India on the Path to Progress

RU-04-01-0042-050122/BACKGROUNDER Transformation of Aspirational Districts Programme Remarkable progress in Uttar Pradesh Aspirational Districts – Amongst top 10 best performing districts in the country; Five in UP (NITI Aayog) January 05, 2022 “We are living in an era of immense possibilities which in turn creates opportunities. We need to identify existing aspirations in the districts and channelise them to create a ripple effect for transforming Aspirational Districts. The development of every village of these 115 districts is vital to our commitment to social justice.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi1 Background2 India is on a high growth trajectory that is expected to lift millions out of poverty. However, presently the quality of life of many of its citizens is not consistent with this growth story, a fact reflected in UNDP‟s 2020 Human Development Index3 wherein we are ranked 131 out of 188 countries. A closer look at the data reveals high heterogeneity in the living standards in India. There are significant inter-state and inter-district variations. By uplifting the districts which have shown relatively lesser progress in achieving key social outcome, India can move ahead in the human development index. The „Transformation of Aspirational Districts‟ initiative aims to remove this heterogeneity through a mass movement to quickly and effectively transform these districts. Introduction The Aspirational Districts Program was launched by the Honourable Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi in January 2018, with the objective of expediting the transformation of 112 most backward districts across 28 states through the convergence of government programmes and schemes. The districts were chosen by senior officials of the Union government in consultation with states officials. To Source 1 https://darpg.gov.in/sites/default/files/Aspirational-Districts.pdf 2 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/AspirationalDistrictsBaselineRankingMarch2018.pdf 3 https://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/library/hdr/human-development-products/human- development-report-2016---human-development-for-everyone.html

shortlist states a composite index of deprivation was constructed using a range of socio- economic indicators. The „Transformation of Aspirational Districts‟4 initiative envisions New India by 2022 where the focus is to improve India's ranking under Human Development Index, raising living standards of its citizens and ensuring inclusive growth of all. The broad strategy of the Aspirational Districts Programme includes:  Convergence - between Central and State Schemes  Collaboration - between Centre, State, District Administration, Development Partners and Citizens  Competition - between Districts Focus Areas5 The Government is committed to raising the living standards of its citizens and ensuring inclusive growth for all – “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas”. To enable optimum utilization of their potential, this program focuses closely on improving people‟s ability to participate fully in the vibrant economy. Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure are this programme‟s core areas of focus. Themes A total of 117 Aspirational districts have been identified by NITI Aayog6 based upon composite indicators from Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure which have an impact on the Human development Index. Weightage has been accorded to these districts as below: Source Methodology The objective of the program is to monitor the real-time progress of aspirational districts based on 49 indicators (81 data-points) from the five identified thematic areas. With the latest available data from the ministries concerned, Niti Aayog has completed a baseline ranking of 101 districts. Data was normalised, and a composite score was calculated. Going 4 https://www.nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=967&lid=587 5 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/AspirationalDistrictsBaselineRankingMarch2018.pdf 6 https://www.niti.gov.in/

forward, districts will be ranked based on their progress on a real-time basis. Niti Aayog will subsequently calculate the „distance to frontier‟ – i.e., the distance of each district from the states and nation‟s best. Indicators for Sector-wise rankings based on themes  Health & Nutrition7 - with 30 per cent of the overall weight allotted, health & nutrition has 31 data-points. They focus on antenatal care, postnatal care, gender parity, health of new-born, growth of children, contagious diseases, and health infrastructure.  Education8 - the education sector accounts for 30 per cent of the overall index. 14 data-points have been identified focusing on learning outcomes (transition rate from primary to upper primary, and subsequently to secondary schooling, average scores in mathematics and languages etc.), as well as infrastructural (toilet access for girls, drinking water, electricity supply) and institutional indicators (RTE mandated pupil- teacher ratio, timely delivery of textbooks).  Agriculture & Water Resources9 - agriculture is the backbone of India, with more than 50 per cent of our workforce engaged in cultivation and allied activities. 12 data- points have been identified for the 20 per cent weight allocated to agriculture. The focus is on outputs (yield, price realisation etc.), inputs (quality seed distribution, soil health cards), and institutional support (crop insurance, electronic markets, artificial insemination, animal vaccination etc.).  Financial Inclusion & Skill Development10 - together, these two themes account for 10 per cent of the overall index. 6 data-points have been identified in financial inclusion to measure progress in take-up of important central government schemes (Atal Pension Yojana,11 Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana12 etc.), reach of institutional banking (number of accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana), and ease of institutional financing for small businesses (disbursement of Mudra loans). 10 data- points have been identified in skill development to keep track of the progress in skilling of youth, employment, and the skilling of vulnerable/marginalized youth under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)  Basic Infrastructure13 Housing for all with water, electricity, and road connectivity is the priority of the Government. 8 important data-points have been identified including availability of individual household latrines, drinking water, electricity, and road connectivity. Districts are also tracked for the number of internets connected Gram Panchayats, and panchayats with Common Service Centres. 7 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf 8 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf 9 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf 10 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf 11 https://financialservices.gov.in/pension-reforms-divisions/Atal-Pension-Yojana 12 https://financialservices.gov.in/insurance-divisions/Government-Sponsored-Socially-Oriented-Insurance- Schemes/Pradhan-Mantri-Jeevan-Jyoti-Bima-Yojana(PMJJBY) 13 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf

