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Government Data Roundup: Statistical Reports Released by Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Civil Aviation
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 24, 2022
In the fourteenth edition of the ‘Government Data Roundup’, we cover some of the vital monthly statistical reports released by the Department of Telecommunications, and Ministry of Civil Aviation, reports published in the sectors of Finance and Telecommunications among others.
Six months ago, Factly launched a new fortnightly series called the ‘Government Data Roundup’. The objective of this fortnightly roundup is to bring you a compilation of the important data and reports released by the government during those two weeks with information about the type of the data, the sector to which the data relates, the frequency of release, and a brief about the data. In this fourteenth edition we cover some of the vital monthly statistical reports released by the Department of Telecommunications, and Ministry of Civil Aviation. We also cover other important reports published in the sectors of Finance and Telecommunications.
Concept Note on Central Bank Digital Currency
Brief about the report
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is a digital form of currency notes issued by a central bank which may be used in addition to the other forms of money already available. It is expected to be easier, cheaper, and faster. The concept note released by the RBI explains the objectives, choices, benefits, and risks of issuing a CBDC in India, referred to as e₹ (digital Rupee). The note also discusses key considerations such as technology and design choices, possible uses of digital rupee, issuance mechanisms, etc. Further, it also assesses the implications of introduction of CBDC on the banking system, monetary policy, financial stability, and analyses privacy issues.
Key Highlights
Significance
The purpose of the document is to create awareness about CBDCs and lists out the planned features of the digital currency. The note also seeks to explain Reserve Bank’s approach towards introduction of the digital Rupee.
Market Study on The Film Distribution Chain in India: Key Findings and Observations
Brief about the report
The report is released by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). It highlights some of the key competition issues in the film distribution chain, as identified by stakeholders. It also discusses the role of various associations in the chain such as production, distribution, or exhibition level; the superior bargaining power of some entities and the resultant imbalances; the bottlenecks that exist at various levels; unequal distribution of risks; revenue-sharing arrangements; newer technologies in cinema; tying and bundling arrangements at the exhibition level, etc.
Methodology
Desk research and primary research including focus-group discussions, one-on-one meetings, post-discussion surveys, and written submissions of stakeholders was employed. 65 industry stakeholders and experts participated in the study, including nine exhibitors and their associations, 11 Bollywood producers and their associations, 14 producers from the Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam film industries, 11 OTT platforms, and six broadcasters and their associations.
Key Highlights
The following are some of the recommendations put forth by the commission-
Significance
The purpose of the study was to understand the state of competition in the film industry in view of the evolving industry dynamics related to digitization and to identify issues related to competition that can be resolved or mitigated through self-corrective measures to limit the need for Commission’s interventions. The aim is to encourage the production and dissemination of content and overall wellbeing of the stakeholders in the ecosystem and address bargaining power imbalances across the value-chain, if any.
Monthly Air Traffic Statistics
Brief about the data
Every month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) releases an analysis of air traffic data submitted by various domestic airlines. The report for the month of September 2022 was released in the previous fortnight. The report provides data on the number of passengers carried by domestic airlines, passenger load factor, number of cancellations and reasons behind them, market share of various airlines, complaints raised by passengers by reason and by airlines, among other things.
Key Highlights
Report on Drive Tests in 15 cities
Brief about the report
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), with the assistance of the Telecom Service Providers, conducts Drive Tests regularly in select cities and surrounding areas. The Drive Test were conducted in 15 cities across the country during the quarter ending June 2022. Separate reports are published for each city. The purpose of the Drive Tests is to assess the network quality provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers for voice and data services.
Key Highlights
Telecom Subscription Data- August 2022
Brief about the report
The monthly telecom statistics report provided by TRAI is the official source of data pertaining to subscription to telecom services in the country which helps keep track of the internet and phone network penetration in the country. It is important in these times when internet has become an integral part of life for education, health, banking, etc. following the pandemic. This monthly report gives data on telephone subscriptions- overall, urban, and rural, broadband subscriptions, wireless and wireline subscriptions, teledensity, market share of various service providers, and mobile number porting. Data is available at circle level and for each service provider.
Key Highlights
Direct Tax Collections for 2022-23 up to 08 October 2022
Brief about the data
The Ministry of Finance releases data on the total direct taxes collected every month. However, the provisional figures are published on different dates every month through press release and the data provided is as on the date on which the data is published. In the month of October 2022, the data on direct tax collections up to 08 October 2022 was published on the 09 October 2022.
Key Highlights
Featured Image: Government Data Roundup

created: October 24, 2022


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24% of all Padma Awards for Sportspersons went to Cricketers
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 4, 2019
From 1954 to 2019, a total of 234 civilian awards (Padma Awards & Bharat Ratna) were given to sportspersons. Cricketers won close to 24% of these awards, 56 to be precise. The only Bharat Ratna to a sportsperson was conferred on Sachin Tendulkar. 35 awards went to Mountaineers while 25 awards went to Hockey players. Sachin Tendulkar & Vishwanathan Anand won three different awards each while the most number of awardees (34) came from Maharashtra.
Padma Awards are the Civilian awards conferred by the Government of India. They are given in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. On the other hand, Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country. The Awards are given to individuals who excel in various disciplines like art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The Bharat Ratna is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
Padma Awards to Sportspersons
Padma Awards were given to individuals who excelled in the field of Sports since their inception in 1954. A total of 234 Padma Awards (including one Bharat Ratna) were given to Sportspersons between 1954 and 2019. Of them, 200 are the Padma Shri, 30 are the Padma Bhushan, 3 are the Padma Vibhushan & one the Bharat Ratna. Sachin Tendulkar received the Bharat Ratna, while he along with Vishwanathan Anand & Edmund Hillary received the Padma Vibhushan in the year 2008. Padma awards were given to individuals from 32 different sports. At least two or more awards were given to individuals from 17 different sports while only one award was given to individuals from 15 different sports.
Cricketers lead the pack
Out of 234 awards given to sportspersons, 56 went to Cricketers, 35 to Mountaineers, 25 to Hockey Players, 23 to Athletes, 11 to Tennis players, 10 to Badminton players, 10 to Wrestlers, 7 to Chess players,  6 each to Boxers, Billiards players & Football players, 5 each to Swimmers & Shooters. In all, about 24% of all the awards went to Cricketers. Most of the 35 awardees in Mountaineering are from the North East. Cricket, Mountaineering, Hockey & Athletics together accounted for close to 60% of the awards to Sportspersons. Though the Indian Hockey team won a total of eight Olympic gold medals, only 25 Hockey players were given these awards till date, less than half of the awards to Cricketers.
The Top 4 Sports by Awards won
Cricketers were given the highest number of awards in all the four categories. Among Cricketers who were given these awards, 43 were given Padma Shri, 11 Padma Bhushan , one Padma Vibhushan and one Bharat Ratna. Among Mountaineers, 29 were given Padma Shri, 5 Padma Bhushan and one Padma Vibhushan. Among the Hockey players, 24 were given Padma Shri and one Padma Bhushan to Dhyan Chand. All the 23 awards given to Athletes are Padma Shri.
Who won the Highest Number of Awards?
A total of 15 individuals won at least two such awards. Sachin Tendulkar and Vishwanathan Anand are the only ones to have won 3 awards each. Six (6) of these fourteen (14) people are Cricketers, 3 are Mountaineers & 2 are Tennis players.  (BR – Bharat Ratna, PV- Padma Vibhushan, PB- Padma Bhushan, PS – Padma Shri)
Most number of Awardees from Maharashtra
Only 9 states have at least 10 awardees who are Sportspersons.  Topping this list is Maharashtra with 34 awardees followed by Delhi (29), West Bengal (20), Punjab (16), Karnataka (16) ,Tamil Nadu (16), Haryana (15) and Telangana (14) in that order. Close to half the awardees from Maharashtra are Cricketers.

source: news-factly

created: February 4, 2019

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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24°C setting for air conditioners is recommended for energy conservation - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 19, 2021
A post recommending to use air conditioners above 26 degrees with the fan on is being shared on social media platforms. The post claiming to be from the Ministry of Power cites some health-related and energy conservation reasons for doing so. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: For optimal utilisation, the Ministry of Power recommended to use air conditioners above 26 degrees Celsius, for energy conservation & health reasons.
Fact: The Central government in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has notified new energy performance standards for Room Air Conditioner according to which all brands and types of star-labelled RACs, which are rated from one star to five stars based on their energy efficiencies shall ensure default setting of temperature in the room air conditioners at 24 degrees Celsius, with effect from January 1, 2020. Further, the BEE has cited energy conservation as the rationale behind this move. However, neither the Ministry nor the BEE has mentioned any of the health issues like hypothermia, arthritis, etc. as a reason behind their move. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a press release by PIB dated 06 January 2020. As per the article, the central government in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has notified new energy performance standards for Room Air Conditioner (RACs) on 30 October 2019, according to which “All brands and types of star labelled room air conditioners, namely, Multi-Stage Capacity Air Conditioners, Unitary Air Conditioners and Split Air Conditioners which are rated from one star to five star, based on their relative energy efficiencies up to a rated cooling capacity of 10,465 Watts (9,000 kcal/hour) and manufactured, commercially purchased or sold in India, shall ensure default setting of temperature in the room air conditioners at twenty-four degrees Celsius with effect from the 1st January 2020”. This basically means that when we switch on our air conditioner, it will start by default at 24 degrees Celsius default temperature. A Times of India news article which reported the same can be read here. In all likelihood, this central government notification could have been the basis for the viral message in the post.
However, back in 2018, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has issued guidelines for all commercial and public buildings like airports, hotels, shopping malls, government buildings, etc. to optimize the temperature setting at 24-25 degrees Celsius by setting the air conditioner temperature accordingly. Further, the BEE has cited energy conservation as the rationale behind this move.
As reported by PIB back in 2018, BEE gave a lowdown on their recommendations regarding the setting of air conditioner temperature. However, neither the Ministry nor the BEE has mentioned any of the health issues like hypothermia, arthritis, etc. as a reason behind their move. Also as per the lowdown, India is not the only country to regulate the functioning of air conditioners. According to BEE, ‘Japan introduced a default setting for air conditioners at 28 degrees Celsius. While in the U.S, states like California have enforced limits on lowering the air condition beyond 26 degrees Celsius’.
To sum it up, central government has recommended a default setting of 24 degree celsius for air conditioner’s sold or manufactured in India for energy conservation.


