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Vulaganathan Othapidaram Chidambaram Pillai or V.O.C was born on 05 September 1872 to an eminent lawyer Vulaganathan Pillai and Paramyee in Ottapidaram, Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu state in India. After completing schooling in Othapidaram and Tirunelveli he worked for a few years in the Othapidaram district administrative office. Later following his father’s footsteps he completed law.

As a lawyer he often pleaded for the poor, at times appearing against his father, who appeared for the affluent. Among his notable cases, he proved corruption charges on three sub-magistrates. In the Kulasekaranallur Asari case he proved innocence for the accused.

V.O.C., drawing inspiration from Ramakrishnananda, a disciple of Swami Vivekannanda, resorted to Swadeshi work. Following requests by local citizens, he initiated steps to break the monopoly of British shipping in the coastal trade with Ceylon.

On 12 November 1905, V.O.C. formed the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, by purchasing two steamships ‘S.S. Gaelia’ and ‘S.S. Lawoe’, thanks to the assistance and support of Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Aurobindo Ghose. The ships commenced regular service between Turicorin and Colombo (Srilanka), against the opposition of the British traders and the Imperial Governmetn. V.O.C. was thus laying the foundation for a comprehensive shipping industry in the country, more than just a commercial venture.

Until then the commerce between Tuticorin and Colombo was a monopoly enjoyed by the British India Steam Navigation Company (BISN). This was later to be merged with P&O lines and its Tuticorin agents, A & F. Harvey.

His efforts to widen the base of the Swadeshi movement, by mobilizing the workers of the Coral Mills (also managed by A. F. Harvey) brought him into increasing conflict with the British Raj. On 12 March 1908, he was arrested on charges of sedition and for two days, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin witnesses’ unprecedented violence, quelled only by the stationing of a punitive police force. But newspapers had taken note of VOC. Autobindo Ghosh, acclaimed him in Bande Mataram (March 27, 1908)

“Well Done, Chidambaram! A true feeling of comradeship is the salt of political life; it binds men together and is the cement of all associated action. When a political leader is prepared to suffer for the sake of his followers, when a man, famous and adored by the public, is ready to remain in jail rather than leave his friends and fellow workers behind, it is a gign theat political life in India is becoming a reality. Srijut Chidambaram Pillai has shown throughout the Turicorin affair a loftiness of character, a practical energy united with high moral idealism which show that the is a true Nationalist. His refusal to accept release on bail if his fellow-workers were left behind is one more count in the reckoning. Nationalism is or ought to be not merely a political creed but a religious aspiration and a moral attitude. Its business is to build up Indian character by educating it to heroic self-sacrifice and magnificent ambitions, to restore the tone of nobility which it has lost and bring back the ideals of the ancient Aryan gentleman. The qualities of courage, frankness, love and justice are the stuff of which a Nationalist should be made. All honor to Chidambaram Pillai for having shown us the first complete example of an Aryan reborn, and all honor to Madras which has produced such a man”.

The British had assumed the Indian venture would collapse like a house of cards, but soon found the Indian company to be a formidable challenge. To thwart the new Indian company they resorted to the monopolistic trade practice of reducing the fare per trip to Re.1 (16 annas) per head. Swadeshi company responded by offering a fare of Re. 0.5 (eight annas). The British company went further by offering a free trip to the passengers plus a free umbrella, which had ‘S.S. Gaelia’ and ‘S.S. Lawoe’ running nearly empty. By 1909 the company was heading towards bankruptcy.

To widen the Swadeshi base and to create awareness of British Imperialism V.O.C. became instrumental in mobilizing the workers of Coral Mills (also managed by A. & F. Harvey) (now part of Madura Coats) in Tirunelveli. This brought him into increasing conflict with the British Raj. On 12 March, 1908, he was arrested on charges of sedition and for two days, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin witnessed unprecedented violence, quelled only by shooting four people to deah (a Muslim, a Dalit, a baker and a Hindu temple priest). Punitive police forces were brought in from neighboring districts.

But newspapers had taken not of V.O.C. Sri Aurobindo’s nationalist Bengali newspaper Bande Mataram (splet and pronounced as Bonde Matorom in the Bengali language) acclaimed him (March 27, 1908) with “Well Done, Chidambaram”. Apart from the Madras press, Ananad Bazaar Patrika from Koldata (Calcutta) carried reports of his prosecution every day. Funds were raised for his defence not only in India but also by the Indians in South Africa.