Institutional Arrangement for the Programme14  The Aspirational Districts Programme is a product of collective effort in which States are the main drivers.  At Government of India level, the programme is anchored by NITI Aayog. In addition, individual Ministries have assumed responsibility to drive progress of districts.  For each district, a central Prabhari officer of the rank of Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary has been nominated.  An Empowered Committee under the convener-ship of CEO, NITI Aayog has been notified to ensure convergence in schemes and address specific issues brought out by Prabhari officers.  States have been requested to form a committee under Chief Secretary to implement the programme.  States have also nominated nodal officers and also State level Prabhari officers. Delta ranking15 This program focuses on the strength of each district, identifying low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement and measuring progress by ranking districts on a monthly basis. The ranking is based on the incremental progress made across 49 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under 5 broad socio-economic themes - Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development and Infrastructure. The delta-ranking of Aspirational Districts and the performance of all districts is available on the Champions of Change Dashboard.16 On the 29th June 2018, Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog released the first Delta rankings (incremental progress) based on self-reported data of districts between March 31, 2018 to May 31, 2018 and mentioned that “the purpose of this ranking is to spur a sense of competition among the dynamic teams in the districts. Since these districts face many challenges including legacy, unexploited or weak resource base, deficit of manpower at different levels due to difficult living conditions etc, the ranking is also a tool to identify sectors and indicator specific challenges so that Team India, which is driving this programme, can take immediate corrective measures.” To know more about the Second Delta Rankings of Aspirational Districts, click here. Champions of Change17 Dashboard to measure progress of Aspirational Districts Programme Champions of Change (CoC) is the backbone of the Aspirational Districts Programme. The new CoC digital platform now facilitates advanced data analytics, digitized project management workflow, and machine-learning capabilities.18 14 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf 15 https://www.niti.gov.in/aspirational-districts-programme 16 https://www.niti.gov.in/aspirational-districts-programme 17 http://championsofchange.gov.in/site/coc-home/ 18 https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-02/Annual-Report2020-2021-English_0.pdf

In June 2021, United Nations Development Programme19 (UNDP) in India released an independent appraisal report on the Aspirational Districts Programme. The UNDP appraisal beautifully captures the significance of these indicators as well as the vibrant success stories and best practices resonating from across the country.20 Source Source Amongst the aspirational districts of other states, the aspirational districts in Uttar Pradesh have shown remarkable improvement. UNDP India‟s appraisal report on the Aspirational Districts Programme released in June 2021, appreciated the delta rankings provided on the programme‟s Champions of Change dashboard. It mentions that, the competitive and dynamic culture fostered by it has successfully pushed several low performing districts (as per baseline rankings) to improve their standing in the past three years. Simdega (Jharkhand), Chandauli (Uttar Pradesh), Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh) and Rajgarh (Madhya Pradesh) were found to have progressed the most since the beginning of the programme. Source 19 https://www.undp.org/ 20 https://www.niti.gov.in/index.php/aspirational-story-transformation

Furthermore, at least five districts of Uttar Pradesh made it to the list of top 10 best performing aspirational districts since the inception of Aspirational Districts Program. These districts include Balrampur, Siddharthnagar, Sonbhadra, Fatehpur and Chandauli. Following are the 8 Aspirational Districts of Uttar Pradesh and key developments associated with these:  Bahraich  Tata Trust in collaboration with the state government is mobilizing its resources in 200 villages of 3 districts of Balarampur, Bahraich and Shravasti. With this type of participation, Jal Jeevan Mission is becoming a „Jan Andolan‟.  On 24th October, 2018, the Cabinet approved broad gauge railway line between Bahraich and Khalilabad at a cost of around 5,000 crore rupees. Briefing media after the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, the line will be completed by 2024-25. Source  Balrampur Source  On 11th December 2021, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh. Saryu Nahar National Project involves the interlinking of five rivers, namely, Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga, and Rohini that intends to ensure superlative usage of water resources of the region. With this project, the government has assured water for irrigation of over 14 lakh hectares of land, this, in turn, will benefit about 29 lakh farmers of over

6200 villages. Nine districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh namely – Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur, and Maharajganj will reap the benefits of this project.21 Source Source  Chandauli  Uttar Pradesh‟s Chandauli district decided to experiment with the cultivation of black rice, due to its high demand in global markets and good profit margins. The project was a success and high-quality black rice is now being exported to Australia and New Zealand.  Chitrakoot  Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of piped water supply schemes for the rural areas of 7 districts viz. Jhansi, Mahoba, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Banda and Chitrakoot in the Bundelkhand region in February 2019 Source 21 https://newsonair.com/2021/12/11/the-nation-is-with-the-families-of-the-heroes-we-have-lost-pm-modi/

