Blogspot – Page 11 – Gopal Krishna Agarwal

National Logistics Policy must include components on Hydrogen Storage & Transportation

May 2, 2023

Gopal Krishna Agarwal, National Spokesperson – Economic Affairs, BJP believes that for India to become a 5 trillion economy in the coming years, it must find out new areas where it can catalyze economic growth. This is where green hydrogen can be important. Not only will a green hydrogen economy establish India’s importance in international leadership, it can also propel its economic growth.

Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken it upon himself to be a global leader in climate change challenges and is committed to the cause of renewable energy. This shows that there is willpower at the top leadership level for achieving these goals. Because of this commitment, after COP21, India has taken some bold steps in meeting emission norms. Consequently, after the Paris Climate Change Summit, India’s emissions have reduced by 28% since the levels in 2005, according to a report. We are almost on the verge of achieving the target of reducing emissions by 30% by 2030.

A major noteworthy measure taken by India is to set up the International Solar Alliance, with its head office in India, along with France. Another initiative taken by India to meet its green energy commitments is to obtain 80-85% of its electricity demand through renewable sources by 2050. India is also committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, incorporating all the 17 goals into the government policies. Recently India has achieved target of 40% power generation capacity based on non-fossil sources.

Green hydrogen economy: The baton of a zero-carbon future However, coal’s share in India’s energy mix constitutes over 44% while oil contributes to around 25%. The share of bio-energy and CNG is 21% & 5.8% respectively while that of nuclear & solar energy is critically low. Coal being a fossil fuel is a recipe for a climate hazard while the oil prices in the country are skyrocketing and imported oil is inflating India’s import bill. As India treads farther on the road to industrialization, its per capita energy consumption will grow from 30% currently, which is lower than the world average consumption, to almost double in 2040. This is attributed to the fact that India has now displaced US to become the second most attractive destination for setting up manufacturing industries globally.

Though there are certain concerns about large hydro projects, India has a huge potential in it. Similarly, small hydro project can be important initiatives although they are nearly non-existent at present. But at the same time, India now has the world’s fifth-largest solar power and fourth-largest wind energy capacities. This energy can be used to produce green hydrogen, a zero carbon emission fuel, and it will be a big game changer for the whole energy sector.

Hydrogen is a big source of energy, and though there are several challenges at present, and India is not a big player in this field, the direction in which private investments and the government is moving can bring big rewards for the country. It will help in energy security, decarbonization, and to meet the target for reduced carbon emissions. Moving into the sector of hydrogen energy, which can become the most important component on the renewable energy side, there is an estimation that an investment of more than US$ 500 billion will be required in the near future. Many private companies like Reliance, Adani Power, Tata Power and Mittal Power and even some of the government companies in the energies, like NTPC, have set up big targets and there is an expected investment commitment of US$ 316 billion by 2030. If the government policies are supportive, and the challenges pertaining to the implementation of hydrogen energy are met, India can become a big player in this field.

Creating a conducive ecosystem for a green hydrogen economy; setting up of National Hydrogen Mission.

At present, cost is a big challenge for hydrogen technology. There is also a big competition on the solar energy side from China. A big challenge that can be found from the private sector is high interest costs. Though the government is continuously reducing interest costs, more sources of energy and funding are needed for this to happen. If new and improved technology is brought along with innovation and research, the production challenges can be met. Recognizing the challenges and finding solutions is also something the government is working on. It is now coming up with new industrial and logistics policies to address concerns like transportation and availability of raw material among others. There is also a focus on building manufacturing bases in India. The government has, in the Aatmanirbhar Bharat also committed 90,000 crore rupees on the upgradation of power sector and tackle the issues of grid reforms, improvement in transmission and improvement in the discoms.

The private players as well as the government agree that hydrogen and silicon are novel fields that can generate a lot of wealth for the country. Around 1500 crore rupees has been committed by the government for setting up this National Hydrogen Mission. Various policies are being implemented and roadmaps are being set up. Ultimately when the objective is clear and commitment of the highest level for clean and green energy is there, India will surely be able to achieve its targets.