Apart from the Madras press, Ananad Bazaar Patrika from Koldata (Calcutta) carried reports of his prosecution every day. Funds were raised for his defence not only in India but also by the Indians in South Africa. Bharathy gave evidence in the case which had been instituted against him. V.O.C was confined in the Central Prison, Coimbatore from 9 July 1908 to 1 December 1910.

Human beings and machines work differently as machines are the creation of Human. Machines were created to make human life easier. A machine is only a motorized gadget consisting of different parts. When it comes to artificial intelligence vs human brain then there are some people who believe artificial intelligence is more efficient than the human brain. As time passed by humans became dependent on machines. Humans have a need to interact with each other because communication is not possible with machines. We feel comfortable in expressing, probing and getting our problems solved with humans.Our history and our literature show us that for most of human history machines were seen as tools to help people do more than they were capable of on their own. From simple stone tools to the inventions of the Iron Age and Bronze Age, technology augmented human capability for survival, competitive advantage and convenience. The ancient Greek legend of Icarus and Daedalus told the story of augmenting humans with wings so they could fly like the birds. For thousands of years life and art mirrored each other in a story of man AND machine, working together for the betterment of humanity.Over the years, man has come up with countless inventions, each more resourceful than the last. However, as the computer age continues, mankind is threatened. Ridiculous, some may say, but I say look around! The computer has already begun to control so many of the vital functions that man has prided himself upon before. Our lives are now dependent on a computer and what it tells you. Even now, I type this essay on a computer, trusting that it will produce a result far superior to what I can do with my own to hands. Humans are creative and imaginative. They can create and invent new things but machines cannot do such types of work because they use artificial intelligence. Machines are operated and guided by humans. Humans are blessed with intelligence and emotions while machines have artificial intelligence. Humans have many diverse abilities in several things such as language, pattern recognition, and creative thinking.

As jobs are automated we again see people in the labor force striking back against the machines in an effort to maintain their livelihood. The fight itself evolved during this time as workers were now represented by unions and many companies are no longer led by a single individual but rather faceless shareholders creating an depersonalized, institutional “us versus them” dynamic.We see the conflict play out in a wide range of stories, but especially in science fiction as writers imagine how new technologies can be used evil as well as good.A person can work with a wide variety of methods, seeing new, more efficient ways of handling problems. It can come up with infinite ways of getting around problems encountered in day to day life, while a computer has a limited memory of new tricks it can come up with, limited by its programming. Should improved programming be introduced, it is the human brain that figures out the programming that will allow any improvements for the computer. The human brain can learn to understand anything, it can grasp the central concept of anything. Also, emotions are not capable in a computer. It allows the human brain to have evolved beyond a problem-solving machine. Emotions open the mind to an endless realm of possibilities.Machines and technology are replacing manpower for certain jobs and this is the big reason for unemployment and which is also a drawback of the machines. As humans are being replaced by machine hence certain jobs are disappearing. The industrial revolution has also led to unemployment, as a result, there is a loss of medium skill jobs in various sectors.

The reason why computers cannot create is because of the lack of emotions. For example, anger allows the imagination to roam, inventing concepts of new, ever more powerful weapons of destruction. Puzzlement causes the mind to think of solutions. Curiosity leads to attempts to satisfy it, producing new discoveries and ideas. Some effects of a machine on humans are competency, wars, and destruction, The radiation released from smartphones is absorbed by human bodies which can cause tumor, and also the power consumption has increased.

Technology is advancing faster than ever. Even new business and economic models, from the gig and sharing economies to crypocurrencies and initial coin offerings, are both creating new opportunities for those who know how to take advantage of them as well as threatening long established business and jobs. Threats no longer come head on from known competitors but can come from any direction, including companies that seemingly pop out of nowhere. To be successfully you need to not only understand the environment you are in but also to understand who you are. You cannot be an expert in all the new technologies, including the technologies in your own field.

On the other hand, the computer is clearly superior in many other aspects. In sheer speed of computation and retrieval of data, the computer is obviously by far the stronger. Machines have become a very important part of our lives and are helpful in many ways. Though it also has a negative impact on our lives as well. There is no competition between humans and machines because humans are the creators of the machine. Humans have created machines for various purposes and it is also important to know the purpose of developing artificial intelligence and its impact on human life. Machines are used for creation as well as destruction by the power of human intelligence.

The second phase of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) was approved by the Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs for a period of three years i.e. 1^st April 2017 to 31^st March 2020.