 Fatehpur  One medical college has been sanctioned and inaugurated in Fatehpur, under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for “Establishment of new medical colleges attached with district/ referral hospitals”  Shrasvasti  Topped the delta ranking of aspirational districts in December 2020  Government is making several efforts for tourism and infrastructure development in this area  The New Railway Line between Bahraich and Khalilabad, will serve 5 districts of Uttar Pradesh including 4 aspirational districts (Bahraich, Balrampur, Shravasti and Siddharth Nagar) and Sant Kabirnagar  Siddharthnagar  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated 9 Medical Colleges in Siddharth Nagar, UP. He said that Siddharthnagar has also given such a dedicated public representative in the form of Late Madhav Prasad Tripathi ji to the country, whose tireless hard work is helping the nation today. He added that to name the new medical college of Siddharthnagar after Madhav Babu is a true tribute to his service. Source  Sonbhadra Source  Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for rural drinking water supply projects for Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region. These are water-stressed areas.  13 new Medical Colleges are planned in the State have been planned which will take the total number of medical colleges constructed in the State in the last two and a half years to 27. These medical colleges will be set-up in the districts of Bijnor, Gonda, Lalitpur, Chandauli, Bulandshahr, Pilibhit,

Kaushambi, Amethi, Kanpur Dehat, Sultanpur, Lakhimpur, Auraiya and Sonbhadra.  Sonbhadra has become the first district of UP to use the traditional „taanka‟ technique popular in the desert region of Rajasthan for rainwater harvesting and water conservation to deal with the water crisis. The first „taanka‟ has come up at Kasturba Gandhi Girls School, in Bichpadi village. Source Source Video Reference  In Focus: Discussion on Aspirational Districts Programme dated 13th June 2021  DD DIALOGUE | Aspirational District Program: Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas dated Nov 20, 2020  PM Modi inaugurates 9 Medical Colleges in Siddharth Nagar in Uttar Pradesh  PM Modi inaugurates the Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh References  https://darpg.gov.in/sites/default/files/Aspirational-Districts.pdf  A New India by 2022  https://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/library/hdr/human-development-products/human- development-report-2016---human-development-for-everyone.html  India commemorates the 75th anniversary of 'Quit India Movement'  About the Aspirational Districts Programme  List of Aspirational District  file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/UNDP%20ADP%20(3).pdf  Baseline ranking  Atal Pension Yojana  Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana(PMJJBY)  https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-02/Annual-Report2020-2021-English_0.pdf  UNDP Report Lauds Aspirational Districts Programme dated 11 June 2021  https://www.undp.org/  An Aspirational story of Transformation  https://www.aspirationaldistricts.in/transformation-of-anganwadi-system/  https://theprint.in/india/black-rice-the-forbidden-grain-that-earned-ups-chandauli-big-undp-praise-and- good-profit/680469/

 https://www.niti.gov.in/aspirational-districts-programme  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1537152  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1780489  https://newsonair.com/2021/12/11/the-nation-is-with-the-families-of-the-heroes-we-have-lost-pm- modi/  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1771158  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1661723  https://pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=136478  Big Boost to the Railway Sector: CCEA approves construction of additional Railway lines (pib.gov.in)  https://www.niti.gov.in/index.php/aspirational-story-transformation  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1726315  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1682409 Twitter References  https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1403548816524013568?s=20  https://twitter.com/NITIAayog/status/1469707045137879045?t=dAlttUZADBSnfWogzId_Bg&s=19  https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1469320434344673288  https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1469588418673864706  https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/1459085670815727623?s=20  https://twitter.com/DDNewslive/status/1452563395555651586?s=20  https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/1452574974116462594  https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1452466310617698304?t=nhZtvWnx0c-bVyKptywxdw&s=19 AG/HP/RN/PK

RU-56-01-0043-050122/BACKGROUNDER Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Transforming Governance in Uttar Pradesh: Nearly Rs 76000 crore transferred to beneficiaries under DBT in the state (Ministry of Information & Broadcasting) January 05, 2022 अब DBT के माध्यम से गरीब ंो की ममलने वाला लाभ 100 प्रमिशि गरीब ंो िक सीधे पहोंच रहा है। अके ले DBT की वजह से 1 लाख 70 हजार कर ड़ रुपए से ज्यादा गलि हाथ ंो में जाने से बच रहे हैं। आज ये गवव के साथ कहा जा सकिा है मक घ टाल ंो वाले उस दौर क देश पीछे छ ड़ चुका है।1 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi Introduction Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is Government’s major reform initiative to re- engineer the existing delivery processes, ensuring better and timely delivery of benefits using Information & Communication Technology (ICT) by transferring benefits into the bank/postal accounts, preferably Aadhaar seeded, of accurately targeted beneficiaries, as well as in-kind transfers from Government to individual beneficiaries. Direct Benefit Source Source Transfer (DBT) was started on 1st January, 2013 with the aim of reforming Government delivery system in welfare schemes for simpler and faster flow of information/funds and reduction of fraud. DBT Mission was created in the Planning Commission to act as the nodal point for the implementation of the DBT programmes. The Mission was transferred to the Department of Expenditure in July, 2013 and continued to function till 14.09.2015. To give more impetus, DBT Mission and matters related thereto had been placed in Cabinet Secretariat under 1 https://twitter.com/pmoindia/status/1321053605575548929?lang=en