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25 out of 33 Patanjali ads found violating ASCI Code
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 7, 2017
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) found more than 500 instances of advertisements in electronic media that were making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims. ASCI also found that 25 out of 33 advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved violated the ASCI code.
Misleading advertisements are a common thing these days in both print & electronic media. Even the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Government of India has information on a large number of instances of misleading advertisements in various media. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a voluntary self-regulatory body of Advertisement Industry has been appointed by the government as their executive arm to process complaints received about misleading advertisements. As per information shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, between 2013 and 2016, ASCI found more than 500 instances of advertisements in electronic media that were making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims. Between April 2015 and July 2016, complaints have been received against 33 advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved Limited out of which 25 were found to be violating the ASCI code.
How are Misleading Advertisements dealt?
Section 2 (1) (r) of the existing Consumer Protection Act 1986 states that the practice of making any statement, whether orally or in writing or by visible representation which falsely represents that the goods are of a particular standard, quality, quantity, grade, composition style or model; falsely represents that the services are of a particular standard, quality or grade, falls under unfair trade practices.
A consumer can make a complaint against unfair trade practice in a Consumer Forum established under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. If the complaint is upheld by a Consumer Forum, it can order for removal of the defect pointed out, replacing the goods with new goods free from any defect, issuance of corrective advertisement to neutralize the effect of misleading advertisement at the cost of the party responsible for issuing such misleading advertisement, etc.
The DoCA has recently launched a portal to enable consumers to register Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements (GAMA). After preliminary scrutiny of the grievances registered on the portal, the grievances are forwarded to the State Government concerned or the respective Central Regulator based on the subject matter.   Between March 2015 and March 2016, 1046 complaints have been received through the GAMA portal.
What is ASCI then?
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is a voluntary self-regulatory body of Advertisement Industry. It self-regulates advertising content to monitor and decide on complaints against advertisements making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims. Rule 7(9) of the Advertising Code  states that no Advertisement which violate the code for self-regulation in advertising as adopted by ASCI , shall be carried in the cable service. In 2015, the government appointed ASCI as its executive arm to process complaints received on the GAMA portal about misleading advertisements. ASCI also receives direct complaints from citizens.
Between 2013 and 2016, a total of 525 advertisements in electronic media were found to be making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims by ASCI.
25 advertisements of Patanjali were found to be violating ASCI code
As per data shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, complaints have been received against 33 advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved Limited during April 2015 and July 2016, appearing in various media such as TV, Print and Product packaging and in various sectors such as Food and Beverages, Personal care, Health care etc.
A total 17 advertisements out of 21 advertisements complained against, were found to be in violation of ASCI code for self-regulation of advertising content while the remaining four product packaging claims were not found to be in violation of ASCI Code.
Six (6) product packaging communications out of 8 complaints were considered to be in violation of ASCI code. Two (2) TV advertisements out of 4 complaints were considered to be in violation of ASCI code. In all, 25 out of the 33 advertisements were found to be violating ASCI code.
For instance, one of the advertisements about Patanjali Dant Kanti was found to be misleading since there was no scientific data to prove the claims.
The advertisements of various other companies like Vodafone, Idea, Airtel, Hero Motocorp, Tata Motors, Uber, Loreal, Proctor & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever etc were also found to be violating the ASCI code. As per ASCI data, more than 80% of the advertisers have either withdrawn or modified their ad accordingly after directions from ASCI.
Featured Image: Ads violating ASCI Code

created: January 7, 2017


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25% of all Padma Awards in Sports went to Cricketers
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 27, 2018
From 1954 to 2018, a total of 225 civilian awards (Padma Awards & Bharat Ratna) were given to sportspersons. Cricketers won close to 25% of these awards, 55 of them to be precise. The only Bharat Ratna to a sportsperson was conferred on Sachin Tendulkar. 34 awards went to Mountaineers while 25 awards went to Hockey players. Sachin Tendulkar & Vishwanathan Anand won three different awards each while the most number of awardees (34) came from Maharashtra.
Padma Awards are the Civilian awards conferred by the Government of India. They are given in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. On the other hand, Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country. The Awards are given to individuals who excel in various disciplines like art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field.The Bharat Ratna is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
Padma Awards to Sportspersons
Padma Awards were given to individuals who excelled in the field of Sports since their inception in 1954. A total of 225 Padma Awards (including one Bharat Ratna) were given to Sportspersons between 1954 and 2018. Of them, 192 are Padma Shri, 29 are Padma Bhushan, 3 are Padma Vibhushan & one Bharat Ratna. Sachin Tendulkar received the Bharat Ratna, while he along with Vishwanathan Anand & Edmund Hillary received the Padma Vibhushan. Padma awards were given to individuals from 31 different sports. At least two or more awards were given to individuals from 17 different sports while only one award was given to individuals from 14 different sports.
Cricketers lead the pack
Out of 225 awards given to sportspersons, 55 were given to Cricketers, 34 to Mountaineers, 25 to Hockey Players, 23 to Athletes, 11 to Tennis players, 10 to Badminton players, 9 to Wrestlers, 6 each to Chess players,  Boxers & Billiards players, 5 each to Swimmers, Football players & Shooters. In all, about 25% of all the awards went to Cricketers. Most of the 34 awardees in Mountaineering are from the North East. Cricket, Mountaineering, Hockey & Athletics together accounted for close to 61% of the awards to Sportspersons. Though the Indian Hockey team won a total of eight Olympic gold medals, only 25 Hockey players were given these awards till date. The Top 4 Sports by Awards won
Cricketers were given the highest number of awards in all the four categories. Among Cricketers who were given these awards, 42 were given Padma Shri, 11 Padma Bhushan , one Padma Vibhushan and one Bharat Ratna. Among Mountaineers, 29 were given Padma Shri, 4 Padma Bhushan and one Padma Vibhushan. Among the Hockey players, 24 were given Padma Shri and one Padma Bhushan to Dhyan Chand. All the 23 awards given to Athletes were Padma Shri.
Who Won the Highest Number of Awards?
A total of 14 individuals won at least two such awards. Sachin Tendulkar and Vishwanathan Anand are the only ones to have won 3 awards each. Six (6) of these fourteen (14) people are Cricketers, two are Mountaineers & two are Tennis players.  (BR – Bharat Ratna, PV- Padma Vibhushan, PB- Padma Bhushan, PS – Padma Shri)
Most number of Awardees from Maharashtra
Only 9 states have at least 10 awardees from sports. Topping this list is Maharashtra with 34 awardees followed by Delhi (28), West Bengal (20), Punjab (16), Karnataka (16) ,Tamil Nadu (15), Haryana (14) and Telangana (13) in that order. Close to half the awardees from Maharashtra are Cricketers.
Please find the related Infographic here

created: January 27, 2018


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(25 September 2023) Government Data Roundup: Reports by RBI, MoSPI, TRAI Among Those Released Recently - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 25, 2023
In this 38th edition of fortnightly government data roundup, we look we look at the RBI Bulletin for September 2023 and draft master directions on treatment of wilful defaulters. RBI also released Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy 2022-23. We also look at some of the other releases by RBI and TRAI.
In this 38 edition of fortnightly government data roundup, we look at the RBI Bulletin for September 2023 and draft master directions on the treatment of wilful defaulters. RBI also released Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy 2022-23. This is a compilation of 240 statistical tables covering macroeconomic and financial variables pertaining to national income aggregates, output, prices, money, banking, financial markets, public finances, foreign trade, and balance of payments as well as select socio-economic indicators.
In addition to these, we look at some of the releases by RBI and TRAI. Among the monthly reports, quick estimates of the Index of Industrial Production, CPI for rural, urban, and combined, CPI for agricultural and rural laborers were released. The explainer on key price indices can be read here.
Key statistics from these reports are as below.
In addition to these monthly releases, some of the significant releases in this fortnight are below:
TRAI:
RBI:
RBI Bulletin- September 2023
Brief about the report:
RBI releases monthly bulletin consisting of research articles, speeches by RBI, and some current statistics. These are important as they provide different perspectives on the functioning of the economy. September Bulletin consists of five articles:
Key highlights of the bulletin:
Draft Master Direction – Treatment of Wilful Defaulters and Large Defaulters
Brief about the report:
The draft Master Direction aims to expand the range of entities that can label borrowers as wilful defaulters while also broadening the definition of such defaults. It seeks to enhance the process of identifying wilful defaults, necessitating a review and resolution within six months of classifying an account as non-performing. The primary goal of these guidelines is to establish a fair and transparent procedure, in line with principles of natural justice, for lenders when designating a borrower as a wilful defaulter.
Key highlights of the draft:

