Jitendra Singh

SCs, STs' representation in govt workforce as per prescribed limit: Centre

The representation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the central government workforce is as per the prescribed limit, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. According to the information provided by the ministries/departments, as on January 1, 2024, the number of employees belonging to SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes, OBCs, is 5.47 lakh, 2.82 lakh and 8.55 lakh, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply. "The representation of SC and ST is as per the prescribed limit of 15% and 7.5% respectively. The representation of OBCs in direct recruitment has also consistently been more than 27% during the last 10 years," he said. To a query seeking reasons for removal of data on reservation in Union government jobs and positions from the Annual Report (2023-24) of DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training), Singh said obtaining data/information from ministries/ departments is a time-consuming process. "At the time of finalising

Over 400,000 backlog vacancies for SC,ST, OBC filled since 2016: Govt

More than four lakh backlog vacancies reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates in, have been filled since 2016, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. "Occurrence and filling of vacancies, including the backlog reserved vacancies, is a continuous process," he said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. Instructions have been issued to all ministries/departments of the central government to constitute an in-house committee for identification of backlog reserved vacancies, to study the root cause of such vacancies, to initiate measures to remove the factors causing such vacancies and to fill them up including through special recruitment drives, said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. "As per the data furnished by the ministries/departments, more than 4 lakh backlog reserved vacancies in respect of SC/ST and OBC candidates have been filled up since 2016," he said. The minister said each ministry/department of t

Innovation should not remain confined to labs, says Jitendra Singh

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said scientific innovation must not remain confined to laboratories and should translate into impactful, market-ready solutions that empower industries and improve lives. Addressing a meeting of the secretaries of various science departments, Singh cited examples of successful government-supported innovations, encouraging departments to use these stories as models to inspire trust and investment from the private stakeholders. "Scientific innovation must not remain confined to laboratories. It should translate into impactful, market-ready solutions that empower industries and improve lives," he said. Singh said India could establish itself as a global leader in innovation and technology-led solutions by effectively marketing technologies. The minister advocated for frameworks that enable public-private collaboration to fast-track the commercialization of lab-scale breakthroughs. He stressed that such partnerships are essentia

22,956 second appeals, complaints pending in CIC: Centre tells Parliament

A total of 22,956 second appeals and complaints were pending in the Central Information Commission (CIC) as on November 29, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. The total number of second appeals and complaints filed in the CIC during the period from 2021-22 to 2023-24 was 59,069, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. "As on 29.11.2024, total number of second appeals and complaints pending in CIC is 22,596," he said. Further, a total of 36,787 second appeals and complaints were returned by the CIC during the period from 2022 to 2024, the minister added. To a question on the number of vacancies in the transparency watchdog, Singh said "at present, the CIC comprises of Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners". According to section 12(2) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the CIC shall consist of the chief information commissioner and such number of central informati

India's atomic power capacity to be tripled by 2032: Jitendra Singh

The union minister said that by 2031-32, the generation capacity would triple to 22,480 megawatts

Govt working on law to govern space sector: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

The government is working on a new law to govern the space sector which has witnessed reforms over the past four years with private players making a mark in building and launching satellites, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. Singh said India's maiden human spaceflight programme -- Gaganyaan -- was also progressing well and the first uncrewed mission was expected to be launched early next year. "We are working on that," the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told a press conference here in response to a question on the timeline for the space activities bill, which would grant statutory cover to the reforms in the sector. Singh said the government had announced space sector reforms in 2020 with the aim to increase India's share in the global space economy. "Indian Space Policy was released in April 2023 as an overarching, composite and dynamic framework to implement the space reform vision approved by the Union Cabinet," he said. The minister sa

Filling up of vacant govt posts continuous process: Centre on vacancies

Occurrence and filling up of vacant posts is a continuous process and details of vacancies are maintained by the respective ministries or departments, the Centre said on Thursday. Ministries or departments of the central government have been directed, from time to time, to fill up the vacant posts in a time bound manner, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. He was responding to a question seeking "details of the total number of vacancies in all central government ministries and departments to date, department-wise". "Occurrence and filling up of vacant posts in various ministries/departments is a continuous process. The details of vacancies are maintained by the respective ministry/department," Singh said. In response to another question, he said the contractual appointments in government departments are made by the individual ministries/departments strictly based on their requirements, in accordance with the provisions of Genera