The Government is coming out with new National Logistics Policy; it must address issues pertaining to integrated logistics hubs, hydrogen storage, transportation, warehousing, and ports. Similarly, internalizing the environmental cost on the corporate sector’s balance sheet, will help in proper project evaluation for the government and also bring better presentation. So, the recording of these environmental initiatives in the balance sheet and internalizing cost is another important issue where more research and development can take place. Finance accounting professionals as from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) can take this initiative. More sources of low cost funding are must to propel a robust hydrogen economy in the country and the government is taking steps towards that.

Budget 2023/24 – Foundation for Vishwa guru Bharat

February 27, 2023

Gopal Krishna Agarwal,

The last full-fledged budget before the general elections next year has resisted to be a populist budget and the Government must be applauded for it. It takes confidence and commitment to stick to the fundamentals of prudent book-keeping when it makes complete sense to go all out political. This attribute, which was also visible during the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ package in the wake of Covid – 19 crisis, will keep the economy on an even keel.

When the global economies are reeling under inflation and being sucked into recessionary cycle, India continues to be an outlier with manageable inflation, high GDP growth rate and well calibrated fiscal consolidation glide path. The difference of Modi Government’s approach to balance the macroeconomic challenges of fighting recession, controlling inflation and meeting fiscal deficit consolidation target is very much evident in budget 2023-24.

A major achievement of the Government has been its management of fiscal affairs. Several challenges on macro-economic front that stemmed from external factors and were unseen at the time of presentation of budget last year unfolded as the year rolled by. The actual expenditure on food and fertilizer subsidy for the current year is much more than was initially budgeted while the excise tax collected had to come down due to energy price relief provided to the consumers. Despite this Modi Government has managed to adhere to the budgeted target of 6.4 percent for fiscal deficit for the year 2022-23. The fiscal deficit target for the coming financial year has been put at 5.9 percent of the GDP. Thus the march on the path of fiscal consolidation continues and the Government has committed to bring it down in the range of 4.5 percent by the year 2025-26.

The highlight of 2023-24 budget undoubtedly has to be the increased allocation for capital expenditure which has been increased by 33 percent to Rs 10 lakh crore. Anyone, familiar with the concept of ‘multiplier effect’ of expenditure would know that government Capex has a much bigger effect on the economy than government or private consumption expenditure. After two consecutive years of increase in government Capex, the Government would have stepped off the accelerator, but, the increase in Capex under this context is really heart-warming.

An Amrit Kaal Road Map For India To Achieve Glory

February 1, 2023

By Gopal Krishna Agarwal,

This year’s Budget is a document with a futuristic vision. The government has listed seven priorities (saptrishi) that will guide policymaking on the road to 2047.

The Narendra Modi government’s approach to balancing the macroeconomic challenges of fighting recession, controlling inflation and meeting the fiscal deficit consolidation target is clear in Union Budget 2023-24. When global economies are reeling under inflation and being sucked into a recessionary cycle, India continues to be an outlier with manageable inflation, a high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate, and a well-calibrated fiscal consolidation glide path.

Demonstration: Its Legal, Politics And Economy Dimensions

January 18, 2023

There are three dimensions to Demonetization debate: Legal, Political and Economic dimensions. There were 58 petitions filed against government’s decision to implement Demonetization on various objections. Hon’ble Supreme Court rejected all the contentions of the petitioners. Issues with regards to Central Government’s power, the decision making process, the period provided for exchange of notes, consultations with the Reserve Bank of India; The Court observed that the Government and the RBI had considered all the relevant factors before taking decision and merely because some citizens faced hardship, it cannot be said to be bad in Law.

Demonetization was a decisive strike against corruption, black money, counterfeit currency and terrorism. As a result of demonetization, there is greater transparency

A six-year period is more than enough time for any policy to be reviewed threadbare and determine if it was beneficial or not. The Supreme Court of India’s verdict has done just that. The Supreme Court upholding the decision of the Central government should settle all including the Legal aspects of Demonetisation debate.

On the Political dimension, people have welcomed the decision with open arms. Shri Narendra Modi has won major State Elections held since 2016, with overwhelming majority including that of Uttar Pradesh in 2018 and National General Elections in 2019. People have shown full confidence in the vision and decisions of Shri Narendra Modi ji, whether it is the fight against Covid pandemic, implementation of GST etc.