The Ministry of Finance vide their O.M. no. 42(02)/PF-II/2014 dated 10^th January, 2020 has given an interim extension of the schemes beyond 31^st March 2020 till 31^st March 2021 or till the date the recommendations of 15^th Finance Commission come into effect, whichever is earlier. Further, according to this O.M., the approval for continuation of the scheme for the 15^th Finance Commission cycle would be based on an evaluation report and outcome review.

This information was given by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Ministry of Education has announced the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) on 29.07.2020 after obtaining approval of Cabinet which is available at Ministry of Education’s website at https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf. NEP 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and aims to address the many growing developmental imperatives of our country. This Policy proposes the revision and revamping of all aspects of the education structure, including its regulation and governance, to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st century education, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 of ensuring free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education for all children, while building upon India’s traditions and value systems.

The NEP 2020 has been finalised after detailed consultation process with all stakeholders including State/UT Governments. This Ministry has communicated to all States/UT Governments for implementation of NEP 2020 in letter and spirit. Ministry of Education is also organising ‘Shikshak Parv’ from 8^th September to 25^th September, 2020 to deliberate on various themes and implementation of NEP 2020 aimed at eliciting suggestions. Ministry has also organised a Conference of Governors on “Role of National Education Policy in Transforming Higher Education”. In the conference, Governors and Lt. Governors of State and Union Territories, Education Minister of State and UTs, Vice Chancellors of State Universities and other dignitaries participated. There has been wide publicity with a positive and overwhelming response from stakeholders on NEP 2020.

This information was given by the Union Education Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

DIKSHA has been leveraged to deliver online courses to teachers on multiple competencies. Till now, 6 states, NCERT and CBSE have already started their programs and have uploaded more than 200 courses and have collectively trained 12 Lakh teachers. This has led to 8 crore learning sessions for these teachers.

CBSE has uploaded 20 courses on competencies like Experiential learning, pedagogical competencies, ICT etc. and have trained more than 1 Lakh teachers already. NCERT has also started leveraging DIKSHA and has uploaded 2 courses and NISHTHA training modules are being uploaded with the goal of training 40 Lakh teachers across the country.

States such as UP has launched 88 courses, Gujarat has launched 30 courses, Madhya Pradesh has uploaded 11 courses and both Haryana and Rajasthan have launched 5 courses which are relevant to the needs of their teachers leading to high enrolment and completion rate.

The courses are available on https://diksha.gov.in/explore-course

This information was given by the Union Education Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

On the issues of multidisciplinary options, the National Education Policy, 2020 has stated that teacher preparation will also be done in integrated and multidisciplinary manner. The policy also states that to ensure an adequate number of teachers across subjects – particularly in subjects such as art, physical education, vocational education, and languages – teachers could be recruited to a school or school complex and the sharing of teachers across schools could be considered in accordance with the grouping-of-schools adopted by State/Union Territory Governments.

The National Education Policy, 2020provides that to prepare an initial cadre of high-quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers in Anganwadis, current Anganwadi workers/teachers will be trained through a systematic effort in accordance with the curricular/pedagogical framework developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). Anganwadi workers/teachers with qualifications of 10+2 and above shall be given a 6-month certificate programme in ECCE; and those with lower educational qualifications shall be given a one-year diploma programme covering early literacy, numeracy, and other relevant aspects of ECCE. These programmes may be run through digital/distance mode using DTH channels as well as smartphones, allowing teachers to acquire ECCE qualifications with minimal disruption to their current work. The ECCE training of Anganwadi workers/teachers will be mentored by the Cluster Resource Centres of the School Education Department which shall hold at least one monthly contact class for continuous assessment.

This information was given by the Union Education Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in a written reply in the RajyaSabha today.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) Scheme for educational empowerment of students belonging to six notified minority communities i.e. Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian (Parsi). Selections under the MANF Scheme are done as per the approved guidelines.

The MANF Scheme is implemented through the University Grants Commission (UGC) and no waiting list is prepared under the Scheme by UGC.

Candidates belonging to the Six centrally notified minority communities’ viz., Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian (Parsi) are considered for award of fellowship under the MANF Scheme.

The selection of candidates for 2019-20 under the MANF Scheme has been made through JRF-NET (Junior Research Fellow- National Eligibility Test) examination conducted by National Testing Agency and the merit list has been prepared by UGC on the basis of all India ranking of candidates. Prior to 2019-20, the merit list was prepared on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in their Post Graduate examination. However in 2018-19 only the candidates who had qualified CBSE-UGC-NET/JRF or CSIR-NET/JRF were eligible to apply.