created: September 25, 2023


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2500 Death Penalties since the year 2000, only 4 Executions
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 30, 2020
The convicts in the gruesome Nirbhaya rape incident are to be executed on 01 February 2020. As per NCRB data, close to 2500 death penalties were awarded since 2000. However, only 4 persons were executed during this period.
Aftermore than seven years since the horrific Nirbhaya incident in the nationalcapital, the four convicts have been issued death warrants and are due to
be executed (hanged)on 01 February  2020. The imminentexecution of these convicts has once again triggered the debate around capitalpunishment as a deterrent.
Data from one of  NCRB’s annual reports, the ‘Prison Statistics India’ suggests that around four hundred prisoners in Indian jails, by end of 2018, were those who were awarded capital punishment.
186 sentenced to capital
punishment in 2018
In2018 alone, 186 persons were awarded capital punishment in the country. Ofthis, 26 were reported from Madhya Pradesh, 25 from Uttar Pradesh, andJharkhand & Maharashtra reported 20 each. These four states alone accountfor 49% of the total capital punishments awarded in 2018. While 5 states and Delhireported one each, nine states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim,Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, and Jammu and Kashmirreported zero capital punishments in 2018.
Death sentence of 65
convicts commuted to life imprisonment with Bihar leading the way
Commutation of adeath sentence is done based on provisions under IPC & CrPC by theappropriate government. This is covered under Section 54 of the IPC and Section432, 433 and 433A of the CrPC. Moreover, the convict can also file a mercypetition, decision on which is the discretion of the President of India or therespective State Governor as per Articles 72 and 161 (exercise of clemency) ofthe Constitution.
However,the death sentence of 65 convicts was commuted to life imprisonment in 2018.Bihar reported 12 such cases (18.5%), Madhya Pradesh reported 11 (16.9%) andRajasthan reported 10 cases (15.4%). Together, these states accounted foralmost 51% such cases.
402 prisoners in India
are those awaiting death sentence and 19% of them are in Maharashtra
Inaddition to the 186 persons sentenced to death in 2018, there were 206 prisonersconvicted in previous years and awarded death penalty, thereby resulting in atotal of 402 prisoners serving capital punishment or death penalty. Theseconvicts accounted for 0.3% of the total convicts behind the bars in India in2018.
76(18.9%) out of 402 convicts sentenced with capital punishment were lodged inthe prisons in Maharashtra.  UttarPradesh (10.9%) accounted for the second highest number of such convictsfollowed by Madhya Pradesh (10%). Though as per the report, West Bengal had 37such convicts amounting to 9.2% of the national total, it should be noted thatdata furnished in 2017 was used in the report for West Bengal since 2018 datawas not submitted.
Thereport also makes it clear that no one was executed in 2018.
Of 2493 people awarded
capital punishment since 2000, only four have been executed till date
Sincethe beginning of this millennium, while a total of 2493 persons were awardedcapital punishment, only four executions have taken place in India-DhananjoyChatterjee in 2004, Ajmal Kasab in 2012, Afzal Guru in 2013 and Yakub Memon in2015. Four convicts in the Nirbhaya case are set to be hanged on 01 February2020 at Tihar Jail.
About 131 persons
sentenced to capital punishment every year
Onaverage, around 131 persons are sentenced to capital punishment by courts inIndia annually. Although the numbers are fluctuating, the years 2007 and 2018witnessed the maximum number of capital punishments in the last 19 years with186 cases each. The year 2014 had the least number of such cases.
Delhi accounted for 76% of capital punishment commuted
between 2005 to 2007
During the periodfrom 2005 to 2007, an unusual surge was observed in the commutation of deathsentence. There is no additional information on such a spike during theseyears.
In 2005, 74% or 919out of 1241 commutations were reported in Delhi. Further, 117 cases from UP (9.4%)and 132 cases from Jharkhand (10.6%) were also reported in the same year.
In the followingyear, 2006, Delhi accounted for 79% of the cases (806 out of 1020) and in 2007as well, Delhi accounted for 82.4% (726 out of 881).
Apart from thesethree years, the number of commutations in each year was either less than 100or slightly more than 100.
Huge
disparities among States
There are huge state-wisedisparities in the award of capital punishment. Five states alone account formore than half the number of cases reported across the country.
Bihar, Karnataka,Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are five states that havereported a substantially higher number of convictions resulting in capitalpunishment as compared to the remaining states in 2018.
23% of the Capital Punishments were awarded in Uttar
Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh hasbeen consistently reporting a large number of people being sentenced to death. Atotal of 285 death sentences out of 1,224 in the last ten years were reportedfrom Uttar Pradesh alone which is around 23% of the total number. Maharashtrareported 111 sentences, Madhya Pradesh reported 115 and Bihar reported 107 suchinstances. Together, the five states accounted for 55.3% of the cases (677 outof 1224) in the last 10 years.
More than half the Commutations reported from 5 States
Since 2009,  Bihar had reported the maximum number of commutationswith 137 out of total 775 (17.6%). Uttar Pradesh was next in line with 13.8%(107). Karnataka (53), Madhya Pradesh (87) and Maharashtra (56) togetherreported 196 cases, amounting to a quarter of the total.
NCRB data does not give the actual picture
NCRB reports thenumbers related to death penalty without stating the stage of the case. Thesefigures may be that of sentences given by trial court or that which has beenupheld by High Court or those cases in which the mercy petitions are pending.The number of convicts who may have filed mercy petitions is also unknown.Hence it may be useful if NCRB categorises these numbers based on the stage ofthe case.
Data shows how execution in India is very slow
As the datareveals, there is a huge gap between the number of people sentenced to deathand the number of executions that actually take place. This can be attributedto the long delay in trials, appeals and executive clemency.
In the Bachan
Singh Vs. State of Punjab case in 1982, theSupreme Court stated that capital punishment was to be given only in the‘rarest of rare’ cases. The constitutionality of death penalty was upheld bythe SC in this case. The doctrine was aimed to reduce ambiguity in the kind ofcases which called for death penalty. Both aggravating circumstances (whypunishment should be severe) and mitigating circumstances (why punishment hasto lessen) were to be considered.
In India, deathpenalty is generally awarded in crimes related to rape, murder, terrorism andatrocities towards Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Law
Commission of India,in its report on death penalty in 2015, stated that there are 12 crimes underIPC and 22 other laws which prescribe death penalty.
The Commission had also recommended that the death penalty should be abolished in all cases except in terrorism-related crimes and waging war. However, no action has been taken in this respect till now despite global efforts to abolish the death penalty. The government amended the POCSO Act in 2019 so as to grant death penalty to those who indulge in aggravated sexual assault against children.
Featured Image: Death Penalties in India

created: January 30, 2020


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(26 March 2024) Government Data Roundup: HLC Report on One Nation, One Election, National Cooperative Database, Energy Statistics Report Among Those Released Recently. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 26, 2024
In this 45th edition of fortnightly government data roundup, we look at the High-Level Committee’s report on One Nation, One Election, National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report, Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes 2022-23, Energy Statistics India 2024, Coal Directory of India 2022-23 among others.
The importance of government reports cannot be overstated, as they serve as vital tools for policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to assess the state of various sectors, make informed decisions, and drive meaningful change. In this backdrop, we look at some of the key reports released in the last few weeks, such as the High-Level Committee’s report on One Nation, One Election – Simultaneous Elections core to Aspirational India, National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report, Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes 2022-23, Energy Statistics India 2024, Coal Directory of India 2022-23, and Press Release on Results of Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-23, in the 45 edition of Factly’s Fortnightly Government Data Roundup. These reports provide valuable insights and data that contribute to shaping policies, strategies, and initiatives for the betterment of the nation.
High level Committee report on One Nation, One Election
Brief about the report:
The report by the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, led by Ram Nath Kovind, the former President of India, was released by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The primary purpose of the report was to examine the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of holding simultaneous elections at various levels of government, including national, state, municipal, and panchayat elections, all within a synchronized timeframe. The report, spanning 18,626 pages, was prepared through consultations with stakeholders, experts and 191 days of research since the committee’s establishment on 02 September 2023.
Key recommendations of the committee:
National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report
About the report:
Recently, the Home Minister launched the National Cooperative Database 2023. The Database is a comprehensive web-based platform that captures data from cooperative societies, including National/State Federations. It includes information such as registered names, dates, locations, membership numbers, sectoral details, operational areas, economic activities, financial statements, audit statuses, and more. This centralized repository provides a detailed overview of the cooperative landscape, facilitating effective planning and analysis in the cooperative sector. Along with the dashboard, the report on the same was also unveiled.
Key figures from the report:
Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes, 2022-23
Brief about the report:
The Annual Report of the Ombudsman Scheme 2022-23 provides valuable insights and information on the progress and effectiveness of the ombudsman scheme in protecting customer interests in the finance sector. This report is the second one after the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) was launched in 2021. It is also the first standalone report released under RB-IOS.  A detailed story by Factly on complaints received by the Ombudsman for banking-related issues can be read here.
Key findings of the report:
Energy Statistics India 2024
About the report:
The Energy Statistics India 2024 report is a comprehensive publication aligned with international standards, offering insights into India’s energy landscape. It covers reserves, generation potential, installed capacity, production statistics, imports-exports, prices, energy availability, consumption patterns, and overall energy balance. Data is sourced from government ministries forms the basis of the report, showcasing India’s commitment to reliable, sustainable, and efficient energy systems. This is the 31st edition of the report published annually.
Key findings:
Coal Directory of India 2022-23
About the report:
The publication offers in-depth information on key aspects like coal reserves, production, productivity, stockpile at mining sites, performance of both captive and commercial coal blocks, distribution to different sectors based on grades, import-export figures, coal washeries, and various levies, among others. This comprehensive data equips stakeholders with reliable insights for making informed decisions, ultimately fostering the sustainable growth of the coal and lignite sector. While the Energy Statistics report seen earlier talks about all types of energy, including coal, the Coal Directory only covers information about coal and lignite.
Key statistics highlighted in the report:
Press Release on Results of Household Consumption Expenditure Survey: 2022-23 Factsheet
Brief about the publication:
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, conducted the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) from August 2022 to July 2023 covering 2.61 lakh households (including 1.5 lakh in rural areas and 1.06 lakh in urban areas) across the country. This survey focuses on estimating household Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) and its distribution across rural and urban areas, States, Union Territories, and various socio-economic groups within the country.
In the survey, the usual method of estimating consumption values, including items like home-grown produce and gifts has been continued. Additionally, they collected information on free consumption through social welfare programs and estimated the values of these items. A fact sheet of the survey was published by MoSPI.
Significant findings:


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Government Data Roundup: NLEM 2022, 1st advance estimates Kharif crops, IIP for July 2022,among data released recently.
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 26, 2022
In the twelfth edition of the ‘Government Data Roundup’, we cover NLEM 2022, 1st advance estimates of Kharif crops, IIP for July 2022, CPI/CFPI/WPI for August 2022, EPFO payroll data, Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy 2021-22 among others.
The twelfth edition of the fortnightly government data roundup covers the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022, National Logistics Policy 2022, Draft Indian Telecommunication Bill 2022, First Advance estimates of production of major Kharif crops, Index of Industrial Production for July 2022, Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) for Rural and Urban for August 2022, Wholesale Price Index for August 2022, CPI for Agricultural and Rural Labourers for August 2022, EPFO Payroll data and Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy 2021-22 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
In addition to these reports, some quick highlights of this fortnight are.
Brief about the report/data:
The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) is a key dynamic document impacting the health and medical needs of the population. The central aim of this list is to promote the rational use of medicines and ensure their adequate availability. First formulated in 1996, NLEM has undergone revisions in 2003, 2011 and 2015 before the latest revision in 2022. Three key aspects are looked at for consideration in the list – Cost, Safety and Efficacy. Based on these, a drug can be added or removed from the list. The number of medicines included in the 1996 list was 279, 354 in 2003, 348 in 2011, and 376 in 2015. Below are the criteria for making any changes to the list:
Key Highlights:
Brief about the policy:
Logistics serve as a bloodline to a nation’s economic development. Logistics form the epicentre of the entire trade- both internal and external. However, the high cost of logistics in India is a serious constraint in competing on a global scale. India’s cost of logistics comes to around 12% of GDP, which is way higher than many developed countries. India has been ranked 44 in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index 2018. Therefore, to reduce the costs, and make the entire industry efficient, the National Logistics Policy has been launched.
This is an extensive attempt to address cost and inefficiency by establishing a broad, multi-jurisdictional, cross-sectoral framework for the evolving logistics ecosystem. The government hopes that by implementing this policy, it will be able to reduce the reliance on the road systems for moving goods and explore other possibilities like rail, sea, and air transportation.
Key highlights:
Brief about the report:
India has the second-largest telecommunications ecosystem in the world. Over 4 million people are employed in the telecommunications industry, which accounts for around 8% of the nation’s GDP. The Indian Telegraph Act, of 1885 serves as the foundation for the current regulatory structure for the telecommunications industry. The telecommunications industry had undergone significant changes since then. A solid legal framework is therefore required to ensure the orderly rollout of new communications technologies in the future, while also preserving constitutional and procedural safeguards and keeping in mind the importance of cybersecurity, national security, and public safety.
Key Highlights:
Brief about the report:
Since 1998, a comprehensive database of financial and macroeconomic information has been made available in the yearly “Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy.” The Handbook for the year 2021–2022, the 24th in the series, includes 237 statistical tables that cover time series on a variety of variables and indicators related to national income, output, prices, money, banking, financial markets, public finance, foreign trade, the balance of payments, and select socioeconomic indicators at different frequencies.
Key Highlights:
Brief about the report:
The advanced estimate of agriculture production presents a detailed estimation of the production of agricultural products in a financial year and its share in the GDP. The data pertaining to the production of major crops including pulses, foodgrains, oilseeds, sugarcane, jute, cotton, etc., are provided in the report. Data from 2008-09 to 2020-21 is available alongside the estimates for 2021-22. The assessment of the production of different crops is based on the data received from States and validated with information available from other sources. This data is useful for deciding on budget allocation and gives an idea of the contribution of this sector to the GDP.
Key Highlights of the report:
Brief about the report:
CPI measures the changes in the price level of goods and services that are consumed in a household. It has a fixed basket of goods and services that includes Food and Beverages; Pan, tobacco, and intoxicants; clothing and footwear; housing; fuel and light, and miscellaneous. Each of these categories has weights assigned to them. Along with this, the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) is also measured, which is the change in prices of food products consumed by the population. The base year had been changed from 2010 to 2012 from 2015 onwards and the data is collected from 1181 villages & 1114 urban markets across the country. It is a Laspeyre’s index, which is calculated as, CPI – (Total cost of a fixed basket of goods & services in a particular period*100)/ (Total cost of a fixed basket of goods & services in base period)
Key Highlights of the report:
Significance:
Brief about the report:
This index measures the changes in the level of industrial production in a given economy. It indicates the mood of industrial activity in the country. The base year for this index is 2011-12, and it is assigned a value of 100. While the annual survey of industries gives a complete and detailed picture of industrial activity, this index gives a short-term analysis of industrial performance. The data for this index is sourced from 14 different agencies like the Indian Bureau of mines, coffee board, tea board, central electricity authority and others.
For this index, industrial production is categorized into three sectors – Mining (14.3%), Manufacturing (77.6%), and Electricity (7.99%). The values in the brackets denote their relative weights. Alternatively, there is also a ‘use-based’ classification of goods – primary goods (34.05%), capital goods (8.22%), intermediate goods (17.22%), infrastructure goods (12.34%), consumer durables (12.84%), and consumer non-durables (15.33%).
Key Highlights:
Significance:
Brief about the index:
It is the average change in the prices of wholesale commodities. The index basket comprises three categories – Primary Articles (117 items, 22.62% of total weight), fuel and power (16 items, 13.15% of total weight) and manufactured products (564 items, 64.23% of total weight). The weights accorded to each category are based on the value of production adjusted for net imports. The base year for this index is 2011-12. It is important to note that WPI does not include services. It focuses on the prices of goods that are traded between the organizations and not on the goods brought by the consumers. WPI is also known as the ‘headline inflation rate’ in India.
Key Highlights:
Significance of the index:
This index provides an estimation of inflation at a wholesale level, providing insight into the prevailing macroeconomic conditions in the country.
Brief about the data:
The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation started publishing this data in April 2018 covering the period from September 2017 onwards. Information on the number of subscribers under three major schemes- the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme, the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme and the National Pension Scheme (NPS) has been used. There could be some overlap in the subscription counts from different sources. As a result, the estimations from different sources do not add up. The data gives different perspectives on the level of employment in the formal sector in the country. However, it does not measure employment at a holistic level.
Key Highlights:
Brief about the data:
Since September 1964, the Labour Bureau had been gathering CPI numbers for agricultural labourers. With effect from November 1995, the current series of CPI Numbers for (i) Agricultural and (ii) Rural Laborers (base 1986-87=100) superseded the prior series on base 1960-61=100. The Field Operations Division (FOD) of the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) regularly gathers data on prices from 600 sample villages chosen from 20 States each month to compile these index statistics. The CPI-AL/RL is compiled using the methodology recommended by the Technical Advisory Committee on Statistics of Prices & Cost of Living. Although the rural retail prices used in these two series of index values are the same, different weighting diagrams were employed to create these indices.
Key Highlights:
Featured Image: Government Data Roundup