As I look after the economic affairs at the Party forum, I will delve deeply on the economic aspect of the debate. This aspect is the least understood and therefore much confusion has been created by the Opposition Parties.

Demonetisation was a decisive strike against corruption, black money, counterfeit currency and terrorism. As a result of demonetization, there is greater transparency in business environment, as well as an increase in tax compliance. Several lakh shell companies (3.8 lakh Shell companies and 4.5 lakh directors related to shell entities) have been unearthed and struck off Registrar of Companies Affairs. Penal actions have been initiated against these Companies and their Promoters. Post-demonetisation, Hawala operators and Dabba trading have been severely affected.

The introduction of demonetization has led to the formalization of the business ecosystem. Tax base expansion has led to an increase in revenue for the economy. The government has used this revenue to create better urban and rural infrastructure in India and improve social services. Rise in tax collections and improvement in the Tax-to-GDP Ratio can be attributed to demonetisation. It has helped India move towards the ideal situation where low taxes are levied on a large base.

Following decades of institutionalized discrimination against the lower strata of the pyramid i.e. the poor population in the country, demonetisation significantly increased financial inclusion among those previously excluded. Pre and Post-demonetisation, crores of new bank accounts were opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dan Yojana (PMJDY), bulk of which (80 per cent) were with public sector banks. Of the new Jan Dan accounts, 53.6 per cent were in urban areas and 46.4 per cent are in rural areas.

Modi Government has been cracking down on hoarders of black money and those who had stolen money from the people. Focused approach of our government, through initiative like Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, Amendment to the prevention of Corruption Act, Whistle Blower Protection Act, Income Disclosure Schemes, Foreign Illegal Assets Declaration Scheme, Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Act, along with Demonetisation has been successful in breaking the backbone of black economy in the country. Demonetisation was not the step in isolation but our efforts have been 360 degrees.

Simultaneously our government has strengthened the Social welfare delivery mechanism for the poor and plugged leakages from public distribution systems. With the Jan Dhan Accounts and digital payments, government initiated the Direct Benefits Transfer infrastructure.

During Demonetisation, non-profit organizations & non-corporates were the second-largest category of entities with regard to average cash deposited. While they account for only 4.6% of PAN nos, cash deposited by them accounted for a disproportionate 16.2%.

Demonetisation in 2016 mandated that any undisclosed income, in the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes denominations – had to be deposited into bank accounts or declared for a formal change. At that time, 86.9% of the legal currency in circulation (15.4 trillion) existed in these two denominations.

Post-demonetisation, digital payments have become an integral part of daily life. In terms of digital payments, India at present is ranked first in the world today. As per the volume, the value of digital transactions has multiplied many-fold. Congress has always mocked Indians, Congress’ former Finance Minister in Parliament questioned the ability of our poor brothers and sisters to embrace digital technology

Demonetization has had a long-term, systemic and behavioral change among the people as well as entities. Demonetization led to a permanent increase in the use of digital transactions. The more dramatic effects were seen in the payments sector.
Some important indicators points to the positive impact of Demonetisation:

The share of Currency in circulation (CIC) in payment systems has been declining from 88% in FY16 to 20% in FY22 and is estimated to go down further to 11.15% in FY27. Use of paper based instruments such as cheque etc. has declined from 46% in FY16 to 12.7% in FY22. Since the inception of Unified payment Interface (UPI), every month online transactions have been increasing and has touched Rs 84 lakh crore in FY22. The NPCIL operated platform saw an increase from 1 lakh transactions in October 2016 to almost 783 crore in December 2022.

The Fintech industry has also seen tremendous growth in India over the last decade after the digitalization push by the government which was catalysed by Demonetization. With a Fintech adoption rate of 87% against the global average of 64%, India is one of the fastest-growing Fintech markets in the world. More than 6,636 Fintech startups in India meant that the industry had a market size of $50 billion in 2021, and it is estimated to reach $150 billion by 2025. India’s Fintech industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20% to reach a transaction value of $138 billion in 2023.

