Latest Cabinet Approvals

CCEA approves four projects in East Coast Railways

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved four railway projects at a combined cost of `8,351.3 crore which will facilitate freight movement in the two most significant mineral-bearing States of eastern region, including Odisha and Chhattishgarh.

• The 85-km-long third and fourth lines between Budhapank and Salegaon via Rajathgarh have been estimated at `1,172.92 crore.
• The CCEA also gave its nod for doubling of Kottavalasa-Koraput line measuring 189.278 km at an estimated `2,977.64 crore.
• The proposal for doubling of the 164.56-km-long Koraput-Singapur Road section was also approved by the CCEA. This project, at a cost of `2,361.74 crore, is targeted to be completed in seven years.
• The Cabinet Committee has also approved doubling of the Jagdalpur-Koraput section. The `1,839 crore project, which will cover 110.22 km, is planned to be completed in seven years. East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said doubling of the lines will facilitate increasing freight traffic.

Union Cabinet approves setting up of NARF at Genome Valley in Hyderabad

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Health Research in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for setting up of a National Resource Facility for Bio-medical Research (NARF) at Genome Valley in Hyderabad by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). The estimated project cost is Rs. 338.58 crores and the resource center is expected to be functional by 2018-19. The institution will be the first of its kind for quality laboratory animals for basic and applied biomedical research in the country.

It will be developed as a world-class facility for breeding and housing of animals such as primates, cabines and other specialized models such as transgenic and knockout rodents required for testing of various R&D products.

Union Cabinet approved signing of Tripartite Agreement on IBSA Fund for Poverty Alleviation

The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of the Tripartite Agreement among India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA), on the IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger.  The decision will help in strengthening the IBSA Fund which is a unique vehicle in the context of South-South cooperation. The IBSA countries contribute US$ 1 million each annually to the Fund, which till January 2015 has accumulated to US$ 28.2 million, with total implemented/approved projects commitment of US$ 26.2 million, and remaining US$ 2.09 million available for programming. India on its part has contributed US$ 9.1 million so far to the Fund.

• The IBSA Fund undertakes development projects in third countries. The first project to be financed by the IBSA Fund was in support of agriculture and livestock development.
• The IBSA Fund was conferred the South-South Partnership Award at the 2006 UN Day event held in New York in December 2006.
• This indicates the importance and recognition of the IBSA Fund in the context of South-South developmental cooperation.
• The IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger was set up in 2004 as one of the three pillars of cooperation under the IBSA Dialogue Forum.

Union Cabinet approved German as additional foreign language in Kendriya Vidyalayas

Union Cabinet on 18 November 2015 gave its ex-post approval to the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The JDI seeks to promote German as an additional Foreign Language in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) schools.

With this approval, German language will now be taught as an additional foreign language in KVs in conformity with the National Education Policy, 1986. The approval also gives green signal to promotion of teaching of Modern Indian Languages in Germany.

German was taught as a foreign language in KVs since September 2011 when a MoU was signed between Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Goethe-Institute, Max Mueller. The validity of the MoU expired in September 2014.