This information was given by Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of Minority Affairs, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various programmes/schemes across the country for the welfare and development of the six (6) centrally notified minority communities namely, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Parsis and Sikhs as under:-

(1) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme – For educational empowerment of students, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

(2) Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme – Provide fellowships in the form of financial assistance.

(3) NayaSavera – Free Coaching and Allied Scheme – The Scheme aims to provide free coaching to students/candidates belonging to economically weaker sections of minority communities for preparation of entrance examinations of technical/ professional courses and competitive examinations.

(4) PadhoPardesh – Scheme of interest subsidy to students of economically weaker sections of minority communities on educational loans for overseas higher studies.

(5) Nai Udaan – Support for students clearing Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commission (SPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc.

(6) Nai Roshni – Leadership development of women belonging to minority communities.

(7) SeekhoAurKamao – Skill development scheme for youth of 14 – 35 years age group and aiming at improving the employability of existing workers, school dropouts etc.

(8) Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) – Implemented for the benefit of the people from all sections of the society in identified Areas for development of infrastructure projects with emphasis on education, skill , health sectors etc.

(9) Jiyo Parsi – Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis in India.

(10)USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) – Launched in May 2015 aims to preserve rich heritage of traditional skills of indigenous artisans/craftsmen. Under this scheme HunnarHaats are also held all over the country to provide nation-wide marketing platform to Minority artisans & entrepreneurs and to create employment opportunities.

(11) Nai Manzil – A scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts

launched in Aug. 2015.

(12) HamariDharohar- A scheme to preserve rich heritage of minority communities

of India.

(13) Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) implements education and employment oriented related programmes as follows (a) Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girls belonging to the economically weaker sections of Minorities under which scholarship is awarded to minority girl students (b) Gharib Nawaz Employment Scheme started in 2017-18 for providing short term job oriented skill development training to youth. (c) Bridge Course for madarsa students & school dropouts.

(14) Equity to National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for providing concessional loans to minorities for self-employment and income generating ventures.

In addition to the above, the Ministry also implements schemes for strengthening State Waqf Boards and coordinates arrangements for annual Haj pilgrimage.

Details of the schemes and its achievements in the country are available on the website of the Ministry ( www.minorityaffairs.gov.in) and on the website of MAEF (www.maef.nic.in) and NMDFC (www.nmdfc.org.) respectively).

This information was given by Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of Minority Affairs, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

A webinar on Examination and Assessment Reforms organised under Shiksha Parv, a series of Webinars to highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) on 21^st September, 2020. Prof. Sridhar Srivastava, Joint Director, NCERT was the coordinator. Prof Yagnamurthy Sreekanth, Principal Regional Institute of Education, Mysuru; Dr Joseph Emmanuel, Director Academics, CBSE and Shri Surrender Singh, National Teacher Awardee were the key speakers. The webinar witnessed some great presentations from the speakers.

The major recommendations of NEP 2020 regarding assessment reforms were highlighted in the presentation of Prof. Shridhar Srivastava. He began by tracing the timeline of assessment practices in India from Pre-independence era to today. In terms of assessment, while National Policy on Education (NPE) 1968 recommended a shift in the focus of evaluation from certification to improvement in learning, NPE 1986 suggested elimination of excessive element of chance and subjectivity, de-emphasizing memorization, introduction of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), use of grades in place of marks and introduction of semester system from secondary stage in a phased manner. Today, the New Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020) emphasizes on transforming assessment for optimizing learning and development of all students.

Prof. Srivastava explained that NEP-2020 focuses on – regular, formative and competency-based assessment, promoting learning and development of students and testing higher-order skills (analysis, critical thinking and conceptual clarity etc.). The goal of NEP-2020 is to transform the culture of assessment.

He appreciated the provision in NEP-2020 regarding support for Gifted Students. Gifted/Talented students will be encouraged to pursue realm beyond the general school curriculum.

Prof. Srivastava concluded his presentation by calling on all stakeholders to work together for the successful implementation of NEP-2020 to fulfil the aspirations of 260 million students, their parents, teachers and the school system.