Secretary (Co-ordination & PG) with effect from14.09.2015. Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India, decided on mandatory use of Public Financial Management System (PFMS) of the office of Controller General of Accounts (CGA) for payment, accounting and reporting under DBT and in December 2014 directed all implementing Ministries/Departments to ensure that no payments under DBT schemes were processed unless the electronic payment files for such payments were received through PFMS from 1 April, 2015.2 310 schemes from 54 Ministries/ Departments are being implemented under DBT. As a process, Centrally Sponsored Schemes are implemented through State Governments and granular level details are being maintained by the respective State Governments.3 Source First phase of DBT was initiated in 43 districts and later on 78 more districts were added in 27 schemes pertaining to scholarships, women, child and labour welfare. DBT was further expanded across the country on 12.12.2014. Seven new scholarship schemes and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was brought under DBT in 300 identified districts with higher Aadhaar enrolment.4 Electronic Payment Framework was laid down vide O.M. dated 13.2.2015 and 19.2.2015. This Framework is to be followed by all Ministries/ Departments and their attached Institutions/PSUs and is applicable on all Central Sector (CS)/ Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and for all schemes where components of cash are transferred to individual beneficiaries. Aadhaar is not mandatory in DBT schemes. Since Aadhaar provides unique identity and is useful in targeting the intended beneficiaries, Aadhaar is preferred and beneficiaries are encouraged to have Aadhaar.5 JAM i.e. Jan Dhan aacounts, Aadhaar and Mobile, are DBT enablers and more than 22 crore Jan Dhan Accounts, more than 100 crore Aadhaar and about 100 crore Mobile connections provide a unique opportunity to implement DBT in all welfare schemes across country including States & UTs. 2https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1616022 3https://dbtbharat.gov.in/ 4https://dbtbharat.gov.in/page/frontcontentview/?id=MTc= 5https://dbtbharat.gov.in/page/frontcontentview/?id=MTc=

Objectives of DBT are:6  Curbing pilferage and duplication  Accurate targeting of the beneficiary  Reduced delay in payments  Electronic transfer of benefits, minimizing levels involved in benefit flow Source Components of DBT7 Primary components in the implementation of DBT schemes include Beneficiary Account Validation System, a robust payment and reconciliation platform integrated with RBI, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Public & Private Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks etc. Beneficiary Account Validation: These systems constitute workflow based systems for social sector Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and State linked schemes and include functionalities such as application for scheme by beneficiary with details of bank account/Aadhaar, examination by scheme owners for eligibility of the beneficiary under scheme guidelines, initiate verification of bank account/Aadhaar, initiate payment through Fund Transfer Order etc. Payment and Reconciliation: On the selection of valid beneficiaries, the Scheme IT systems initiate the payment by sending payment instructions to PFMS which in turn is routed to banks after necessary validation of beneficiaries. PFMS evolved as a robust payment and reconciliation platform integrated with 500+ banks for verification of bank account of 6 More than Rs 36,659 crore transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) through Public Financial Management System (PFMS)in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries during COVID 2019 lockdown (pib.gov.in) 7https://www.nic.in/blogs/direct-benefit-transfer-a-blessing-during-the-time-of-pandemic/

beneficiary and for verification if Aadhaar seeding of bank accounts of beneficiary, with NPCI. This pre-validation of beneficiary account/Aadhaar linked bank, drastically brought down the failure of the payments as well as the delays in amount being available in the hands of beneficiary. Core Banking Solutions: Banks being the last mile delivery channels, play a very critical role in the DBT process flow. As all account based payments are routed through the core banking channels, processing efficiency at this stage coupled with flow of reverse Management information system (MIS) imparted the desired momentum to the DBT programme. Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB): Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) System, one of the unique payment systems implemented by NPCI, uses Aadhaar number as a central key for electronically channelizing the Government benefits and subsidies in the Aadhaar Enabled Bank Accounts (AEBA) of the intended beneficiaries. NPCI creates an Aadhaar mapper in order to facilitate the transfer of funds. This mapper is the backbone of Aadhaar Payments Bridge (APB) where information pertaining to the Banks seeded with the Aadhaar number is maintained in the mapper based on which NPCI routes payments to the destination Bank and credit accorded to the DBT beneficiary. Benefits of DBT:8  DBT and other governance reforms have led to removal of duplicate/ fake beneficiaries and plugging of leakages etc., as a result of which the government has been able to target the genuine and deserving beneficiaries.  DBT will bring efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in the Government system and infuse confidence of citizens in governance.  Use of modern technology and IT tools will help realize the dream of Maximum Governance, Minimum Government. DBT is among the high priority and focus area of the Government. Source 8https://dbtbharat.gov.in/page/frontcontentview/?id=MTc=

