GUJARAT

The stateeducation department announced the launch of a new Scholarship scheme for Class 9-12 students from financially weak families.
The government will provide scholarships to about 25,000 students under the Gyan Sadhana Scholarship Scheme from the new academic year.
A statement from the Education department said that Class 9-10 students will be given Rs 20,000 per annum and Class 11-12 students, Rs 25,000 per annum. The annual household income of a student from the rural area should not exceed Rs 1.2 lakh per annum, while this limit is Rs 1.5 lakh for those from urban areas.
The eligible students will be required to take a competitive exam and the meritorious ones will be chosen for the scholarship programme.

River Front Development Project Rejuvenation Of Sabarmati This is a project of environmental improvement, social progress and urban rejuvenation that will give Ahmedabad a new look. The project will reclaim about 200 hectares of land from the riverbed. About the Sabarmati river:

It is one of the rivers that flows westward together with the Narmada River and the Tapti River.

It originated in Aravalli Hill near Tepur Village in Udaipur District, Rajasthan.

Mouth of the river: Gulf of Cambey ( Khambhat).

Ahmedabad city is located on both banks of this river.

As theGujaratgovernment gears up to present its budget on March 3, manufacturing as well as Services-sector”>services sector representatives have high hopes pinned for major policy boost and development to give the Industry a much-needed push. With Covid-19 cases receding and the third wave leaving a little impact, the industrial recovery continued to remain on track.

Consequently, industries across Gujarat want the states budget to focus on a greater policy boost to accelerate the pace of recovery.

Rajkot is a hub of engineering manufacturing units and as manufacturers are poised for expansion, representatives have sought that more GIDCs must be set up so that new businesses can build base. Paresh Vasani, president, Rajkot Engineering Association, said, More GIDCs must come up so that new players get land at a concessional rate to undertake expansion of existing businesses and even fresh greenfield investments.

With several IT and hardware component manufacturing companies mushrooming in Rajkot, the industry players have also been seeking that the State Government announces the establishment of an IT park. The government has also identified three locations around Rajkot for that park. However, they are waiting for the official announcement.

Slow recovery in demand since the pandemic coupled with a steep rise in raw material costs has plagued the textile manufacturers across Gujarat, impacting their profitability and denting their revenues.

Industries, therefore, have sought policy support to help accelerate recovery and Growth. Chintan Thaker, chairman, Assocham, Gujarat, said, Gujarat Textile Policy-2019 should be replaced with a policy in line with Gujarat Textile Policy-2012. The previous policy led to a capital infusion of more than Rs 30,000 crore.

The new policy has lesser incentives. At a time when the industry needs a push for revival, the government must consider revising the textile policy.

Surats man-made fibre industry on the other hand is also seeking that a dedicated textile park is set up under Mega Integrated Textile Re- gion and Apparel (MITRA) Parks.

Surat is one of the main contenders to get a MITRA park for which multiple proposals were made by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).

State governments order to immediatelydouble jantri rateswill impact upcoming projects the most, say realty experts.

Amount of paid FSI and NA premium will be doubled which will raise a question on the viability of a project. On the other hand, redevelopment deals of various societies will also be put on hold due to non-viability following increase in FSI rates. Experts believe the new projects will be costlier by 20% while the commercial segment will be hit the most.

Increase injantri rateswill affect redevelopment projects as well. Double jantri will make redevelopment agreement cost double for builders which is 5% of jantri rates.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Health Insurance coverage has become a huge cost component for companies. While is facing increases in costs, theGujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry(GCC) on Monday made a representation to the Union finance minister asking that theGSTrate on health insurance be cut from 18% to 5%.

Insurance penetration in India is low at 4.2% of gross domestic product (GDP), compared to the global Average of 7%. It is expected that the government takes concrete steps to support higher insurance penetration in theUnion Budget. A well-insured Society leads to lesser support strain on government finances, thereby keeping its unplanned expenditure and budget planning process more stable, the representation states.

According to industry players, the majority of medical, hospital, and consulting Services are exempted from GST, whereas 18% GST is applicable on health insurance. There is a strong rationale for the government to encourage the use of insurance to protect citizens and remove or lower GST to say 5% on health insurance premiums.

Figures from the Union Home ministry on custodial violence shows a sorry state of Gujarat, which stood second in the entire country in terms of deaths in Police custody this year.
Gujarat with 21 deaths in police custody is next only to Maharashtra, which reported 26 such deaths till November 15 this year.

According to figures from the Union home ministry, the country reported 151 deaths in police custody and Gujarat accounted for nearly 14%.

Bihar. which reported 18 deaths in police custody, and Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh with 11 deaths each, are better off than Gujarat.

Crime in India in 2020, a report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), also revealed that the number of custodial deaths in Gujarat was the highest in 2020. Fifteen persons, who were in police custody without remand, died in various districts of the state in 2020.

Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had created the ministry of cooperation with the motto of prosperity with cooperation, union Home and cooperatives minister Amit Shah said that the cooperative sector will play a major role in India becoming a US $ 5 trillion economy.

Shah said that a lot of changes are required in the cooperative sector and said, A charter for the newly formed ministry is being prepared with the core idea of sahakaar se samruddhi (cooperation to wealth).

Shah launched an automated cheese warehouse at Khatraj, Amuls organic biofertilizer, souvenir, stamp and envelope marking 75 years of Amul and inaugurated newly constructed auditorium. He also launched the Sahakar scheme of the National Cooperative Development Corporation with Rs 5,000 crore allocation.