Human Development
Health and Family Welfare
61. Recognizing the need for increasing investments in social
sectors, the Plan allocation for the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has been
stepped up from Rs 4920 crore to Rs 5780 crore. This includes an allocation of Rs 180
crore for HIV/Aids Control Programme.
Indian System of Medicine
62. There is now a great interest worldwide in herbal products as
people look for gentler forms of treatment devoid of side effects. We are establishing a
Traditional Knowledge Digital Liberary to bring the knowledge already in the public domain
in international languages to prevent the grant of patents. We are also introducing a new
scheme for strengthening the State Drug Testing Laboratories and pharmacies. We propose to
provide Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy benefits similar to the pharmaceutical
industry.
Education
63. An integrated National Education Programme – the Sarva
Siksha Abhiyan has been launched for universalising elementary education and a National
Mission constituted with the Prime Minister as Chairman. The programme aims to provide
eight years of quality elementary education for all children upto the age of 14 years in a
Mission mode with a thrust on community ownership, disadvantaged group and girls’
quality education and alternative modes of education. All existing schemes on elementary
education will converge with this scheme after the Ninth Plan and it will cover all
districts in the country by March, next year.
64. We are determined to
maintain and strengthen our competitiveness in the field of technology education. A task
force set up for this purpose under the HRD Minister has made wide ranging recommendations
to upgrade and expand this area of education, The Roorkee Engineering College will be
upgraded in to an IIT and funding for IIT, Guwahati has been stepped up to ensure its
early completion. The base of IITs is to be expanded, regional engineering colleges are to
be strengthened and new institutes will be set up with public private partnership. The
role of the private sector will be encouraged. A new Centrally Sponsored Scheme for
computer literacy and studies in schools is being launched and other initiatives planned
for encouraging IT education from school to college levels.
65. Last year, I announced the
availability of 100 per cent deduction from income tax of payments made to institutions
for vocational education and training by the private sector set up in rural areas and
small towns. I propose to make the same deduction available for payments to engineering
institutions also.
Educational
Loans for Students
66. Mr Speaker Sir, I have personally experienced poverty and faced
problems in pursuing higher studies. I, therefore, feel that no deserving student in the
country should be deprived of higher and technical education for want of finances. I am
glad that the Indian Banks Association (IBA) has formulated a new comprehensive
Educational Loan Scheme, which will cover all courses in schools and colleges in India and
abroad. Loans will be available under this scheme up to Rs 7.5 lakh for studies in India,
and Rs 15 lakh for studies abroad. No collateral or margin will be stipulated for loans up
to Rs 4 lakh, the interest of which will not exceed the prime lending rate (PLR). The
interest rate will not exceed PLR plus 1 per cent for loans above Rs 4 lakh. The loans
would be repaid over a period of 5 to 7 years with provision of a grace period. I hope
that this scheme will enable needy children to pursue higher and technical studies both
inside and outside India.
Women
67. The year 2001 is being observed as Women’s Empowerment Year. My
colleague, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission is heading a Task Force to
review the programmes for women. Meanwhile I propose to:
Strengthen
the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh for providing micro credit to poor assetless women through NGOs.
Launch an
integrated scheme for women’s empowerment in 650 blocks through women’s self
help groups.
Start a new
scheme for women in difficult circumstances like widows of Vrindavan, Kashi and other
places, destitute women and other disadvantaged women groups.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
68. In keeping with Government’s commitment to improve the Welfare of the
scheduled tribes, a separate National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development
Corporation with an authorised share capital of Rs 500 crore has been set up. The
allocation for the schemes for welfare of scheduled tribes in the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs has been enhanced from Rs 786 crore this year to Rs 986 crore in the coming year.
69. Similarly, the
allocation for the schemes for welfare and upliftment of scheduled castes in the Ministry
of Social Justice & Empowerment has been enhanced from Rs 709 crore this year to Rs
790 crore in the coming year.
Social Security
70. Hon’ble Members may recall my announcement in the last
budget, of a new Group Insurance Scheme, the "Janashree Bima Yojana" to extend
Social Security cover to the poorest sections of society. The said scheme was launched by
the Prime Minister on 10, August, 2000 and has been well received. 332 schemes have been
approved so far covering 99,750 people in the BPL segment.
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