Estimated savings/ benefits from some of the Schemes are as illustrated in the table below:9 Source Since a bank account is needed for DBT, a key initiative towards this purpose is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY), which is one of the biggest financial inclusion initiatives in the world. PMJDY was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on 15 August, 2014. While launching the programme on 28 August, the Prime Minister had described the occasion as a festival to celebrate the liberation of the poor from a vicious cycle. Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is National Mission for Financial Inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely, Banking/ Savings & Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension in an affordable manner. As informed by banks, about five crore PMJDY account holders receive direct benefit transfer (DBT) from the Government under various schemes.10 Progress of DBT in Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh, being home to the largest segment of population in the country, has been one of the top gainers of Central Direct Benefit Transfer Schemes. As per Government of India’s DBT website, in the financial year 2021-22, a cumulative amount of Rs 75984.01 crore has been transferred to the beneficiaries in the state under 146 schemes. Source 9https://dbtbharat.gov.in/estimatedgain 10https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1749749

Under the state government schemes, the cumulative DBT is Rs 274934 crore. For the financial year 2021-22, it amounts to Rs 1674 crore under 137 schemes of 27 Departments. The total number of DBT transactions in the financial year 2021-22 is over 215 crore and estimated gains through these transactions is Rs 69 lakh. Details are illustrated in the images below: Source Major Central schemes seeded with DBT: PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM- KISAN) Scheme is a Central Sector Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme, under which, financial assistance of Rs.6000/- per annum is provided to all landholding farmer families across the country, subject to certain exclusion criteria relating to higher income strata, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs. The amount is transferred in three four-monthly instalments of Rs. 2000/- each, directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiary farmers identified by the State/UT Governments. Payment is done on the basis of Aadhaar seeded data of beneficiaries.11 The Scheme was formally launched on 24 February, 2019 by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at a grand function at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.12 The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiaries rests with the State / UT Governments. The financial benefits are released to the beneficiaries on the basis of the data of farmers prepared and uploaded by them on the PM-Kisan web-portal.13The number of beneficiaries of PM-KISAN in Uttar Pradesh as on 20-02-2020 is 1,87,64,926. Source 11https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1705519 12https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1705519 13https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1604017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the transfer of Rs 2000 each totalling Rs 19500 crore to over 9.75 crore farmers all over India under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme on August 9, 2021. Central government has transferred more than 1.57 lakh crore in nine instalments under the scheme to eligible farmers.14 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS): MGNREGS is a demand driven wage employment programme which provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. During the Financial Year 2021-22 (as on 23.07.2021), around 99.5 per cent Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generated within 15 days from the date of closure of the Muster Roll.15 In order to streamline the system of fund flow and to ensure timely payment of wages, electronic Fund Management System (eFMS) was implemented in 2016. So far 25 States and 3 Union Territories have implemented it, wherein payment of wages is being credited directly to the bank/post office accounts of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS beneficiaries by the Central Government through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).16 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) being a demand driven scheme, no State/UT- wise fund allocation is made. Central fund released for Uttar Pradesh under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during financial years 2018- 19 is Rs 5464.65 crore, for 2019-20 is Rs 6240.17 crore and for 2020-21 is Rs 12257.35 crore. With a view to achieving transparency and accountability, the Government has been taking all steps to achieve 100 per cent payment of wages in the bank account of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers and accordingly emphasise on social audit of works.17 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna: Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) Scheme enables beneficiaries to receive the scheme benefits through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in furtherance of the objectives of encouraging improved health 14https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1744154 15https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1739618 16https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1739618 17https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1700307

seeking behavior among Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM).18 From 01.01.2017, the Maternity Benefit Programme has been implemented in all the districts of the country in accordance with the provision of the National Food Security Act, 2013.19 Number of beneficiaries provided maternity benefits under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana during the calendar year 2020 in Uttar Pradesh is 13,11,349. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G): Under PMAY-G, a total of 50,09,014 houses were sanctioned during 2020-21, out of which, 34,00,006 PMAY-G houses have been completed. The PMAY-G aims at providing 2.95 crore houses to the eligible rural population in the country so as to achieve the objective of “Housing for All”.20 Based on the project proposals submitted by the States/ UTs as per their assessed demand of houses under the Scheme, around 113 lakh houses have been sanctioned. Against the total sanctioned houses, 84.40 lakh have been grounded for construction and over 50 lakh have been completed and delivered to the beneficiaries. For completion of sanctioned houses, Central Assistance of ₹1.82 lakh crore has been approved, of which ₹1.06 lakh crore have been released to States/ UTs/ Central Nodal Agencies. The total release made to the States/UTs in FY 2021-22 under the PMAYG scheme is Rs.7775.63 crore.21 Source Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG: “Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh” - PAHAL Scheme was initially rolled out in 291 districts in the country starting from 1 June, 2013 in six phases. The government had comprehensively reviewed the scheme and after examining the difficulties faced by the consumer substantively modified the scheme prior to launch. The modified scheme had been re-launched in 54 districts on 15.11.201422 in the 1st Phase and launched in the rest of the country on 01.01.2015. Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Rameswar Teli on 11 August, 2021 informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the LPG customers, who have joined the PAHAL Scheme, are cash transfer compliant. As on 01.07.2021, out of total 29.11 crore LPG customers, 27.27 crore have joined the Scheme and they are Cash Transfer Compliant (CTC).23 18 https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana-scheme 19https://dbtbharat.gov.in/successstory/view?id=TVRNPQ== 20https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1739613 21 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1773447 22http://petroleum.nic.in/dbt/whatisdbtl.html 23https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1744757