गुजरात में महाविजय सतत सेवा का फल

December 2, 2022

दो प्रदेशो और ऍमसीदी के चुनाव परिणामो का अगर विश्लेषण करे तो कुछ विषय सामने आते हैं| भाजपा को गुजरात में अप्रितम सफलता प्राप्त हुई हैं| अब तक इतनी सीट किसी भी दल को नहीं प्राप्त हुई थी |

भाजपा के लिए भी ये जन-समर्थन गौरवानवंती करने वाला हैं | 27 वर्षो से लगातार सत्ता में रहने के बावजूद जनता का विश्वास सत्ताधरियो में बरकरार रहना अपने आप में मिसाल हैं| प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी और प्रदेश भाजपा के नेतृत्व के प्रति जनता में विश्वास बने रहना भविष्य में राजनीति के मापदंड तय करेगा|

गुजरात की सफलता गुड गवर्नर्स और समायोजित विकास का एक मॉडल पेश करती हैं| अभी तक यह माना जाता रहा हैं की भारत की रजनीति में यह मह्त्वपूर्ण पहलू नहीं हैं ! जनता इस विषय के आधार पर सकारात्मक वोट नहीं डालती, बल्कि वोट के लिए महत्वपूर्ण विषय जातिवाद, अलगाववाद, व्यक्तिगत स्वार्थ पूर्ति के झूठे या सच्चे आश्वासन ही हैं! आप ने पूरा प्रयास की वह मुफ्त की रेवड़ी के आश्वासन पर चुनाव जीत ले पर जनता को पता हैं की सुशासन, भ्रष्टाचार मुक्त शासन और आर्थिक विकास की नीतिया ही प्रदेश की दूरगामी व स्थायी विकास करने में सक्षम हैं और इसी सोच क साथ अगर जनता वोट डालेगी, तो प्रजातंत भी मजबूत होगा ! स्थायी और सफल सरकार का संचालन जनता के हिट में हो सकेगा !

गुजरात में खोखले वादों की राजनीति की हार स्पष्ट हैं ! यह भाजपा के 27 सालो के कार्यो की सराहना हैं और राजनीति के नए मुद्दों, जैसे गुड इकोनॉमिक्स, अच्छी राजनीति, भ्रष्टाचार मुक्त शासन, योजनाओ का सक्षम क्रियान्वयन का कमाल हैं ! परिवारवाद की राजनीति का निराकरण राजनीति के आने वाले समय में मुद्दे के रूप में उभरकर आएगा !

कांग्रेस की हार उसकी परिवारवादी सोच, दिशाहीन राजनीति और भ्रमित नेतत्व की हार हैं ! उन्होंने मुफ्त की रेवड़ियों को बाटने का आश्वासन दिया, इसके बावजूद उनका पराभव दर्शाता हैं की जनता झूठे और भ्रमित आश्वासन से बरगलाइ नहीं जा सकती ! प्रधानमंत्री ने इस बात को अपने वयक्तवय में रखा हैं ! गुजरात का परिणाम आने वाले समय में राजनीति का परिदृश्य ही बदल देगा! इस जीत के बाद भाजपा का गुजरत में 32 वर्ष का लगातार कार्यकाल हो जायेगा ! यह अपने आप में प्रजातंत्र में एक ऐतिहासिक कार्य रहेगा !

भाजपा हर चुनाव को एक चुनौती के रूम ले लेती हैं साथ में हर चुनाव हमारे लिए जनता के साथ संवाद का महत्वपूर्ण अवसर भी हैं! इसीलिए चाहे प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी हो राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष जगत प्रकाश नड्डा हो, गृह मंत्री अमित शाह हो या केंद्रीय मंत्रीगण या सभी केंद्र व राज्य के पदाधिकारी या सामान्य कार्यकर्ता, सभी पूरी लगन, मेहनत से चुनाव में जुट जाते हैं! बड़ा चुनाव हो या छोटा चुनाव हम पूरी तत्परता से समवाद स्थापित करते हैं ! प्रजातंत्र के उत्सव में भागीदारी सुनिश्चित करते हैं ! यह समय होता हैं जब हम अपने कार्यकाल का रिपोर्ट कार्ड जनता के बीच में रखते हैं ! उनसे सरकारी योजनाओ पर विचार ग्रहण करते हैं उनकी आकांशाओ और उपेक्षाओ को जानने समझने के प्रयास करते हैं और उसे अपने विचार में शामिल करते हैं !

