The Union Cabinet has given the approval of the following.

Union Cabinet gives nod for India-Australia Civil Nuclear Cooperation deal

The Indo-Australian civil nuclear cooperation agreement, which came into force last month, has received the stamp of approval of the Union Cabinet. The civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Australia was brought into force on November 13, along with the administrative arrangement for implementing the accord.

India, which has nuclear energy contributing just 3 per cent of its electricity generation, will be the first country to buy Australian uranium without being a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. India and Australia began talks on the civil nuclear cooperation agreement in 2012 after Australia lifted a long-standing ban on selling uranium to energy-starved India.

India has less than two dozen small reactors at six sites with a capacity of 4,780 MW, or 2 per cent of its total power capacity. It is plans to increase its nuclear capacity to 63,000 MW by 2032 by adding nearly 30 reactors at an estimated cost of USD 85 billion. It currently has nuclear energy agreements with 11 countries and imports uranium from France, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Union Cabinet approved construction of 69 bridges on trilateral highway in Myanmar

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the construction of 69 Bridges including Approach Roads on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section of the Trilateral Highway in Myanmar at a cost of Rs.371.58 crore. During the visit of Prime Minister to Myanmar in May 2012, it was agreed, at the request of Government of Myanmar, to undertake construction of 71 bridges in the Tamu – Kyigone – Kalewa (TKK) road section of the Trilateral Highway.

The Government of Myanmar has started work on constructing two bridges, on its own, as these bridges needed urgent attention. As a result, construction of the balance 69 bridges will be undertaken under Government of India’s assistance. The project will be implemented in Engineering Procuring and Construction (EPC) mode through Project Management Consultant (PMC). It will be closely monitored by the Indian Embassy in Yangon, PMC and the Ministry of External Affairs. The project is envisaged to be completed by mid-2019.

Union Cabinet approved MoU between India & Jordan for promoting cooperation in IT & Electronics

The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in October, 2015 between India and Jordan for promoting cooperation In the field of Information Technology and Electronics. The MoU will develop and strengthen industrial, technological and commercial cooperation between the two countries in Information Technology and Electronics (IT&E) sector and to implement institutional and capacity building cooperation programme aimed at fostering partnerships between the two countries.

Areas of Cooperation

• Identifying Capacity Building areas and specific needs of Jordanian IT sector, Design, Plan and implement IT Capacity Building Programmes for the benefit to Jordan.
• Cooperation among private and public entities of both countries in the areas of investment and business promotion.
• Strengthening of collaboration in the IT&E sector in the areas of e-education, e-Governance, m-Governance, e-health, telemedicine etc.
• Sharing of best practices in the areas of regulatory policy and the institutional framework with special emphasis on developing internationally competitive IT&E manufacturing and services industry.
• Participation in International events organized by each country, as appropriate, exchange of experts etc.
• Other areas as jointly decided by the Parties.

CCEA approves Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme for textile sector

The textile sector is set to receive some much needed assistance with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approving the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS). Originally introduced by the government in 1999, the scheme aims to help the industry upgrade operational technology and provides fixed subsidies to entrepreneurs who invest in this regard.

While replacing the Revised Restructured Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (RR-TUFS), the new scheme will be implemented across two broad categories.  The textile industry is India’s largest employer after agriculture, accounting for 14% of India’s exports, but has recently lost ground to Bangladesh and Vietnam in the global market as the preferred supplier for readymade garments.

The new amended scheme aims to plug the loopholes in the earlier scheme and improve Ease of Doing Business. The government has said it expects investments worth Rs one lakh crore to be bolstered through the scheme and over 30 lakh additional jobs.

The CCEA has approved a budget provision of Rs 17,822 crore of which Rs 12,671 crore is for committed liabilities under the ongoing scheme, and Rs 5,151 crore is for new cases under ATUFS. The scheme lays emphasis on the promotion of Technical Textiles, a sunrise sector, for exports. It will also encourage better quality in processing industry and check the need for import of fabrics by the garment sector.