Source Details of other DBT-onboarded Schemes in Uttar Pradesh can be found here. References: 1. PIB Press Release Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme Dated December 29, 2017. 2. PIB Press Release Operationalisation of Electronic Transfer of Funds Dated February 25, 2019. 3. PIB Press Release Implementation of DBT Scheme Dated February 7, 2020. 4. PIB Press Release Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Bank accounts Dated April 20, 2020. 5. PIB Press ReleaseBeneficiaries under DBT Dated March 6, 2018. 6. PIB Press Release More than Rs 36,659 crore transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer Dated April 19, 2020. 7. PIB Press Release Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) Dated August 28, 2021. 8. PIB Press Release Features of PM-KISAN Scheme Dated March 17, 2021. 9. PIB Press Release PM-KISAN Scheme completes one year Dated February 24, 2020. 10. PIB Press Release PM KISAN Samman NidhiDated August 9, 2021. 11. PIB Press Release PM KISAN Samman Nidhi SchemeDated December 23, 2020. 12. PIB Press Release PM releases 9th installment of PM-KISAN Dated August 9, 2021. 13. PIB Press Release National Health MissionDated February 21, 2017. 14. PIB Press Release Setting up New Hospitals in Rural and Urban Areas Dated August 10, 2021. 15. PIB Press Release Strengthening Of Rural Healthcare ServicesDated August 6, 2021. 16. PIB Press Release Health Programmes under National Health Mission Dated December 10, 2021. 17. PIB Press Release Objectives of National Rural Health Mission Dated September 23, 2020. 18. PIB Press Release Healthcare Schemes Dated June 28, 2019. 19. PIB Press Release Around 99.5 % Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generated Dated July 27, 2021. 20. PIB Press Release 99.7 per cent payment of MGNREGA wages being made through e-transfer Dated August 6, 2021. 21. PIB Press Release Number of LPG customers in the country has increased to 29.11 crore Dated August 11, 2021. 22. PIB Press ReleasePM launches “PM-KISAN” from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh Dated February 24, 2019. 23. PIB Press Release Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Dated July 23, 2021. 24. PIB Press Release Beneficiaries under PMMVY Dated March 25, 2021. 25. PIB Press Release Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin completes 5 years Dated November 20,2021. 26. https://dbtbharat.gov.in/scheme/scheme-list 27. http://dbtup.upsdc.gov.in/#!

28. https://vikaspedia.in/social-welfare/direct-benefit-transfer/overview-of-direct-benefit-transfer 29. https://www.nic.in/blogs/direct-benefit-transfer-a-blessing-during-the-time-of-pandemic/ Video References: 1. PM speaks on PM Samman Nidhihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq9ubS6o_BI 2. NEWS- PM reviewed the progress of UID and DBThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAKNF87rPUs Further Reading: 1. https://niti.gov.in/planningcommission.gov.in/docs/sectors/dbt/hand_book1305.pdf 2. https://niti.gov.in/planningcommission.gov.in/docs/sectors/index.php?sectors=dbt 3. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/government-has-saved-rs-65-000-crore-through-dbt-schemes- niti-aayog-ceo-amitabh-kant/story-VoMiqCEER30kHyuayPqQWJ.html 4. https://fert.nic.in/dbt Tweets: 1. https://twitter.com/pmoindia/status/1321053605575548929?lang=en AG/HP/RC/SA/JA

RU-32-01-0040-050122/BACKGROUNDER Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) Uttar Pradesh front runner in implementation of PMAGY; nearly 81 lakh people covered across 6174 villages (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) January 05, 2022 “The development of India is dependent on the development of villages. Along with the people living in the villages, youth and farmers, the government is giving priority to schemes which will make the villages of India more efficient.” -Prime Minister Narendra Modi (October 2, 2021) Background:1 The Government of India had taken a number of initiatives for development of Scheduled Castes (SCs), which had yielded positive outcomes and had also resulted in narrowing the gap between the Scheduled Castes and the rest of the population. However, in the past, the focus of most of the welfare Schemes of SCs has been mainly centred on individual beneficiaries rather than on integrated development of SCs pockets. Source 1 https://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/ANNUAL_REPORT_2021_ENG.pdf