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drough affected districts
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 9, 2016
As per the information given by the government in the Rajya Sabha, 266 districts in 11 different states are declared drought affected in 2015-16.  A total of 13497 crore rupees has been approved for drought relief by the NDRF in 2015-16.
Certain parts of the country are reeling under a severe drought. The impact is also visible in the amount of food grain production. The food grain production in 2015-16 has decreased compared to the average production of the preceding 5 years. The average food grain production between 2010-11 and 2014-15 is 255.59 million tonnes, while in 2015-16, it is estimated to be at 253.16 million tones. As on date, 266 districts in 11 different states have been declared drought affected in 2015-16.
More than 70% districts drought affected in 8 states
Out of the 11 states that have drought affected districts, more than 70% of the districts are affected in eight of these states. In both Chhattisgarh & Karnataka, 93% of the districts are drought affected followed by Jharkhand with 92% drought affected districts. 90% of the districts are drought affected in both Odisha & Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra has 78% drought affected districts, Andhra Pradesh has 77% and Telangana has 70% drought affected districts. 2/3 of the districts are drought affected in Uttar Pradesh while 58% of the districts are drought affected in Rajasthan. Out of the 11 states, Gujarat has the lowest percentage (15%) of drought affected districts.
In terms of absolute numbers, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of drought affected districts (50) followed by Madhya Pradesh (46). More than 20 districts are affected by drought in five other states.
Except in Karnataka, all other districts are drought affected in Kharif
Except in Karnataka, districts in other states were declared drought affected during Kharif season. In Karnataka, 27 districts were declared as drought affected during Kharif out of which 12 were declared drought affected in Rabi as well. As per the available information, the overall deficiency in the rainfall in 2015-16 was 14% over the Long Period Average (LPA).
Close to 13500 crore released from NDRF for drought relief
The State Governments are primarily responsible for taking necessary relief measures during natural calamities like drought. Government of India (GOI) supplements efforts of State Government with financial assistance and logistical support.
For undertaking relief measures, funds are available with State Government in the form of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). SDRF is funded both by the State and Central Governments.  Additional financial assistance over and above what is available with SDRF, is granted form the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on the basis of the requests received from State Governments. The financial assistance and relief to the victims of the calamities is to be given based on the revised norms by the Government of India.
In 2015-16, various states had submitted requests on drought, seeking financial assistance from NDRF. Close to 13500 crore rupees has been approved from NDRF for drought relief in 10 different states affected by drought. Maharashtra has been given the highest amount of relief (3049 crore) followed by Karnataka with 2263 crore for two seasons. Madhya Pradesh is given 2033 crore for drought relief. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh & Chhattisgarh were given more than 1000 crore for drought relief.
Featured image: By Pushkarv [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons


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(27 February 2023) Government Data Roundup: Reports by RBI, Registrar General, NITI Aayog Among The Data/Reports Released Recently
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 27, 2023
The 23rd edition of the fortnightly government roundup covers reports released by the Reserve Bank of India, NITI Aayog, and the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI).
In this 23 edition of the Fortnightly Government Data Roundup, we look at the reports released by the Reserve Bank of India, NITI Aayog, and the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI). The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India also released a Consultation Paper.
Compendium of 75 Agri Entrepreneurs and Innovators
About the report
There are multiple initiatives of the Government of India such as the Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge launched by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy in partnership with the Startup India programme, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA), etc. which aim to encourage entrepreneurship in the domain of agriculture and allied sectors.
The report consists of 75 success stories of agriculture-technology entrepreneurs who have helped in creating employment for rural youth and women across the country. Efforts have been made to include as many women entrepreneurs as possible in the report along with stories from SHGs, FPOs, social movements, farmers, etc.
Key findings
In addition to the basic details such as name, contact, and location, the success stories include an overview of the Start-Ups, the business models adopted, the technology used, and the impact generated. The report highlights that technology is the best facilitator to bring Agriculture 4.0, the Fourth Agriculture Revolution in India. Technology-aided agriculture has the potential to improve the overall efficiency of agricultural operations and supply chains. It added that the next ten years are expected to be extremely conducive for the growth of agri-tech startups as the pandemic led to prospects and opportunities mushrooming across the agricultural value chains. Further, it asserted that Indian agritech startups should take active steps to capitalize on the opportunity to transform the face of the agriculture sector by leveraging technology.
Sample Registration System (SRS) – Cause of Death in India 2017-2019
Brief about the report
Data on the levels and causes of mortality is necessary to determine the public health importance of specific health problems and in designing appropriate interventions to reduce mortality. The report on ‘Causes of Death in India’ under the domain of Sample Registration System (SRS) is released on an annual basis to ensure the availability of reliable, timely, representative, and relevant information on causes of death due to diseases, injuries and risk factors for the entire cross-section of the population in the country.
The report is based on direct source and provides causes of death classified by age, sex, and residence for all states including empowered action group states and Assam & other States and major zones across the country. The top ten causes of death stratified by different variables besides examining the mortality from special conditions such as cardiovascular disease, malignant & other neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS have been covered in the report.
Key Highlights
RBI Occasional Papers
About the publication
The objective of the Reserve Bank of India Occasional Papers is to publish high-quality research produced by the staff of the RBI on a broad array of issues of interest to a large audience including academics and policymakers. The papers selected for publications are subject to intense review by internal and external referees.
Key Highlights
This issue contains four articles and three book reviews. These are
Articles
Book Reviews
Competitiveness and Determinants of Agricultural Exports – Evidence from India
About the publication
The Reserve Bank of India introduced the RBI Working Papers series in March 2011. These papers present research in progress of the staff members of the RBI and at times also those of external co-authors, when the research is jointly undertaken. They are disseminated to elicit comments and further debate which may be forwarded to the authors.
Key Findings
This paper explores the relative export competitiveness (REC) of eight agricultural commodities (rice, wheat, maize, gram, groundnut, onion, bovine meat, and shrimp) from 1990 to 2020 since domestic and global commodity price cycles influence India’s export competitiveness of agricultural commodities.
Consultation Paper on ‘Introduction of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Provider Authorization under Unified License (UL)’
About the paper
A robust Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) is necessary for economic development both by increasing productivity and by providing amenities that enhance the quality of life. Many countries have aligned their telecom licensing framework to increase the utilization of resources, reduction of cost, attract investment and strengthen the service delivery segment by segregating the infrastructure/network layer and service/ application layers. The advantage of such frameworks is that they simplify the licensing process and provide a more conducive environment for market growth and improvement of the socioeconomic welfare of the society while considering the convergence of technologies.
Even the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP-2018) emphasizes a lot on digital infrastructure stating that ‘Digital infrastructure and services are increasingly emerging as key enablers and critical determinants of a country’s growth and well-being’. NDCP-2018 also envisages ‘Enabling unbundling of different layers (e.g., infrastructure, network, services, and applications layer) through differential licensing’, as one of the strategies for fulfilling its ‘Propel India’ mission.
In light of this, TRAI seeks the views of stakeholders on the proposed DCIP authorization under the Unified License. Written comments on the Consultation Paper are invited from stakeholders by 09 March 2023.
RBI Monthly Bulletin
The Monthly RBI Bulletin for the month of February 2023 revealed that Indians spent nearly USD 1,138 million on travel as per data of the Outward Remittances under the LRS in the month of December 2022 alone. Indians spent more than a billion US dollars in the months of November and December 2022, for international travel. More details about the RBI bulletin were covered in an earlier edition of the Fortnightly Government Data Roundup.
RBI Forward-Looking Surveys
Apart from these, the results of RBI’s Forward-Looking Surveys which are carried out on a regular basis were released earlier this month. The details of forward-looking surveys have been discussed in the previous editions of the data roundup. The survey results of the following, based on the feedback received from the respondents, were released on the RBI website:

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(27 March 2023) Government Data Roundup: Reports By MoSPI, NITI Aayog Among Those Released Recently
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 27, 2023
The 25th edition of the fortnightly government roundup covers reports released by MoSPI, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Coal, and Ministry of Fisheries among others.
In this 25 edition of the Fortnightly roundup of government data, we look at some of the reports released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Coal, and the Ministry of Fisheries. We also look at the key updates presented in some monthly releases, details of which were discussed in older fortnightly roundups.
Task Force Report on “Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability of Gaushalas”
About the report
NITI Aayog had constituted a 17-member Task Force to suggest measures to make Gaushalas self-sustaining entities while addressing the problem of stray and abandoned cattle and effective utilization of cow dung and cow urine in the agriculture and energy sectors. The report provides factual estimates of operating costs and fixed costs and other issues in respect of gaushalas and the cost and investments involved in setting up the Bio-CNG plant and PROM plant in Gaushalas. It also gives suggestions and recommendations for improving the financial and economic viability of Gaushalas, channelizing the potential of stray, abandoned and uneconomic cattle wealth for promoting natural and organic farming.
Key highlights
A total of 22 recommendations have been listed in the report. These recommendations cover the processing of gobar, manufacturing agricultural inputs from it, standardization of products, marketing, policy support and research. Some of the key recommendations are:
Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2022
Brief about the report
The publication gives an overview of the Animal Husbandry sector briefly in terms of important livestock statistics such as livestock population, livestock production and other information like animal diseases, infrastructure, etc. It is the primary source of data on production estimates of four Major Livestock Products (MLPs) like Milk, Egg, Meat and Wool for the year 2021-22 and other technical aspects of the Integrated Sample Survey (ISS). The Survey was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022.
Additionally, the report also contains data of secondary information like livestock population as per the latest 20th Livestock Census, import and export data of livestock and livestock products, the incidence of livestock disease, infrastructure, and economic contribution of the livestock sector.
Some important findings
Purpose of the report
The report is an important repository of data pertaining to animal husbandry in the country and is used by Governments, private agencies, and other institutions etc. for effective planning, policy, decision-making and research.
Energy Statistics India 2023
About the report
The report is an integrated database on the energy statistics in the country for the year 2021-22 and is the 30 in the series. It collates statistics on energy resources in the country from different ministries and departments of the Government of India such as the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It presents state-wise data on energy reserves and capacity, extraction, production, distribution, losses, storage, trade, and final consumption of energy products. Further, it also provides information on the environmental impact of the energy sector like combustion, emission, and India’s performance with respect to various energy indicators for sustainability in 2021-22.
Key findings
Women and Men in India 2022
Brief about the publication
The annual publication “Women and Men in India” is a comprehensive report that puts together data on a wide range of topics such as education, health, employment, and political participation, among others. It presents data disaggregated by gender, urban-rural divide, and geographical region, which helps understand the disparities that exist between different groups of women and men. The 24 issue of the publication was released recently in which a new chapter on SDGs and gender has been added.
Important findings
The details of the following monthly publications were discussed earlier. Some key developments in these publications released this month have been covered here.
RBI’s Bulletin
The latest RBI bulletin for March 2023 revealed that India has emerged from the pandemic years stronger than initially thought, with a steady gathering of momentum since the second quarter of the current financial year even as global growth is set to slow down or even enter a recession in 2023 as global financial markets wager.
Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production
For January 2023, the Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 stands at 146.5. The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of January 2023 stand at 135.9, 144.3 and 186.6 respectively.
All-India Consumer Price Index Number for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers
The All-India Consumer Price Index Number for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers (Base: 1986-87=100) for February 2023 increased by 1 point each to stand at 1171 and 1182 points respectively. The maximum upward pressure on the general index of Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers came from the miscellaneous group to the extent of 0.93 & 0.98 points respectively mainly due to increases in prices of medicine, doctor’s fees, barber charges, bus fare, washing shops, cinema ticket, etc.
Featured Image: Government Data Roundup