Prof. Yagnamurthy Sreekanth started his presentation by quoting the recommendation of Radhakrishnan Commission (1948-1949)- “If there is one thing to be reformed in education, it is the examination system”. He acknowledged that over the time India has moved from examination to evaluation and now to assessment. Still, more work needs to be done. He explained that research shows that students learning improve through active participation. Retention is significantly higher when learning involves discussion, practice by doing and teaching others.

Prof. Sreekanth detailed the benefits of formative assessment. ‘Assessment for learning’ and ‘assessment as learning’ are critical. He said that, formative assessment is an important tool for integrating teaching-learning and assessment. It also minimizes the load on teachers of documentation and encourages child- centred and activity based pedagogy. The focus is on competency development rather than content memorisation, which makes the assessment non-threatening and stress free for the students. Formative assessment is useful for broadening the scope of assessment by way of including self-assessment, peer-assessment besides teacher assessment, focusing on learning rather than evaluation of achievement, reposing faith on teacher leads to motivation and enhancing self confidence in pupils.

Dr. Joseph Emmanuel’s presentation focused on the Plan of Action for assessment reforms from the perspective of an implementing agency, namely CBSE.

Dr. Emmanuel acknowledged that the present Board Examinations have become high stakes with a lot of emphasis on marks. He highlighted the steps CBSE is taking to change this. Internal Assessment is conducted in all subjects and given due weightage of 20% in final examination to distribute the burden. CBSE has also incorporated different sets of questions such as objective type questions (MCQs and other types), source- based and case-based questions etc. to focus on higher level competencies beyond recall and understanding. He specified that CBSE has started two levels Mathematics Examination –Basic and Standard in 10th class to cater to different kinds of learners and reduce overall student stress levels. A similar model will be replicated in 12th class as well

Furthermore, Dr. Emmanuel informed the audience that CBSE has come out with handbooks and manuals as steps towards Competency-based education. CBSE has started handholding school leaders to kickstart transformation of assessment practices. It has come out with a Handbook for Principals, where principals are guided in their role of pedagogical leaders. Recently, CBSE has released a Handbook on 21st Century Skills, he added. There are also handbooks for teachers and students available such a as ‘Cogito’ and ‘The Question Book’–A series on Thinking skills for students and Teacher Energized Manuals (TERM) of Science and Mathematics.

Shri Surrender Singh shared the practitioner’s perspective on assessment. He mentioned that the pattern of examination has remained unchanged for a very long time. The main aim for students has become getting good marks. Society too gives preferential treatment to those who attain high marks. He opined that it is time that the main aim of examination should shift towards all-round development of students. He stated that assessment should facilitate attainment of competencies specified in terms of learning outcomes in a holistic manner during teaching learning process. The focus should be on holistic child development and assessment of all the related areas should go hand in hand.

As a measure to help the MSMEs grow, the Government, vide notification no.S.O. 2119 (E) dated 26.06.2020, has notified composite criteria of classification of MSMEs based on investment in plant and machinery or equipment and turnover of the enterprise. The new criteria is effective from 1.7.2020. However, to provide hassle free transition from old system of Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum to Udyam Registration, 31.03.2021 has been fixed as deadline. The New criteria provides that the turnover with respect to exports will not be counted in the limits of turnover for any category of MSME units whether micro, small or medium. There is no difference between manufacturing and service sector enterprises. The actual figures for Turnover with different investment limits depend upon a variety of socio-economic factors such as demand from consumers, Inflation, availability of labour and raw materials, price fluctuations, etc., in different cases. There is no uniform investment / turnover ratio. The new composite criteria is expected to bring about many benefits. This will also help in attracting investments and creating more jobs in the MSME sector. Moreover, the Udyam registration portal developed by this Ministry has facilitated MSMEs by providing the MSMEs to link themselves with (i) GeM portal for ensuring their participation in Government procurements, (ii) linkages with TReDS platform for helping the MSEs in realizing their delayed payments (iii) In case of change in status as a result of re classification due to changes in investment or turnover, the benefit associated with the status would be effective from 1^st April of the financial year following the year in which such change took place.

This information was given by Shri  Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) implements various schemes and programmes for promotion and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) throughout the country. These include the schemes/programmes such as Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE), Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESDP), Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises, Credit Linked Capital Subsidy – Technology Up-gradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS), Micro & Small Enterprises – Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Hub (NSSH), etc.