Hence, to enable an area based development approach, a new scheme called the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) was launched on a Pilot basis during 2009-10, following the Finance Minister‟s declaration in his Budget Speech delivered on 06.07.2009 for integrated development of villages in which the population of Scheduled Castes is above 50 per cent. (For more information, click here and go to page number-55) Aim:2 The scheme aims to achieve overall development of SC majority villages through convergent implementation of relevant schemes and providing gap filling funds to take up activities which do not get covered under existing schemes. The major components of integrated development of villages under PMAGY are:  Physical infrastructure such as construction of roads, street lighting, access to safe drinking water;  Sanitation and environment;  Social infrastructure, human development and social harmony; and Livelihood. Vision of Adarsh Gram:3 The vision of the Scheme is to develop the village into an „Adarsh Gram‟ wherein people have access to various basic services. So that the minimum needs of all the sections of the society are fully met and disparities are reduced to minimum. Progress of Implementation of the scheme is monitored against 50 identified monitorable indicators in following 10 domains: 2 https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=147031 3 About : Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Government of India

To know about Uniform criteria for declaration of selected villages as “Adarsh Gram”, - click here Objectives of the Scheme:4 The principal objective of the Scheme is integrated development of SC majority Villages: (a) Primarily through convergent implementation of the relevant Central and State/UT Government Schemes; and (b) By taking up identified activities, which do not get covered under the existing Central and State Government Schemes, through „Gap-filling‟ funds provided as Central Assistance to the extent of Rs.20.00 lakh per village. Implementation of the Scheme5: Implementation of the Scheme: Pilot Phase:  The implementation of the Scheme was started in 2009-10 as a pilot phase and total of 1000 villages from Tamil Nadu (225), Rajasthan (225), Bihar (225), Himachal Pradesh (225) and Assam (100) were selected under this phase. All these 1000 villages have so far been declared as „Adarsh Gram‟ by the respective State Governments. Source Phase-1  During 2014-15, the scheme was further extended (Phase-I) to cover another 1500 villages across 11 States namely Andhra Pradesh (7), Assam (75), Chhattisgarh 4 https://pmagy.gov.in/new-dashboard/about 5 https://pmagy.gov.in/new-dashboard/about

(175), Jharkhand (100), Haryana (12), Karnataka (201), Madhya Pradesh (327), Odisha (175), Punjab (162), Telangana (6) and Uttar Pradesh (260).  Out of 75 villages selected in Assam, 68 villages were found eligible and out of 12 villages selected in Haryana, 09 villages found eligible for implementation of scheme. So far, a total of 659 villages have been declared as „Adarsh Gram‟ by the respective State Governments. Source Phase-II:  In light of the benefits accruing to the residents of the villages through successful implementation of this Scheme, it was decided in 2018-19 to extend the Scheme further as a continuous scheme by taking up certain number of villages every year for development.  For this, it was decided to consider inclusion of all those districts which have villages having total population ≥500 and with more than 50 per cent persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes. The villages in descending order of SC population are proposed to be selected from each such district for implementation of the Scheme.  As per this selection criteria there are a total of 27000 villages (approx) which are proposed to be covered under the Scheme by the end of 2024-25. For more Information on selection of villages under phase II please, click here To know about Eligibility criteria for ‘Adarsh Gram’ please click here. To know about the Guidelines for PMAGY please click here.

Source Funding under the PMAGY6  For every new village selected, the Scheme provides a total of Rs. 21 lakh of which Rs. 20.00 lakh is for the „Gap-filling‟ component and Rs.1.00 lakh is meant for „administrative expenses‟ in the ratio of 1:1:1:2 at the Centre, State, District and Village level respectively.  Further, for continuous development of the villages already covered under the earlier phases, there is a component of „additional round of funding‟ of Rs. 10 lakh per village. Out of this, Rs. 9.50 lakh per village would be utilized for „Gap-filling‟ component and Rs. 0.50 lakh per village are to be utilized amongst the Centre, State, District and Village in a ratio of 1:1:1:2 for Administrative and other expenses. Phase Period of No. of Fund Released Invention Villages (in Crore) Pilot Phase Selected Phase-1 2009-2014 201.00 Phase-2 2014-2020 1000 346.85 2018-2021 1291.15 1500 13216 Source 6 https://pmagy.gov.in/aboutPMAGY

Overall Progress of the country under PMAGY as on 28.12.20217: So far, PMAGY has covered nearly 2.54 crore population in 19,094 villages across 529 districts of 24 states of the country. Out of this ~1.61 crore are SCs. More than 40.10 lakh households have already benefitted from the scheme.  No of Households provided Individual Households Latrines (IHHL): 61,290  No. of households covered under health protection scheme: 76,493  No of Households provided AWAS under PMAGY: 93,132  No. of Households provided electricity connections: 26,028  No. of households provided LPG connections under UJJAWALA: 33,795  No. of youth imparted the Skill Development Training: 29,750 Steps taken by the Government during the COVID pandemic8: The implementation of PMAGY requires preparation of Village Development Plans (VDPs) for each selected village based on assessment of gaps in infrastructure and services with reference to the framework defined under the Scheme. Due to the pandemic situation arisen out of the outbreak of Corona Virus, carrying out the house-hold surveys prescribed under the Scheme was difficult. Therefore, with a view to ease the implementation of the scheme, it was decided to allow preparation of interim VDPs (iVDPs) based on only Infrastructure need assessment of villages. Further, it was also decided that the entire gap filling amount of Rs. 20 lakhs would be released to the districts for those villages for which the VDPs have been approved by the DLCC. This helped in quick commencement of the identified works, including those under other schemes, which not only lead to improvement in the village infrastructure but also generated employment for the migrant labourers, who had moved back to the villages. 7 https://pmagy.gov.in/new-dashboard/ 8 https://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/ANNUAL_REPORT_2021_ENG.pdf