63 'specialists' appointed in govt departments via lateral entry: Centre

As many as 63 specialists have been appointed in different Central government departments through the lateral entry mode from 2019 to 2023, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Of these, 35 were appointed on contract basis and the remaining 28 on deputation, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh, said in a written reply in the Upper House. "Lateral recruitment at the levels of joint secretary, director and deputy secretary has been undertaken since 2018 to appoint persons for specific assignments, keeping in view their specialised knowledge and expertise in the domain area," Singh said. Giving details, Singh said eight joint secretaries were appointed in 2019, including five on contractual basis and three through deputation from other government departments/organisations. Thitry recruitments were made in 2021 at the levels of joint secretary (3), director (18) and deputy secretary (9). Of these, 14 were on contract and 16 were through deputation, the minister .

Over 168k pensioners' grievances redressed in last two years: MoS

More than 1.68 lakh pensioners' grievances have been redressed in the last two years, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, he said the Centralised Pension Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS) has reduced the backlog with no case pending for more than two years as on date. The CPENGRAMS is an online system for redressal of pension-related grievances. "1,68,964 grievances have been resolved during last two years (from 01.11.2022 to 31.10.2024)," said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. For the redressal of grievances of family pensioners and super-senior pensioners, specific categorisation of such grievances, including the delay in the start of family pension and additional pension, has been done for better monitoring, the minister said. Further, regular reminders are issued and monthly Inter-Ministerial Review Meetings (IMRMs) are conducted for such cases, he said. Also, under 100 days action plan, a month-lon

Changes in Whistle Blowers Protection Act not part of current session: Govt

The changes proposed in the Whistle Blowers Protection Act are not part of the approved legislative business of the current session of Parliament, the government said on Wednesday. The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014 was notified on May 12, 2014. In terms of provision of sub-section (3) of section 1 of the law, the provisions of the Act shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notification in the official gazette, appoint, the government said. No such notification has been made by the government for the reason that the Act requires amendments aimed at safeguarding against disclosures affecting sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, etc., before it is brought into force, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply. To make these amendments to the Act, the government introduced the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in the Lok Sabha on May 11, 2015 which was passed by Lok Sabha on Ma

Family businesses key for India's $5 trillion economy: Jitendra Singh

The role of family businesses is indispensable in achieving India's vision of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and a developed nation by 2047, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. Family businesses are the backbone of India's economy, contributing more than 70 per cent to the GDP and employing a significant portion of the workforce, he said. "By 2047, this share is expected to rise to 80-85 per cent, highlighting their critical role in shaping the nation's future," the Union minister of state for personnel said. Addressing industry leaders at the Moneycontrol Family Business Awards - 2024, Singh "emphasised the indispensable role of family enterprises in achieving India's vision of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and a developed nation by 2047, a mission spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi". The minister delved on schemes such as PM-Vishwakarma, which he said was best suited for corroborating the traditional family business in the nation, according to a ministr

Discussions on with Westinghouse for Kovvada nuclear project: Govt

The Union government on Tuesday said discussions were in progress with the Westinghouse Electric Company of the US for a viable project proposal to build six 1000-MW nuclear reactors at Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh, said the land for the main plant area for Kovvada Nuclear Power Plant of 2079.66 acres has been acquired and mutated in the name of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Singh said 190.7 acres of land has been acquired for an R&R (rehabilitation and resettlement) colony and land for the employees' township has been identified by district administration. The minister said pre-project activities such as preliminary geotechnical investigations, and geological and seismo-tectonic studies have been completed. The construction of a 13-km boundary wall, the establishment of six micro earthquake stations and the establishment of one meteorological monitoring lab ..

Italian Min Urso meets MoS Jitendra Singh, discusses bilateral cooperation

Senior Italian Minister Adolfo Urso, currently on a visit to India, met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh to strengthen bilateral cooperation between India and Italy.The discussions focused on initiatives to enhance collaboration in the space sector."A high-level official delegation from #Italy, led by Senior Italian Minister Mr Adolfo Urso, called on to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Italy is also providing technical support to G20 Satellite for Environment & Climate, which was announced by PM Sh@narendramodiduring G20 Summit in 2023. Italy hosted 75th International Astronautical Congress at Milan this year while India will be hosting a similar global conference at New Delhi next year," Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in a post on X."Together, we can achieve remarkable milestones that benefit our two nations and the world as a whole," he added.Italy hosted the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan this year ...