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fraudulent marriage in Indian Missions
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 30, 2016
As per data available with the government, 275 complaints of fraudulent marriage have been received in 12 Indian Missions abroad from 2011-12 to 2014-15. Most complaints were received in New York.
Complaints of fraudulent marriage by Indians living abroad have become very common. In most cases, the husband is already married, or the wife is abandoned in the foreign country or the husband demands for dowry. As per data available with the Indian Missions abroad, 275 complaints of fraudulent marriage have been received in 12 Indian Missions abroad from 2011-12 to 2014-15. These are only the formal complaints received in Indian Missions. There are hundreds of other cases of exploitation and harassment of Indian women working abroad as noted by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.
275 Complaints in 4 years – Highest in New York
The least number of complaints in these 4 years were received in 2014-15 while the highest were received in 2013-14. All these 275 complaints were received in 12 different missions while 107 other missions didn’t receive a single complaint.
Out of all Indian Missions, New York received the maximum number of such complaints (99) in the last 4 years followed by Ottawa (67). The Indian Missions in Edinburgh, Frankfurt and Perth received only one complaint each in the last 4 years. In terms of countries, 150 of the 275 complaints were received in missions in the USA followed by 67 in Canada.  Missions in Britain received the third highest number of complaints (32) followed by 16 in Yemen.
Though New York received the maximum number of complaints during this period, the number of complaints in New York has come down from 44 in 2011-12 to 6 in 2014-15. The number of complaints in London has gone up from 8 in 2011-12 to 10 in 2014-15. The number of complaints in Yemen (Sana’a) & San Francisco have come down while the complaints in other missions remained more or less the same.
What type of complaints is received?
In most of the cases in New York, the husband is already married in the USA and marries again in India.  In some cases in New York, the Indian spouse comes to USA and marries another person in USA. In Washington DC, complaints like abandonment by husband, abuse and demand for dowry were received. Most of the complaints received in London were about abandonment by the spouse. Most of the complaints received in San Francisco relate to domestic violence, demand of dowry, Harassment, mental and physical torture etc. Most of the complaints received in Ottawa were about abandonment by the spouse.
What do Indian Missions do in such cases?
The Indian Missions abroad extend legal and financial assistance to the Indian women who are deserted or divorced by their overseas spouses.  Various NGOs are empanelled in different countries to provide such assistance.
The Ministry of External Affairs has also launched an awareness-cum-publicity campaign to educate and sensitize prospective brides and their families with regard to problems arising out of marriages with overseas Indians and how due diligence can be exercised before entering into marital alliance with overseas Indians. The Ministry has also brought out a guidance booklet on ”Marriages to Overseas Indians”. This booklet contains information on safeguards available to women deserted by their NRI spouses, legal remedies available, authorities that can be approached for redressal of grievances and non-governmental organizations which can provide assistance.
The Indian Missions also implement a scheme called the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) for legal assistance to Indian women deserted by their overseas husbands. Monetary assistance is extended to Indian Women both for legal and other expenses. In most cases, the Indian Missions abroad provide counseling and also extend help to initiate legal proceedings. They also help in repatriation of the women deserted by their husbands by providing airfare etc.
Most of the Indian missions do not have information on the progress of these cases. Except in one case in Stockholm where the spouse was arrested, the Indian Missions either do not have information or nothing happened in such cases.
Featured Image:Marriages to Overseas Indians


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(28 August 2023) Government Data Roundup: Reports by MoSPI, RBI, DARPG, Labour Ministry Among Those Released Recently
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 28, 2023
In this 36th edition of the Fortnightly roundup of government data, we look at RBI’s Monthly bulletin along with the updated related to monthly reports like -Payroll,  CPI for Urban, Rural, and Combined, Index of Industrial Production and All-India Consumer Price Index Number of Agriculture Labourers and Rural Labourers etc. Highlights from, National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) – Way Forward Monthly Report for States/UTs are also included.
Key statistics from these reports are as below.
Here is a snapshot of other Monthly data published.
Payroll Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective – June 2023
MoSPI’s monthly report covers the period from September 2017 up to June 2023. Information on the number of subscribers for the three major schemes i.e., Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme, the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme and the National Pension Scheme (NPS) is provided.
National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) – Way Forward Monthly Report for States/UTs
About the report
Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) constituted the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) in 2019 as part of its mandate to boost e-government endeavours and drive digital government excellence. The biennial study assesses States, and Union Territories (UTs), and focuses Central Ministries on the effectiveness of e-Governance service delivery. NeSDA helps the respective governments improve their delivery of citizen-centric services and shares best practices across the country for all States, UTs and Central Ministries to emulate.
DARPG conducted its second edition of the NeSDA study in January 2021. NeSDA 2021 covered services across seven sectors – Finance, Labour and employment, Education, Local Governance & Utility Services, Social Welfare, Environment and Tourism sectors. The NeSDA 2021 report provided suggestions & recommendations for further improvement in the depth and effectiveness of e-Governance service delivery.
DARPG monitors the implementation of recommendations given in NesDA 2021, through monthly review meetings and e-governance conferences. A Monthly progress report is published which tracks the progress made in regard to the recommendations of NeSDA 2021. The objectives of the monthly report include – the saturation of e-services, promote faceless and suo-moto entitlement-based delivery of services, the unified portal and identification of bottlenecks and the dissemination of best practices.
DARPG has released the fifth edition of ‘National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) – Way Forward Monthly Report for States/UTs’, which provides a detailed overview of the status of e-service delivery across States/UTs. This July monthly report presents the status of e-services, and mandatory e-services (as per NeSDA 2021) and highlights the best practices, across States/UTs. It also underlines the saturation level of e-services provided through the States/UTs through a single unified service delivery portal. Moreover, the report especially features a deeper analysis of e-services provided in the education sector.
Highlights
A few of the best practices in the education sector highlighted in the report include G-Shala (Gujarat Students’ Holistic Adaptive Learning App) developed by the Government of Gujarat, the Common Scholarship portal by the Government of Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh Takniki Shiksha (HPTech) Board portal, digitization of the whole examination process in Karnataka through Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board portal, etc.
Reserve Bank of India Bulletin – August 2023
Reserve Bank of India released its monthly Bulletin for the month of August 2023.  The report includes information on current statistics, two speeches and five articles.
The five articles include:
Highlights