इस सारी प्रक्रिया में केवल चुनाव परिणाम मतलब नहीं रखते हैं ! हाँ, हम एक राजनितिक पार्टी हैं ! जीतने की आकांशा से चुनाव लड़ते हैं जरूर , लकिन परिणाम के आधार पर अपनी शक्ति या अपने कार्य को सीमित नहीं करते हैं हमारे कार्यकर्ता का मनोबल इसी आधार पर बढ़ता रहता हैं सफलता भी मिलती हैं ! कभी पूरी अपेछित सफलता न भी मिले, तो भी पुरे मनोयोग से जनता को धन्यवाद एवं आभार हमारे लिए मह्त्वपूर्ण हैं ! दिल्ली और हिमाचल के चुनाव परिणाम इसी परिपेरक्षय में हमारे लिए महत्व के विषय हैं! प्रजातान्त्रिक मूल्यों के प्रति हमारी प्रतिबद्धता हमें आत्म-समीक्षा और अधिक कड़ी मेहनत के लिए प्रोत्साहित करती हैं ! हिमाचल में हमारे और कांग्रेस के बीच सीटों का अंतर होने के बावजूद वोटो का अंतर एक प्रतिशत से भी कम हैं, जो हमें आश्वस्त करता हैं की हिमाचल की जनता भाजपा पर विश्वास करती हैं हमारे अध्यक्ष ने कहा हैं की हम परिणाम की व्यापक समीक्षा करेंगे और अगर पार्टी में किसी स्तर पर समस्या होगी तो उसे तत्काल दूर करेंगे !

बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश में उप-चुनाव की जीत भी हमारे लिए सुखद हैं हम अभी से पूर्ण विश्वास एवं मेहनत से अगले चुनावो की तैयारियां में जुटने वाले हैं प्रधानमंत्री की दूरदर्शिता, मेहनत और जनता का उन पर प्रेम व विश्वास पूरी तरह बरक़रार हैं !

वैश्य समाज ने मांगी राजनीतिक भागीदारी

May 4, 2022

By Gopal Krishna Agarwal,

उत्तर प्रदेश में आगामी निकाय चुनावों को लेकर वैश्य समाज ने अपनी राजनैतिक भागीदारी एक मीटिंग आयोजित की। जिसमें गौतमबुद्धनगर और बुलंदशहर के वैश्य समाज के नगर पार्षद, नगर पंचायत अध्यक्ष और निकाय अध्यक्षों ने भागीदारी की। भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता गोपाल कृष्ण अग्रवाल कार्यक्रम मुख्य अथिति रहे।

कार्यक्रम में आए सभी वैश्य समाज के प्रतिनिधियों की मांग थी कि आगामी निकाय चुनावों में वैश्य समाज को हितों को ध्यान में रखा जाए तथा भाजपा से निकाय चुनावों में वैश्य समाज के जुड़े लोगों को प्रत्याशी बनाया जाए। वैश्य समाज के लोगों को राजनैतिक दलों पर अपनी उपेक्षा का आरोप लगाया, और कहा कि उन्हें केवल वोट बैंक की तरह इस्तेमाल किया जा रहा है। जबकि पूरा समाज राजनैतिक दलों को सबसे ज्यादा चंदा देता है। गौतमबुद्ध नगर और बुलंदशहर दोनों जिलों में वैश्य समाज की राजनैतिक प्रतिनिधित्व नगण्य है। केवल बुलंदशहर में ही मेयर वैश्य समाज के हैं। जबकि दोनों जिलों में चुनाव से निर्वाचित होने वाले पार्षदों की सख्या में संतोषजनक नहीं है। भाजपा प्रवक्ता गोपाल कृष्ण अग्रवाल मांग करते हुए वैश्य समाज के प्रतिनिधियों ने कहा कि वह समाज की इस मांग से भाजपा के शीर्ष नेतृत्व की अवगत कराएं।

