solution. It is currently a reactionary measure to the problem which has a much more complicated basis.&nbsp;
As the study by the Central Pollution Control Board stated;&nbsp;
&ldquo;With no clear trend and wide fluctuations observed in the concentrations, it is evident that the meteorology and emissions from other polluting sources have been major factors impacting the air quality of Delhi during the period,&rdquo;
What the state government needs to do is to come up with a plan that tackles all these issues. A solo approach with vehicles will not be sufficient for Delhi to breathe free. Moreover, the aim to reduce pollution and make Delhi a better and cleaner city needs to be a yearlong exercise and not something we do for a week or when the problem is at the doorstep.
The condition has gotten better the past few days and I sincerely hope it gets better thanks to light winds that have been active in moving the smog away&nbsp;
but we should not be dependent on them if we want to save ourselves from this trouble every year.

Are Plastic Bans Effective in India?

What exactly is the decision to do with plastics?
While it was earlier speculated and suggested that there will be a complete ban on single-use plastics, the government has announced a &ldquo;mass movement to sensitise the public against the use of plastic&rdquo;. This is to be accompanied by a gradual phasing out of plastic products, although when this phasing out will start is not been made clear.&nbsp;
At the state level, however, there has been action against plastic. While 18 states have already banned plastic carry bags, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, Pondicherry have gone a step further and also banned single-use plastic cutlery, plates, cups and straws. Recently, Chandigarh approved its final notification on the same.&nbsp;
This decision to not introduce a blanket ban has irked a section of citizens, but what does such a ban actually entail? What are its implications? And is a ban the best way to start?
What is single-use plastic?
Single Use Plastics are different kinds of foamed plastics which are rigid, durable and mostly used for packing. These are items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Globally, these types of plastic packaging make for the largest industrial sector at 36%. For now, the government is planning to ban six such plastic products &mdash; straws, plastic cups, plates, small bottles and certain types of sachets.&nbsp;
Why is it bad for the environment?
These take thousands of years to decompose, and thus stay in the oceans, soils or blow above the surface. An estimate shows that by 2050, 99% of seabirds will have ingested plastic and 15% of species would be affected by ingestion and entanglement from marine litter, making them endangered.&nbsp;
For its production, it has a huge dependence on fossil fuels: if the growth in plastic production continues at the current rate, by 2050, the plastic industry may account for 20% of the world&rsquo;s total oil consumption.&nbsp;
Further, as a recent report highlighted, single-use plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle, from its production to its refining and the way it is managed as a waste product. It means that by 2050 plastic will be responsible for up to 13% of the total &ldquo;carbon budget&rdquo; &ndash; equivalent to 615 coal-fired power plants.
It is estimated that one to 5 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. That is almost 10 million plastic bags per minute. If tied together, these entire plastic bags could be wrapped around the world seven times every hour.
Who all would be impacted with the ban?&nbsp;
While there is still no clarity on which items fall under the bracket of single-use plastics, estimates indicate that they could constitute 4-7 percent of raw material used in the manufacturing process. In this context,&nbsp;Jairam Ramesh tweeted, &ldquo;I resisted blanket ban on use of single-use plastic. Plastic industry employs lakhs and the real problem is how we dispose and recycle waste."&nbsp;
If implemented, the ban will affect close to 10,000 plastic manufacturing units, impacting 3-4 lakh employees working in these units. Almost every Fast Moving Consumer Good companies (FMCG) like Nestle, Britannia, PepsiCo would be impacted.&nbsp;
Food delivery services are also set to be hit by the ban. Apart from this many other people, up and down the value chain, will be affected including small manufactures of plastic as well as those in the informal recycling sector. Packaged drink producers are also likely to get hit, since they use PET bottles for packing their products. The chairman of Bisleri International had stated, &ldquo;Almost all PET is recycled in India, so where is the problem? Instead, the authorities need to step up incentives for recycling&rdquo;.
The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association, consisting of 2000 direct members and 20,000 indirect members, has suggested that before any such measure, there needs to be a clear scientific definition of the term 'single-use plastic'
Are Plastic bans really impactful?
More than 60 countries have introduced bans and levies to curb single-use plastic waste. But, in 50 per cent of cases, information about their impact is lacking, partly because some countries have adopted them only recently and partly because monitoring is inadequate. In countries that do have data, about 30 per cent have registered drastic drops in the consumption of plastic bags within the first year. The remaining 20 per cent of countries have reported little to no change.
In South Africa, the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and deposit-return schemes proved effective in reducing littering from PET bottles, while boosting the recycling sector. This created jobs and business opportunities, while addressing one kind of problematic single-use plastics.
In India though, where states have banned this, implementation was limited to restrictions on plastic carrying bags.&nbsp;&nbsp;
What other methods could be adopted for it to be more effective?
Waste management practices need to be improved, along with financial incentives to change the habits of consumers, retailers and manufacturers. The Research and development of alternative materials need to be financed as well. &nbsp;
India would do well to focus on a circular economy of plastics. This means that government leadership, producer responsibility, consumer education and awareness should ideally enable market mechanisms to drive higher resource productivity, innovation and economic growth. While the idea behind a blanket ban is commendable, the implications it carries must be considered before diving in. Phasing plastic products out seems like a better way to go, but this must be matched with real deadlines and strict implementation if we are to actually combat this issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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