MoS Jitendra Singh meets with institutional leaders on sidelines of IISF

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh on Sunday called for strong StartUp-Industry linkage as the key to India's sustainable economic growth.He said this while addressing the Round Table of Institutional leaders from across the country on the sidelines of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2024 here.The Round Table was attended by heads of all the important R & D institutes, Vice Chancellors of Universities and later joined by Industry leaders as well.In an address at the Round Table, the Minister emphasized the complete synergy of Research, Academia, StartUps and Industry to achieve the optimum goals. He underlined the pivotal role of science and innovation in driving India's journey towards becoming a developed nation, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology.Dr Jitendra Singh called for a strategic, collaborative approach involving academia, research institutions, and industry to tap into India's potential and push forward with

India's growth in last decade driven by science, tech: Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday asserted that the country's growth over the last decade was propelled by advancement in science and technology, and innovation. He said that empowering youth and fostering innovations are key to achieving development goals for the nation. Delivering the presidential address at the inaugural session of the 10th India International Science Festival (IISF) here, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology said, "India's remarkable growth story is deeply rooted in its advancements in science and technology, and innovation." "Over the past decade, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we have seen a profound transformation across sectors -- from the rise of startups to revolutionary breakthroughs in biotechnology, space technology and quantum science," he added. The northeastern region, once on the periphery of development, has become a shining example of growth, embodying both economic progress and ...

Over 2.4 mn shortlisted during job fairs in five years: Jitendra Singh

Over 24 lakh candidates have been provisionally shortlisted during job fairs organised during the last five years, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Singh said 34,809 job fairs were conducted by state employment exchanges/model career centres during the last five years (2019-20 to 2023-24) as per information available with the Ministry of Labour & Employment. Job fairs are organised as part of the National Career Service (NCS) project under the administrative control of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, he said. In the five-year period, 26,83,161 jobseekers and 83,913 employers participated in the job fairs and 24,37,188 candidates have been provisionally shortlisted, he added.

10 mn digital life certificates generated by pensioners: Jitendra Singh

One crore digital life certificates have been generated by pensioners across the country during the month-long ongoing special campaign, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. The minister had earlier this month launched the nation-wide digital life certificate campaign 3.0 for digital empowerment of pensioners. The campaign is being held in 800 cities/ towns of India from November 1-30. "Digital life certificate (DLC) introduced for convenience of pensioners and elder citizens has crossed the record one crore mark in the ongoing campaign," he said. Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, said this landmark will go a long way in bringing ease of living for elder citizens and live up to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as expressed by him in the recent episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'. Now, by enabling the digital life certificate, things have become very simple; the elderly do not have to go to the bank. Elderly do not face any problem on account of technology. Makin

Separate railway division to come up in Jammu, says Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said Jammu will get a separate railway division as the railway ministry has accepted a proposal in this regard. In a series of posts on X, Singh also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the progress of the railway infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi is keen to reinforce the railway facility and railway administrative structure in Jammu, which is soon going to be an important railway junction when the Kashmir valley, for the first time, gets connected with the rest of the country through a rail network, Singh, the minister of state for personnel, said. "Heartening news for #Jammu...Railways to set up exclusive Division Headquarter at Jammu...A delegation of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by its President Sh Arun Gupta, met me with a proposal to set up the Railways Division headquarter at Jammu," he said in a post on the microblogging platform. "The matter was taken up with Railways Minister Sh ...

Govt earns over Rs 650 cr from scrap disposal during cleanliness drive

The Centre has earned over Rs 650 crore from disposal of scrap during the recently-concluded cleanliness campaign, an official statement issued on Saturday said. The special campaigns conducted by the government from 2021-24 have generated a revenue of Rs 2,364 crore through disposal of scrap, it said. Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said that the special campaign 4.0 was India's largest campaign for institutionalising swachhata and reducing pendency in the government offices and has witnessed many best practices and milestones. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directions, the saturation approach was adopted in special campaign 4.0 for swachhata and reducing pendency. "Special campaign 4.0 generated revenues of more than Rs 650 crore in the October 2-31, 2024 period," said the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry. The special campaign 4.0 has seen swachhata campaigns being undertaken in more than 5.97 lakh sites and has resulted in freeing 190

Void created will haunt me forever: MoS Jitendra Singh on brother's demise

Untimely demise of my brother Sh Devender Singh Rana is a deep personal loss, which is not only irreparable and painful, but the void created will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life, he said