वहीं कार्यक्रम के मुख्यअथिति भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता गोपाल कृष्ण अग्रवाल ने कहा कि भाजपा वैश्य समाज की महत्वता को पहचानती है। उन्होंने कहा कि वैश्य समाज अपनी सामाजिक भागीदारी को बहुत अच्छे से निर्वहन कर रहा है परन्तु राजनैतिक भागीदारी के लिए राजनैतिक पहचान भी जरूरी है। इसलिए वैश्य समाज अगर अपनी राजनैतिक भागीदारी सुनिश्चित करना चाहता है तो राजनीति में आना होगा और समाज से जुड़े लोगों को आगे बढ़ाना होगा। उन्होंने कहा कि मेरे संज्ञान में जो बातें लाई गई हैं मैं उन्हें पार्टी के शीर्ष नेतृत्व तक जरूर पहुंचाउंगा।

इस अवसर पर वैश्य समाज के खुर्जा से दो सभासद और पूर्व चैयरमैन, सिकंद्राबाद से एक सभासद और एक पूर्व चैयरमैन प्रत्याशी, गुलावठी से 3 सभासद और पूर्व चैयरमैन प्रत्याशी, दादरी से एक सभासद और पूर्व सभासद, जेवर से दो पूर्व सभासद एवं पूर्व चैयरमैन,जहांगीरपुर से एक सभासद , रबूपुरा से एक पूर्व सभासद, ककोड़ सभासद और दनकौर से सभासद, बुलंदशहर से सभासद स्याना से सभासद बुगरासी से सभासद ने कार्यक्रम में शिरकत की।

वहीं कार्यक्रम में शिरकत करने वालों में रवि जिंदल, जिला उपाध्यक्ष भाजपा, मोनू गर्ग, जिला उपाध्यक्ष भाजयुमो, जगमोहन गर्ग, नवीन कुमार गुप्ता, डीके मित्तल , अंशुल अग्रवाल , विष्णू ऐरन, उमेश तायल , रिषभ अग्रवाल, मुके मुकेश सिंघल, संभ्रान्त कृष्ण आदि उपस्थित रहे।

डिजिटल अभियान से सशक्त हो रहे हैं श्रमिक

April 27, 2022

गोपाल कृष्ण अग्रवाल
राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता
भारतीय जनता पार्टी

भारत में असंगठित क्षेत्र के श्रमिकों की स्थिति विकट है,जो महामारी के दौरान और बदतर हो गई। इस दौरान पलायन करने वाले मजदूरों की दुर्दशा सामने आई। आवधिक श्रम बल सर्वेक्षण (पीएलएफएस) 2018-19 के अनुसार, करीब 88 प्रतिशत कामगार इसी क्षेत्र से आते हैं,जबकि इस क्षेत्र का जीडीपी में योगदान 52 फीसदी है। इसके विपरीत संगठित क्षेत्र का जीडीपी में योगदान 48 फीसदी है, जबकि यह कुल कार्य शक्ति के बमुश्किल 12 प्रतिशत कामगारों को ही रोजगार देता है। साफ तौर पर यह घरेलू कार्य बल के बीच असमानता दर्शाता है। अभी तक इस संबंध में मजदूरों को समय पर राहत ही नहीं मिल पाती, सामाजिक सुरक्षा देने के विषय में तो भूल ही जाइए। समय-समय पर करवाए जाने वाले राष्ट्रीय नमूना सर्वेक्षण संगठन के सर्वे से भी इस संबंध में वास्तविक व सम्पूर्ण स्थिति स्पष्ट नहीं हो पाती। इस दिशा में ई-श्रम पोर्टल उपयुक्त कदम है। श्रम एवं रोजगार मंत्रालय द्वारा बनाया गया ई-श्रम पोर्टल असंगठित क्षेत्र के कामगारों के लिए डेटा बेस है,जो आधार से जुड़ा है। पोर्टल पर रजिस्टर करने के बाद असंगठित कामगारों को डिजिटल फॉर्म पर ई-श्रम कार्ड/आइडी मिलता है। वे पोर्टल या मोबाइल एप के माध्यम से अपनी प्रोफाइल को अपडेट भी कर सकते हैं। यह एप विभिन्न कल्याणकारी योजनाओं और असंगठित क्षेत्र में कर्मचारियों की पात्रता संबंधी जागरूकता लाने का काम करता है।