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(29 August 2022) Government Data Roundup: Production details of crude & petroleum, fourth advance estimates of agricultural crop production, Statistics on Deposits and Credit of SCBs among the data & reports released recently
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 29, 2022
In the tenth edition of the ‘Government Data Roundup’, we cover Monthly production details of crude & petroleum, Fourth advance estimates of agricultural crop production for 2021-22, Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of SCBs among others.
In the tenth edition of Factly’s Government Data Roundup (covering the period from 13 August 2022 to 26 August 2022) we look at some important reports & data released by the Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), and Rajya Sabha.
Department of Commerce Restructuring Dossier
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal released the ‘Department of Commerce Restructuring Dossier’ report aimed at preparing India to become a key global player in world trade. The report comprises of 14 volumes that define the role of each section within the department and lays down the expected outcomes and key performance indicators. These manuals would enable all the relevant stakeholders to understand their role in the revamped department and help the organization perform effectively. The restructuring exercise is focused on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and an Aatmanirbhar Commerce Department. It rests on five major objectives including increasing India’s share in global trade, assuming a leadership position in multilateral organisations like WTO and democratization of trade.
Vigyan Pragati
About the magazine:
CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), New Delhi also released the Special issue of its Popular Science Hindi magazine “Vigyan Pragati”. The first issue of this magazine was published in August 1952 and this year marks 70 years since the monthly magazine was first released. It aims at communicating Science & Technology to the masses in simple language.
The Hindi popular science magazine carries science stories and feature articles on contemporary national-international scientific issues, events, missions, and initiatives along with regular columns such as science fiction, crossword, science poetry, scientoon, book review, science quiz, etc. With pictures and illustrations, the magazine’s contents aim at igniting curiosity about science among the young and strive to develop an interest in them to pursue science. Those engaged in preparation for various competitive examinations, use this magazine as an authentic source of information on science and technology.
Monthly Production Report July 2022- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
About the report/data:
Every month, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas publishes a monthly production report of the previous month which contains details pertaining to the production of crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum products at the national level as well as state/UT level. The report is released through a press release. It also has statistics from the preceding month and the month under review, and the corresponding month in the previous year for comparison along with the cumulative statistics of production in the financial year. It also contains the targets set for production for different types of refineries, viz; on-shore and off-shore, refinery-wise details on crude oil processed.
Key Highlights:
Fourth advance estimates for 2021-22 of major agriculture crops
Brief about the report
The advanced estimate of agriculture production presents a detailed estimation of the output of the agricultural (foodgrains & oil seeds) in a crop year. The fourth advance estimates are the latest estimates for the 2021-22 crop year. The data pertaining to the production of major crops including pulses, foodgrains, oilseeds, sugarcane, jute, cotton, etc. for rabi season and Kharif crops is given in the report. Data for the period 2007-08 to 2020-21 is available alongside the estimates for 2021-22. The assessment of the production of different crops is based on the data received from States and validated with information available from other sources. This data is useful for planning & forecasting the share of this sector in the GDP along with setting targets for the coming years.
Key Highlights
Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of SCBs: June 2022
About the data:
RBI released the ‘Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of SCBs: June 2022’ report that includes data collected from all scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), which include regional rural banks (RRBs), small finance banks (SFBs) and payments banks (PBs). It gives the state-wise and district-wise distribution of aggregate deposits and gross bank credit of SCBs.
Key Highlights:
Rajya Sabha’s statement of work
Apart from these reports, Rajya Sabha’s statement of work was released on 12 August 2022 on the day the session was scheduled to conclude. The Monsoon Session of Parliament for the year 2022 that commenced on Monday, the 18 July 2022 was adjourned sine die on 08 August 2022. There were 16 sittings spread over 22 days during this session, which was originally scheduled to have 18 sittings up to 12 August 2022.
The Rajya Sabha’s statement of work is published at the end of every session. It contains a summary of the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha during the entire session starting from Chairman’s opening remarks, issues discussed, reports presented, special mentions, and bills introduced, discussed, and passed, among others. A similar document is also released by the Lok Sabha.
Featured Image: Government Data Roundup


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3-year-old news clipping on rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl on the pretext of Kanya Puja is shared as a recent incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 7, 2022
A screenshot of a newspaper clipping is being shared on social media claiming it to be a recent news article reporting the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl on the pretext of Kanya Puja at a temple. This post claims that on the pretext of performing Kanya Puja, a priest raped a 5-year-old girl and crushed her to death with a stone at a temple. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: A recent news clipping reporting the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl at a temple on the pretext of Kanya Puja.
Fact: The newspaper clipping shared in the post is at least three years old. The incident took place in 2019 in Sector 14 of Panchkula city in Haryana. On the pretext of performing Kanya Puja, the accused Lakhpat took the 5-year-old girl to a secluded place, molested her and threw the dead body in a forest after crushing her head with a big stone. The accused was a labourer and the incident did not take place inside a temple. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched to find the details of the news clipping using keywords on the internet, we found the same screenshot in a Facebook post made by a user on 14 May 2019. The clearer version of this news clipping shows an article published by the ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ news website.
When we searched for further details of this news report using keywords on the internet, we found a 3-year-old article published by ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ related about the same incident. According to the article, a 5-year-old girl was raped and crushed to death by a 15-year-old youth named Lakhpat at the Sector 14 of Panchkula city in Haryana. On the pretext of performing Kanya Puja, the accused Lakhpat reportedly had taken the 5-year-old girl to a secluded place, molested her and threw the dead body in a forest after crushing her head with a big stone. The incident took place on 13 May 2019 and the accused Lakhpat was arrested immediately on the next day.
Reporting this horrific incident, several news websites published articles in 2019. They can be seen here and here. The crime did not take place in a temple and the accused Lakhpat worked as a labourer, not as a priest. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the news clipping shared in the post is three years old and the incident did not take place it a temple.
To sum it up, a 3-year-old news clipping on rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl on the pretext of Kanya Puja is shared as recent incident.

created: October 7, 2022


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(30 January 2023) Government Data Roundup: RBI’s ‘State Finances- A Study of Budgets’, EPFO Payroll data, CPI Numbers Among The Data/Reports Released Recently
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 30, 2023
The 21st edition of the fortnightly government roundup covers data/reports released by the RBI, MoSPI, Labour Bureau among others.
In this 21 edition of fortnightly government data roundup, we look at the State Finances- a study of budgets by RBI, Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks’ Outlook 2021-22, RBI Bulletin for January 2023, All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers For Agricultural and Rural labourer’s – December 2022, EPFO Payroll Data, Consumer Price Index Numbers for Rural, Urban and Combined for December 2022, Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production for November 2022 and Payroll reporting- a formal employment perspective for November 2022. Key publications in the last fortnight from 14 to 27 January 2023 have been covered in this story.
In addition, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released consultation papers on ‘License Fee and Policy matters of DTH Services’, and ‘Telecommunication Infrastructure Sharing, Spectrum Sharing, and Spectrum Leasing’. These are open for comments till 13 February 2023 and 10 February 2023 respectively. Further, the International Financial Services Centers Authority notified the framework for disclosures by the Fund Management Entities (FMEs) which intend to launch the ESG scheme.
State Finances- A study of Budgets
Brief about the Report:
The RBI released its annual publication, ‘State Finances- A study of Budgets 2022-23’ recently. The report provides information on the assessment of finances of the State Governments for 2022-23 against the actual and revised provisional accounts for 2020-21, and 2021-22 respectively. The theme for this year’s publication is ‘Capital Formation in India – The Role of the States’.
Key Findings:
Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks’ Outlook 2021-22
Brief about data and findings:
The ninth annual publication of the ‘Primary (urban) co-operative Banks outlook 2021-22 contains the financial accounts of Scheduled and Non-Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs) for the financial year 2021-22. It provides information on key indicators such as profit and loss, non-performing assets, priority sector advances and important financial ratios such as capital adequacy, employee productivity and profitability.
Key findings:
RBI Bulletin- January 2023
Brief about the report:
The RBI published its monthly bulletin for January 2023. This bulletin has information on current statistics, three speeches and five articles. The five articles are as below.
Key Highlights
All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural and Rural labourers – December 2022
Brief about data and findings:
The Labour Bureau had been compiling CPI data for farm laborers since September 1964. The new series of CPI Numbers for (i) Agricultural and (ii) Rural Labourers (base 1986-87=100) replaced the previous series on base 1960-61=100 with effect from November 1995. These index statistics are compiled each month by the Field Operations Division (FOD) of the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), which periodically collects price information from 600 sample villages selected from 20 States.
Key highlights:
EPFO Payroll Data
Brief about the paper:
The EPFO has been releasing monthly payroll data from April 2018 covering a period from September 2017. It contains the details of the new subscribers joining the EPF scheme, the number of subscribers exiting the scheme, and the number of exited subscribers who re-joined and resubscribed. This data is available across different age groups. The data on net new payroll is available for both state-wise as well as age groups.
Key highlights:
Consumer Price Index for Rural, Urban, and combined for December 2022
Brief about the report:
The Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) for Rural (R), Urban (U), and Combined (C) and the All-India Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Base 2012=100 is released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) every month. The price information is gathered from 1114 urban markets and 1181 villages that span all States and UTs.
Key findings:
Index of Industrial Production for September 2022
Brief about the data:
This index tracks variations in the economy’s level of industrial production. It conveys the tone of the nation’s industrial activity. This index’s base year is 2011–12, and it has a value of one hundred. This index provides a short-term examination of industrial performance in contrast to the annual survey of industries, which provides a complete and detailed picture of industrial activity.
The three sectors of mining (14.2%), manufacturing (75.5%), and electricity (10.1%) make up the industrial production index. Their relative weights are shown by the values in the brackets. As an alternative, there is a classification of commodities known as “use-based.” – primary goods (34.05%), capital goods (8.22%), intermediate goods (17.22%), infrastructure goods (12.34%), consumer durables (12.84%), and consumer non-durables (15.33%).
Key findings:
Payroll Reporting in India – A Formal Employment Perspective
Brief about the report:
Using data on the number of subscribers who have subscribed under three major schemes, namely the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme, the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme, and the National Pension Scheme, this Ministry has been publishing employment-related statistics in the formal sector since April 2018 covering the period from September 2017 onward (NPS). The subscriber counts from several sources could overlap sometimes, which results in differences in the estimates from several sources. The information provides many viewpoints on the level of employment in the nation’s formal sector. It does not, however, quantify employment in a comprehensive way.
Key findings:

created: January 30, 2023


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More than 3000 Level Crossings still unmanned on Broad Gauge network
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 28, 2018
As per the data shared by the Government in the Parliament, more than 3000 level crossings are unmanned (UMLC) across the country on Broad Gauge (BG) while more than 2700 are unmanned on Meter Gauge (MG) & Narrow Gauge (NG). As per the plan submitted by the government to the Supreme Court, all UMLCs on BG are to be eliminated by 2020.
More than 13 school children lost their lives in an accident at an unmanned level crossing (UMLC) in Kushinagar of Uttar Pradesh. In a similar accident in Telangana in 2014, 26 children lost their lives.  A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court (SC) following the accident in 2014.  The case went on for about one and a half years and the SC disposed it in 2016 after having convinced itself with the action plan submitted by the government. The government had submitted an affidavit to the court in September 2015 with an action plan to eliminate all UMLCs on BG by 2020. As it stands, more than 3000 level crossings are still unmanned on the broad gauge network as of February 2018.
22% of the Level Crossings are still Unmanned
Out of the 29487 level crossings across India, 6449 or 22% are still unmanned as of February 2018. Out of the 6449, 3691 are on Broad Gauge, 1524 on Meter Gauge and 1234 on Narrow Gauge.  Amongst the zones, 44% of the level crossings are still unmanned in Western Railways. Western Railways also has the highest number of UMLCs at 1730.  More than 30% of the level crossings are unmanned in two different zones and more than 20% in 6 zones. Only the West Central Railway & Eastern Railway zones have eliminated virtually every UMLC. Central Railway zone & South East Central Railway zone also eliminated almost all UMLCs  on the BG. The UMLCs in Central Railway zone are all on the narrow gauge.
About 4 zones have completely eliminated the UMLCs on Broad Gauge, while the western & northern railway have more than 600 UMLCs each on BG. More than 200 level crossings each on BG are unmanned in 8 zones more than 100 on BG are unmanned in 11 zones.
More than 7000 UMLCs eliminated since 2012-13
In the last 6 years, a total of 7421 UMLCs have been eliminated. Of these six years, the highest number of UMLCs i.e., 1503 have been eliminated in 2016-17. On average, about 1250 UMLCs have been eliminated each year starting 2012-13. More than 500 UMLCs each have been eliminated in these six years in 8 zones. Four zones namely, Eastern Railway, Central Railway, West Central & South East Central have eliminated almost all UMLCs on broad gauge.
209 accidents at UMLCs in 6 years
A total of 209 accidents took place at UMLCs between 2012-13 and 2017-18 (till February 2018). The number of such accidents has come down from 53 in 2012-13 to 20 in 2016-17. Zones that have a greater percentage of UMLCs are also in the top with most accidents at UMLCs.
Target to eliminate UMLCs on Broad Gauge by 2020
The Ministry of Railways told a parliamentary standing committee as well as the Supreme Court that the following methods will be used to eliminate the UMLCs
Further, the government told the parliamentary standing committee as well the SC that all UMLCs on broad gauge will be eliminated by 2020. As per the plan submitted by the government, 1500 UMLCs each will be eliminated in 2017-18 and 2018-19 while the remaining will be eliminated in 2019-20.The government also told the standing committee that UMLCs on meter gauge & narrow gauge network will be gradually removed during gauge conversion work.
While the government seems to be on target to eliminate all UMLCs on broad gauge by 2020, the work should be expedited to prevent any further accidents.
Featured Image: Unmanned Level Crossing


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(31 July 2023) Government Data Roundup: Reports by NITI Aayog, MoSPI, TRAI Among Those Released Recently
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 31, 2023
The 34th edition of the Fortnightly Roundup of Government Data covers reports released by NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
In this 34 edition of the Fortnightly Roundup of Government Data, we look at the reports released by NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
India Climate Energy Dashboard
India’s policy think tank, NITI Aayog launched the India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0, a comprehensive platform providing near real-time data on the energy sector, climate, and related economic datasets sourced from government publications. The dashboard allows the public to access for free and analyse datasets using an analytical engine. It is interactive, user-friendly, and permits download of the infographics and datasets. The dashboard facilitates insights and enhances understanding of the energy and climate sectors while identifying the key challenges and helps in monitoring the progress of India’s clean energy transition journey.
There is data on more than 500 parameters in the dashboard, over 2000 infographics, and many other interactive visualizations, making it easy for users to gain a holistic understanding of India’s energy sector. Some datasets available include power generation, transmission, consumption, distribution, resource availability, and GHG emissions, among others.
Other reports released by NITI Aayog in the last fortnight are Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): A Progress Review 2023, A New Lens for Innovation in New India: Introducing the Techno-Commercial Readiness and Market Maturity Matrix, and Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2022. We look at each of these reports in this section.
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): A Progress Review 2023
About the report
The report looks at India’s progress in reducing multidimensional poverty between NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21). The first report or the baseline report was released in 2021 based on NFHS-4 data. NITI Aayog started publishing the Index after acknowledging the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index that captures overlapping deprivations in health, education, and living standards.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is based on three dimensions — health, education, and standard of living — with each having a weightage of one-third in the index. These dimensions are further based on 12 segments — nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets, and bank accounts.
Key Findings
The report finds that India is on track to achieve this target. The number of “multidimensionally poor” individuals in India has reduced from 1 in 4 individuals to nearly 1 in 7 individuals between 2015-16 & 2019-21. In absolute figures, over 135 million people, or 13.5 crore individuals exited multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
To know more about the report in detail and what the UNDP’s Global MPI report tells about India’s poverty, read this story by Factly.
Export Preparedness Index – 2022
Brief about the report
The report presents a comprehensive analysis of India’s export performance in FY22, along with its sector-specific and district-level merchandise export trends. The EPI 2022 Report evaluates the performance of the states across four pillars – Policy, Business Ecosystem, Export Ecosystem, and Export Performance. The index uses 56 indicators which holistically capture the export preparedness of States and UTs in terms of exports at both the state and district level. The insights of the report are expected to help in decision-making, identify strengths, address weaknesses, and foster comprehensive growth across States and UTs. This is the third edition of the publication.
Key findings
A New Lens for Innovation in New India: Introducing the Techno-Commercial Readiness and Market Maturity Matrix
Brief about the paper & tool
The paper presents an assessment tool, the Techno Commercial Readiness and Market Maturity Matrix (TCRM Matrix) framework, which would allow stakeholders to jointly assess projects at the technology readiness level (TRL), commercialization readiness level (CRL), and market readiness level (MRL) scales. Such a tool facilitates informed decision-making, enhances technology commercialization prospects, and propels India towards becoming a global leader in innovation. The framework offers in-depth insights and actionable intelligence to stakeholders at every stage of the technology development cycle. It has been validated in the paper.
It is expected to help the government in prioritizing funding, risk mitigation, setting regulations, strategic planning and enhancing public-private partnerships. Likewise, the TCRM Matrix is expected to help investors, industries & startups, and contribute to academia. For instance, the investors can evaluate the commercialization and market readiness of their portfolio companies while industry and start-ups can use the tool for reviewing progress so far and determining the next steps for a given project or multiple projects, deciding about acquisition/transfer, etc.
Oil 2023
About the report
The report, Oil 2023, is the IEA’s medium-term outlook that provides a comprehensive overview of evolving oil supply and demand dynamics through to 2028. It also explores some of the challenges and uncertainties that lie ahead in the sector such as upstream investment, sources of new supply growth, spare capacity and shifting patterns of oil demand. Further, the report also provides insights into the impact of these changing dynamics on trade flows.
Key findings
Some Monthly & Quarterly updates
The details of the following monthly and quarterly publications were discussed earlier. Some key developments in these publications released this month have been mentioned below.
All-India Consumer Price Index Number for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers
The All-India Consumer Price Index Number for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers (Base: 1986-87=100) for June 2023 increased by 10 points each to stand at 1196 and 1207 points respectively. The major contribution towards the rise in the index of Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers came from the food group to the extent of 9.59 & 8.96 points respectively mainly due to increases in prices of rice, pulses, milk, meat goat, fish-fresh/dry, gur, chillies-green/dry, garlic, ginger, onion, vegetables & fruits, etc.
Payroll Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective – May 2023
MoSPI’s monthly report covers the period from September 2017 up to May 2023. It provides information on the number of subscribers under three major schemes- the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme, the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme and the National Pension Scheme (NPS). As per the report, a total of 8.91 lakh new EPF subscribers were reported in April 2023 and 8.83 lakh new subscribers in May 2023. Most of them were in the 18 to 21 years age group. Under the ESI Scheme, 13.6 lakhs and 15.14 lakh newly registered employees paid contributions in April and May 2023 respectively. Over 1.25 lakh new subscribers contributed to the NPS scheme in the two months.
Report on Drive Tests in 20 Cities
Every quarter, TRAI conducts drive tests in different cities to assess the network quality provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers for voice and data services. In the last fortnight, the reports of drive tests at twenty locations -Balasore, Erode, Vizianagaram, Gangtok, Aizawl, Dimapur, Shillong, Itanagar, Jabalpur, Prayagraj, Wayanad, Gandhidham & Kandla port, Bikaner, Amritsar, Mysuru, Mysuru-Bengaluru HW, Jabalpur-Chakghat HW, Prayagraj-Banda HW, Bikaner-Nagaur HW and Amritsar-Pathankot HW, was released for the quarter ending March 2023. As per the reports, All Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) met the Drop Call Rate (DCR) benchmark of 2% and the Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) of 95% in most of these locations like Amritsar, Vizianagaram, Bikaner, Wayanad & Erode. All 2G/3G/4G TSPs except JIO 4G, BSNL 2G & 3G have met the Rx Quality in Bengaluru-Mysuru NH. Airtel and Jio didn’t meet the Rx Quality in Prayagraj- Banda Highway and Jabalpur– Chakghat Highway.