Page 30 - Plastics News February 2021

FeAtures

Policy Highlights.. • Transport: Economic corridors to augment road
infrastructure are being planned in Tamil Nadu,
• Commerce and Industry: Seven textile parks will be Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam. A scheme to enable
established over three years to create infrastructure private sector to finance, acquire, operate and
and increase exports. Incorporation of one-person maintain buses in public transport services will be
companies will be encouraged by regulatory changes launched. New technologies including MetroLite and
such as removal of restrictions on paid up capital and MetroNeo will be used to develop metro rail systems
turnover, and NRIs will be allowed to establish such in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities. Seven projects for major
companies.
ports will be offered on public-private partnership
• Labour and Employment: A portal to collect mode in 2021-22. A voluntary vehicle scrapping
information on gig workers, and construction workers, policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles was also
among others will be launched to help frame schemes announced.
on health, housing, insurance, and others for migrant • Energy: A reforms-based scheme to provide assistance
unorganised workers. The Apprenticeship Act will be to power distribution companies for infrastructure
amended to enhance apprenticeship opportunities.
creation will be launched to address concerns
• Health and Nutrition: PM Atma Nirbhar Swasth over viability. A framework to provide choice to
Bharat Yojana will be launched to develop capacity consumers among distribution companies will be
of health systems, strengthen national institutions, launched. Ujjwala scheme will be extended to cover
and create institutions to detect and cure new one crore more beneficiaries. An independent gas
and emerging diseases. Mission Poshan 2.0 will be transport system operator will be set up to coordinate
launched after merging Supplementary Nutrition booking of common carrier capacity in all natural-gas
Programme and the Poshan Abhiyan to strengthen pipelines. A Hydrogen Energy Mission to generate
nutrition outcomes. The National Nursing and hydrogen from green power sources will be launched..
Midwifery Commission Bill will be introduced.
• Science and Technology: A scheme to provide
• Education: Legislation to set-up a Higher Education financial incentives for digital modes of payments
Commission of India will be introduced, having vehicles has been proposed. The Deep Ocean Mission will be
for standard-setting, accreditation, regulation, and launched, covering survey explorations and projects
funding. A grant to create formal umbrella structures for conservation of bio-diversity.
for institutes of higher education in nine cities Water and Sanitation: The Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban)
will be created. More than 15,000 schools will will be implemented to enable universal water supply
be strengthened to include all components of the and liquid waste management in urban areas. The
National Education Policy and subsequently mentor Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 will focus on sludge
other schools to achieve ideals of Policy.
and waste water management, and on ensuring a
• Infrastructure and Real Estate: A Bill to establish a reduction in single-use plastic and air pollution.
Development Financial Institution for infrastructure Agriculture and allied sectors: Operation Green
financing will be introduced. The DFI will be used to Scheme, currently applicable to tomatoes, onions,
establish a lending portfolio of at least five lakh crore and potatoes, will be enlarged to include 22
rupees for financing infrastructure projects. A National perishable products. The Agriculture Infrastructure
Monetisation Pipeline of potential infrastructure Fund will be made available to APMCs to improve
assets such as dedicated freight corridor assets of infrastructure facilities.
the railways will be launched. Debt financing of real
estate and infrastructure investment trusts by foreign • Social Justice: To facilitate credit flow for SCs,
portfolio investors will be enabled to ease access of STs, and women, margin money requirement under
finance in the infrastructure and real estate sectors. Stand Up India scheme will be reduced from 25% to
15%. 750 Eklavya model residential schools will be
established in tribal areas.

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