Under Atmanirbhar Bharat, Government recently announced a special economic and comprehensive package of Rs. 20 Lakh crore for all the sections of the society including Industries and MSMEs.  Government has taken a number of initiatives to support the MSME sector in the country which include the following;

1. Rs 20,000 crore Subordinate Debt for MSMEs.
2. Rs 3 lakh crores Collateral free Automatic Loans for business, including MSMEs.
3. Rs. 50,000 crore equity infusion through MSME Fund of Funds.
4. New revised criteria for classification of MSMEs.
5. New Process of MSME Registration through ‘Udyam Registration’.
6. No global tenders for procurement up to Rs. 200 crores, which will help MSMEs.

The Prime Minister has launched an online Portal “Champions” on 01.06.2020. The portal covers many aspects of e-governance including grievance redressal and handholding of MSMEs. Through the portal, 19,593 grievances have been redressed upto 17.09.2020.

The Government has notified Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Order, 2012 under MSMED Act. Under this policy, 25% of annual procurement by Central Ministries /Departments/Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) has to be made from Micro & Small enterprises. This includes 4% from MSEs owned by SC/STs and 3% from MSEs owned by Women entrepreneurs. 358 items are reserved for exclusive procurement from MSEs.

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 contains specific provisions to deal with cases of delayed payments of the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). Under the provisions of the Act, Micro & Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils (MSEFC) have been set up in the States/UTs. These Councils can be approached by the MSEs for resolution of delayed payment cases by way of conciliation and/or arbitration.

Ministry of MSME has launched SAMADHAAN portal to enable Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs) to directly register their cases on the portal relating to delayed payments by Central Ministries / Departments/ CPSEs/ State Government & other buyers.

Ministry of MSME implements a scheme namely “Building Awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)”, to encourage registration of IPR by MSMEs. Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to MSMEs on grant of IPR. During the FY 2019-20, Rs. 9.41 crore was released under the scheme.

This information was given by Shri  Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment, Shri Santosh Gangwar, while responding to the debate in the Lok Sabha, has stated today that the three Bills introduced in the House for historic labour reforms in the country, will prove to be a Game Changer in the labour welfare reforms covering more than 50 crores organized and unorganized workers in the country.  This also includes gig, platform and also opens up the doors for social security to those in the self-employment sector.  

The 3 bills which were passed in the Lok Sabha today are (i) Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (ii) Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020 & (iii) Social Security Code, 2020.  These bills are part of Government’s earnest desire to bring much needed labour welfare reforms in the country which has not been done for the last 73 years.  In the last 6 years, many multi-stakeholders consultations were held with all stakeholders i.e. Trade unions, Employers, State Governments and experts of labour sector.  This also includes holding 9 tripartite consultations, four Sub Committee meetings and 10 Regional Conferences, 10 inter-ministerial consultations and views of citizens.  

Shri Gangwar said that under the dynamic leadership of visionary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, this Government has taken number of steps to fulfill the dreams of Baba Saheb Ambedkar from 2014 onwards and gave equal importance to ‘Shramev Jayate’ and ‘Satyamev Jayate’.   Government is ceased with the problems faced by workers and for the last 6 years, My Ministry has been working tirelessly to provide social security and other welfare measures to both organised and unorganised workers including during this Covid-19 epidemic. He added that unprecedented steps were taken by Governnment under the leadership of our visionary Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and launched many welfare measures such as increasing the maternity leave for our sisters from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, women were allowed to work in mines under Pradhan Mantri Protsahan Rozgar Yojana.  Formal employment was increased portability in EPFO and welfare schemes and and expansion of ESIC facilities to our fellow citizens. 

The Minister, while replying to the issues raised by the Members of Lok Sabha, said that the Bills takes into account the holistic development of the country by keeping the labour interest uppermost in the mind. He said these are the people who have suffered mostly by having multiple laws on labour which involved procedural complexities thereby hindering implementation of various welfare and safeguard provisions.  He further said that 29 labour laws are being subsumed in the simplified, easy to understand transparent 4 labour codes. Out of the 4 labour codes, Code on Wages has already been passed by Parliament and have become the law of the land.  All the labour laws (29 in number) being amalgamated into 4 labour codes are :

On September 21, the Indian and Chinese Senior Commanders held the 6th round of Military Commander-Level Meeting. The two sides had candid and in-depth exchanges of views on stabilizing the situation along the LAC in the India – China border areas. They agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen communication on the ground, avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments, stop sending more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoid taking any actions that may complicate the situation. The two sides also agreed to hold the 7th round of Military Commander-Level Meeting as soon as possible, take practical measures to properly solve problems on the ground, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border area.