ई-श्रम कार्ड का यूनिवर्सल अकाउंट नम्बर(यूएएन) देश भर में मान्य होगा। इसके आधार पर कार्डधारक को सामाजिक सुरक्षा, जैसे बीमा कवर, मातृत्व लाभ, पेंशन, शिक्षा, प्रोविडेंट फंड, आवास योजना आदि लाभ मिलेंगे। सामाजिक सुरक्षा लाभ पाने के लिए कर्मचारियों को अपनी पहचान संबंधी जानकारियां पोर्टल पर उपलब्ध करवानी होंगी, जैसे नाम, व्यवसाय, पता, शैक्षणिक योग्यता, कौशल आदि। साथ ही, ई-श्रम कार्ड के आधार पर प्रवासी मजदूर अपने बच्चों को निकटवर्ती स्कूल में प्रवेश दिलवा सकते हैं। यह उनकी मुख्य समस्याओं में से एक बड़ी समस्या है। ई-श्रम आइडी को वे पहचान पत्र के तौर पर इस्तेमाल कर सकेंगे। प्रधानमंत्री सुरक्षा बीमा योजना (पीएमएसबीवाय) के अनुसार, लाभार्थियों की मृत्यु होने या स्थाई रूप से दिव्यांग होने की स्थिति में 2 लाख रुपए व आंशिक रूप से दिव्यांग होने पर 1 लाख रुपए की आर्थिक मदद का प्रावधान है।

राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों के असंगठित क्षेत्रों में काम करने वाले सभी पात्र कर्मी ई-श्रम पोर्टल पर रजिस्टर कर सकते हैं। इनमें शामिल हैं निर्माण क्षेत्र के मजदूर, प्रवासी मजदूर, गाड़ी व प्लैटफॉर्म मजदूर, ठेले-रेहड़ी वाले, घरेलू कर्मचारी, कृषि कर्मी, दूध वाले, मछुआरे, ट्रक चालक वगैरह। पात्र कर्मचारी चार लाख से भी अधिक साझा सेवा केंद्रों (सीएससीएस) के माध्यम से रजिस्टर कर सकते हैं। यह केंद्र डिजिटल सेवा अदायगी के केंद्र हैं। गत 30 दिसम्बर तक पोर्टल पर रजिस्टर करने वालों की संख्या 27 करोड़ पहुंच गई।

नीति निर्माण और उसके लक्षित क्रियान्वयन के लिए सही व प्रामाणिक क्षेत्रीय व संबंधी डेटा बहुत महत्त्वपूर्ण है। पोर्टल असंगठित क्षेत्र के कर्मियों के व्यवसाय के आधार पर भी उनका डेटा संग्रह करता है। जैसा कि हम जानते हैं भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्था तीन क्षेत्रों पर निर्भर है-कृषि (प्राथमिक), औद्योगिक (द्वितीय) और सेवा (तृतीय)। ई-श्रम पोर्टल के अनुसार, 52 फीसदी नामांकन प्राथमिक क्षेत्र में हुए हैं, जो बाकी क्षेत्रों से अधिक है। असंगठित क्षेत्र में सर्वाधिक मजदूर निर्माण व कृषि क्षेत्र में कार्यरत हैं। इसके अलावा पोर्टल पर रजिस्टर करने वाले अन्य मजदूर हैं-घरेलू नौकर, वस्त्र उद्योग कर्मी, ऑटोमोबाइल व परिवहन क्षेत्र, खुदरा एवं खाद्य उद्योग कर्मचारी। लैंगिक आधार पर देखा जाए, तो पोर्टल पर रजिस्टर करने वाली महिलाओं की संख्या पुरुषों से अधिक है। महिलाओं की यह संख्या 53 फीसदी है, बाकी 47 फीसदी पुरुष हैं। निश्चित रूप से महिलाओं का ज्यादा रजिस्ट्रेशन होना और श्रम शक्ति में उनकी कम भागीदारी आश्चर्यजनक है। पोर्टल के डेटा अनुसार, पंजीकृत मजदूरों में से 94 फीसदी की मासिक आय 10,000 रुपए या इससे कम है। इसके अलावा ज्यादातर मजदूर युवा हैं। करीब 61 फीसदी मजदूर 18 से 40 वर्ष वाले आयु वर्ग के हैं। पोर्टल पर मजदूरों का प्रवासी स्टेटस भी दर्ज है।

Smoking Can Cause Infertility Among Women, Premature Birth Say Doctors

April 9, 2022

By Gopal Krishna Agarwal,

Smoking in women can cause infertility and premature baby birth, warn doctors as they called for stricter tobacco control policy to save over 1.3 million lives which meet untimely death due to consumption of the deadly product every year in India.

