Union cabinet approves establishment of 75 new medical colleges:
- Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Piyush Goyal the government approved the establishment of 75 new medical colleges in the country. The main addition would lead to the creation of 15,700 more MBBS seats in India.
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) the medical colleges would be established by 2021-22 will be attached with existing district and referral hospitals under Phase-3 of the ongoing Centrally Sponsored scheme.
- The government plans to boost the availability of qualified health professionals, improve tertiary care in the government sector and utilise infrastructure of district hospitals and promote affordable medical education in the country with this push.
- The minister announced that new medical colleges would be set up in under-served regions with no medical college or ones with at least 200 beds. The preference will be given to district hospitals with 300 beds.
- The government earlier approved the establishment of 58 new medical colleges in Phase 1 and 24 colleges in Phase 2, apart from the 75 under the Phase 3. Of these, 39 medical colleges under Phase 1 have already become functional, and the rest will be made functional by 2020-21.The ministers also announced 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in coal mining and associated infrastructure and 26 percent FDI in digital media. The Cabinet has approved the establishment of an international Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The CDRI during the UN Climate Summit in New York on 23rd September 2019 approved sugar export policy for the evacuation of surplus stocks during sugar season 2019-20.
West Bengal passed anti lynching Bill:
The West Bengal State Assembly passed West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019. The Bill aims to prevent and punish mob assaults and lynching. The state government mentioned that the Bill was passed as the Centre has failed to take the initiative. The Bill was passed by a voice vote. The Bill aims to prevent the spreading of hatred or incidents of mob lynching.
The State describes lynching as social malice. The State also urged the Centre and other State governments to bring similar legislation.
Provisions of the Bill:
- The bill was passed after several cases in which the people were beaten to death over rumors of cattle smuggling and child theft. This offense will carry the punishment of a jail term for three years to life imprisonment.
- In case of assault leading to injury, the penalty includes a fine of a minimum of Rs.1 lakh to a maximum of Rs.3 lakh.
- The Bill defined terms such as lynching and mob. The Bill said that the West Bengal Lynching Compensation Scheme may be framed under this Act.
Union Cabinet approves 100% FDI in coal mining and contract manufacturing:
The Union Cabinet relaxed FDI rule for foreign single-brand retailers and also permitted foreign investment in contract manufacturing and coal mining. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) under automatic route in coal mining and associated infrastructure approved. The main aim is to boost domestic manufacturing, 100 percent FDI in contract manufacturing under automatic route has been allowed. The cabinet has expanded the definition of mandatory 30 per cent domestic sourcing norm. It also allowed single brand retailers to start online sales, waiving the previous condition of setting up a mandatory brick-and-mortar store.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved setting up of 75 government medical colleges to be attached with existing district or referral hospitals by 2021-22. The establishment of new medical colleges will add at least 15,700 MBBS seats in the country.The new medical colleges would be set up in under-served areas having no medical colleges, with district hospitals having at least 200 beds.
The establishment of new medical colleges, to be attached with existing district and referral hospitals, would lead to an increase in the availability of qualified health professionals, improve tertiary care in government sector, utilise existing infrastructure of district hospitals and promote affordable medical education in the country.The CCEA also approved a Rs 6,268 crore subsidy for export of 6 million tonnes of sugar during the 2019-20 marketing year starting October in order to liquidate surplus domestic stock and help mills in clearing huge sugarcane arrears to farmers. A lump sum export subsidy of Rs 10,448 per tonne will be given to sugar mills in the 2019-20 marketing year. This will benefit millions of farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka as well as other states. The government is providing subsidy for export of 5 million tonnes of sugar for the current 2018-19 marketing year.
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