(05-February 2014) Approval Of
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Ministry of Agriculture Approval of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology (05-February 2014) Approval of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the implementation of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET) during the 12th Plan period. The extension of NMAET and its components will be expanded and up-scaled appropriately and implemented in a more coordinated and convergent manner. The Mission will have a total outlay of Rs. 13073.08 crore, with Government of India’s share of Rs. 11390.68 crore and State share of Rs.1682.40 crore. NMAET consists of 4 Sub Missions: (i) Sub Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) (ii) Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP) (iii) Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) (iv) Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine (SMPP) Agricultural Technology, including the adoption/ promotion of critical inputs, and improved agronomic practices were being disseminated under 17 different schemes of the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation during the 11th Plan. The Modified Extension Reforms Scheme was introduced in 2010 with the objective of strengthening extension machinery and utilizing it for synergizing interventions under these schemes under the umbrella of the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA). The NMAET has been envisaged as the next step towards this objective through the amalgamation of these schemes. The Mission Document has been prepared in keeping with the recommendations of the Working Group of the Planning Commission and suggestions and inputs received from extensive consultation with stakeholders, particularly farmers. The common threads running across all 4 Sub-Missions in NMAET are Extension and Technology. Therefore, while 4 separate Sub-Missions are being proposed for administrative convenience, these are inextricably linked to each other at the field level and most components thereof have to be disseminated among farmers and other stakeholders through a strong extension network. The aim of the Mission is to restructure and strengthen agricultural extension to enable delivery of appropriate technology and improved agronomic practices to farmers. This is envisaged to be achieved by a judicious mix of extensive physical outreach and interactive methods of information dissemination, use of ICT, popularisation of modern and appropriate technologies, capacity building and institution strengthening to promote mechanisation, availability of quality seeds, plant protection etc. and encourage aggregation of Farmers into Interest Groups (FIGs) to form Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). In order to overcome systemic challenges being faced by the Extension System, there is a need for a focused approach in mission mode to disseminate appropriate technologies and relevant information to larger number of farmer households through inter personal and innovative methods of technology dissemination including ICT. To alleviate the challenges in the seed sector, there is a need to increase production of certified seeds, upgrade quality of farm saved seeds, coverage of at least 10 percent villages under the Seed Village Programme, production of 100 lakh quintals of seeds/year through the Farmers` Seed System, capacity building of the public and private sectors, upgradation of quality control of seeds, upgradation of seed production infrastructure and implementation of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA) Act effectively. Background: Agricultural productivity has a positive correlation with level of farm mechanization. For accelerated growth in farm mechanization in the current decade, there is a need to include the large community of small and marginal farmers into the fold of cost effective and remunerative mechanized farming, to help sustain desired agricultural growth and to enhance agricultural productivity. Plant Protection plays a significant role in achieving targets of crop production. Strengthening regulatory framework for management of pesticides and plant quarantine are important issues which are required to be taken up during the 12th Plan also. In view of concerns for food safety and impact on India`s food and agricultural trade, there is a need to monitor and analyze pesticide residues in agricultural commodities in different agro-ecological regions of the country. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mining Approval in Uttarakhand (06-February 2014) Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had constituted a Group under the Chairmanship of the then Secretary (E&F) to look into the environmental aspects associated with mining of minor minerals in 2009 and to evolve guidelines for sustainable mining of Minor Minerals. The report of the Group was sent to all States in June 2010 with the request for incorporating in the Mineral Concessions Rules for mining of minor minerals u/s 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the recommendations contained in the report which inter-alia include–minimum size of mine lease should be 5 ha; minimum period of mine lease should be 5 years; mine plans should be made mandatory for minor minerals; for river bed mining, leases should be granted stretch-wise, depth may be restricted to 3 m / water level, whichever is less and safety zones should be worked out, etc. This was stated by Dr. M.Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Environment and Forests, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. The Minister further stated that the MoEF has notified Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 which deals with the process to grant Environment Clearances. The projects of mining of minerals as stated in the schedule require prior environment clearance under this notification. Category ‘A’ Projects are being handled in the MoEF and Category ‘B’ projects are being handled in the respective State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs) notified by MoEF and following the procedure prescribed under the EIA Notification, 2006. Based on the recommendations of the Expert Appraisal Committee, the environmental clearance is accorded subject to various conditions and environmental safeguards to be implemented by the project proponent. The implementation of the stipulated conditions is monitored through the Regional Offices of MoEF to ensure satisfactory compliance of environmental safeguards by mining projects, the Minister added. RM/RS- USQ1662 – RS Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Consultation Before Publication of Kasturirangan Notification (06-February 2014) The High Level Working Group (HLWG) submitted its report to the Ministry of Environment and Forests on 15th April, 2013. The report was put in public domain by hosting on the Ministry’s website inviting comments of all stakeholders. The Ministry had also sent the HLWG report to the State Governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu for eliciting their comments/views. On completion of the consultation process, the Ministry has accepted the High Level Working Group Report “in principle” subject to certain stipulations. This was stated by Dr. M.Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Environment and Forests, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. The Minister further stated that the Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued Office Memorandum dated 20th December 2013 regarding the “in principle” acceptance of the HLWG report and also issued Directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 dated 13th November 2013 with a view to providing immediate protection to the Western Ghats and maintain its environmental integrity. As such, the Ministry has not issued any draft notification for declaration of the area identified by the HLWG as Ecologically Sensitive under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the Ministry has written on 16th January 2014 to the CMs of all six states in the Western Ghats region seeking their views on the HLWG recommendations, especially on concerns which might not have been addressed in the OM of the Ministry dated 20th December 2013. Their views have been sought within one month so that the Ministry may consider the same before issuing the draft notification for declaring the Ecologically Sensitive Area in the Western Ghats, the Minister added. RM/RS- USQ1659 – RS --------------- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Details of CSR Funds for Afforestation Projects (06-February 2014) As per the information received from the Nodal Department i.e. Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, the details of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds allocated by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) for afforestation projects in various States/UTs are not maintained centrally by them. This was stated by Dr. M.Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Environment and Forests, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. The Minister further stated that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment and Forests has recommended to make a provision in the Companies Bill, 2012 for earmarking 50% of the 2% of the net profit of the companies under CSR activities toinvest exclusively for afforestation. Accordingly, Ministry of Environment and Forests vigorously