Dr. Uma Kumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Rheumatology, AIIMS New Delhi said that smoking habits among women are on the increase which is a matter of concern. It may result in infertility, cases of which are also rising these days. Also, smoking may lead to premature birth, she warned.

In fact, the doctor said, contrary to the general notion, tobacco consumption affects not only the lungs but many major parts of the body like teeth and bones are seriously damaged. Dr Kumar said that first-hand smoke and secondhand smoke both are equally harmful to health. Kumar was sharing her views at a webinar on the “Prevention of deaths caused by tobacco” organized by Tobacco Free India on the occasion of World Health Day observed recently.

Economist and BJP’s national spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal while participating in the discussion too called for a stricter tobacco-control policy such as increasing the tax on such harmful products which, he said, would not only generate more revenue for the Government’s welfare schemes but also prove beneficial to those who use them by reducing the consumption of these products.

Along with this, the additional revenue earned therefrom could be utilized for the welfare and alternative employment of the poor and tribal who are engaged in tobacco-related business and are victims of exploitation. With this fund, tobacco-cessation centers could also be set up.

He further said that in the case of addictive products like tobacco, awareness among people is not enough, but in such cases, the pricing factor has a big impact. According to the principle of economics, if their price is increased through tax, then it will help in reducing consumption, which will also benefit those who use them. The existing taxes on tobacco products are not enough, he argued.

Agarwal also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the resolution to make a healthy India, and in order to fulfill it, along with treatment, preventive measures are also very important. Twenty-eight percent of the adult population of the country is using tobacco products. As various tactics are being adopted by the producers of sin goods to lure students of the age group of 13 to 15 years, the Government has decided to make the tobacco-control laws more stringent.

Not Just Lungs, Smoking Affects Every Cell Of Human Body

April 7, 2022

By Gopal Krishna Agarwal,

Not just lungs but also every cells of human body and the hard organs like bones and teeth get adversely affected by smoking, said Professor Uma Kumar, Head of Rheumatology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Kumar said that the first hand smoke and second hand smoke both are equally harmful for health.

Expressing concerns on rising smoking habits among women, she said that it may result into infertility, cases of which is also rising these days. Also, smoking may lead to premature birth.

People generally think that smoking affects lungs only, but the case is different, it affects every parts and is one of the important risk factors for growing numbers cases related to autoimmune diseases, Kumar said while speaking on the prevention of deaths caused by tobacco on the occasion of World Health Day.

The event was organized by Tobacco Free India.

Dr Vishal Rao of HCG, Bangalore said that the reason for the rapidly increasing cases of oral cancer in India is tobacco products.

To save the lives of 13 lakh Indians annually, it is need of the hour that the strictness on tobacco products should be increased, said eminent economist and BJP’s national spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal.

Strong Regulatory Frame Work Needed for Efficient Water Management

March 26, 2022

By Gopal Krishna Agarwal,

A strong regulatory framework is needed to ensure efficient water management in India, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal has said. Addressing a virtual event organized by Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS), Agarwal called for the implementation of National Water Framework regulations.

Agarwal, who has co-authored the book, ‘Water an Element of Life: Price Sensitivity and Consumption by the Marginalized’ said water should be provided as a public good to all sections of the society.

Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS, called for putting in place an integrated approach to deal with the issues related to water management.

“Local governments play an essential role in water management. But they are not properly empowered. There is a need to empower local institutions,” said Mehta.

As a consumer, we have the right to water but we need to exercise this right while simultaneously ensuring our responsibility to manage and conserve water,” said Vipul Chatterjee, Executive Director, CUTS.

Mathew Cherian, Chair, CARE India, said traditional knowledge is essential to recharge water. “There is great pressure on groundwater across the country and states like Rajasthan may face severe stress in coming years.