Dedicated budget for Station revamp scheme
The Committee on Estimates, after carrying out an in-depth analysis of the progress of ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme” (ABSS), has made 12 recommendations in its report submitted to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The recommendations include the Railway Ministry needing a dedicated budget, a robust selection process and provisions for maintenance among others, the parliamentary committee said.
266 fishermen languishing in foreign jails
There are 266 Indian fishermen languishing in foreign jails along with 1,172 fishing boats due to illegal fishing, trespassing and crossing the international maritime boundary line. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying data shows that 41 fishermen went from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka, 184 fishermen from Gujarat to Pakistan, 10 in Bahrain and 31 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
RS passes bills modifying SC-ST list in AP
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed two bills, which seek to modify the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. After being moved, the RS cleared the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 by voice vote.
No evidence COVID led to rise in shingles or herpes
There is no concrete evidence that Covid-19 has resulted in an increase in cases of shingles or herpes in the country, the Rajya Sabha was informed Tuesday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Health and Family welfare Prof Satya Pal Singh Baghel said that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), under the ministry through its Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), monitors and revises its strategies for any potential outbreak of infections. “NCDC currently does not collect routine data on either chicken pox or herpes zoster or shingles. However, it does collect data on fever with rash classified as Measles or Chickenpox after confirmation and outbreaks of Chickenpox,” the minister said. Baghel added, “It is also stated that the said vaccine is not a part of the universal immunization program in India.”