Progress in Uttar Pradesh under PMAGY as on 28.12.2021 Uttar Pradesh is one of the front runners in implementation of PMAGY. So far, 6174 villages with a population of 81,60,845 (including 50,42,521 SC population) have been covered under this scheme. 15,437 households have been provided Awas under PMAY-G. 20,139 households have Individual Household Latrines (IHHL). 13,033 houses have been given LPG connection under Ujjwala. Detailed progress of PMAGY in UP is given below. Source  No. of villages covered under PMAGY: 6,174  Total population (including Schedule Cast population i.e., 50,42,521) covered: 81,60,845  No. of Gram Panchayat covered: 5,705  No of Households provided Individual Household Latrines (IHHL) : 20,139  No of children enrolled in Primary schools: 5, 755  No. of children enrolled in Middle schools: 2,581  No. of households covered under health protection scheme: 31,414  No. of Households provided Awas under PMAY-G. 15,437  No. of women provided widow pension: 6,452  No. of person provided Old Age Pension: 12,482  No. of person provided Disability Pension: 2,178  No. of Households provided electricity connections: 10,370  No. of households provided LPG connections under UJJAWALA: 13033

 No. of youth imparted the Skill Development Training: 7,765  To know about the List of Schedule Casts in U.P, please click here Other Schemes for the welfare of Schedule Casts: 1. Scholarship Schemes:  Post Metric Scholarship Scheme  Pre-Matric Scholarship to the SC Students studying in classes IX & X  Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students  Central Sector Scholarship Scheme of Top-Class Education for SC Students  National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for SC etc. candidates  National Fellowship for Schedule Casts Students 2. NGOs Scheme:  Scheme of Grant in Aid to Voluntary Organisations working for Scheduled Castes 3. Hostels  Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana 4. Free Coaching:  Free Coaching for SC and OBC Students 5. Schemes for Economic Development  Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for the Scheduled Castes (SCs)  National Safai Karmchari Finance and Development Corporation  National Schedule Casts Finance and Development Corporation.  Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SC SP  Scheme of Assistance to Scheduled Castes Development Corporations (SCDCs)  Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)  Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes 6. Scheme for Social Empowerment  Centrally Sponsored Scheme for implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 7. Associated Organizations working in favor of Schedule Castes  National Commission for Schedule Castes.  Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation.

 DR. B.R Ambdekar Foundation. 8. Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (e-Utthaan): The government is committed to the upliftment and development of all the weaker sections of society, particularly the scheduled castes. As part of the socioeconomic and financial inclusion strategy of the Government to ensure that all segments of the society, particularly the Scheduled castes, are benefited. The Government allocates funds across Ministries/Departments for different schemes where targeted financial and physical benefits can accrue to the Scheduled Castes. The allocation under the scheme of welfare of Scheduled Castes deals with this matter across Ministries through earmarking of a certain percentage of funds exclusively for welfare of Scheduled Castes. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has developed an online web-portal e- utthaan.gov.in for monitoring of Allocation for Welfare of Scheduled Castes. Reference:  https://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/ANNUAL_REPORT_2021_ENG.pdfhttps://p magy.gov.in/new-dashboard/  https://www.india.gov.in/pradhan-mantri-adarsh-gram-yojana-pmagy  https://www.india.gov.in/gsearch?s=PMAGY&op=Search  https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=147031  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1485482  https://socialjustice.nic.in/SchemeList/Send/40?mid=24541  https://pmagy.gov.in/Docs/PMAGY_Guidelines-Revised_July_2020.pdf Twitter Links:  https://twitter.com/Murugan_MoS/status/1153155666908856320?t=QvQl-5qkO7iDoAkoeY8Otw&s=08  https://twitter.com/VSReddy_MP/status/1435499161508409354?t=e1ElsB9CFxwptIbb3upkwg&s=08  https://twitter.com/airnews_ghy/status/1433449451679457281?t=jJ-ZMthXz0gA9DFGP2nATw&s=08  https://twitter.com/airnewsalerts/status/1292339205515829251?t=dGpOQhvLgHJ4xx-HNRlDNg&s=08  https://twitter.com/DDOdiaNews/status/1354126035306962944?t=XdGdB1VIq75RgplHcHu2Gw&s=08  https://twitter.com/MSJEGOI/status/1382936739568709632?t=QNoZy6MCeMVwoOMxTJMhEA&s=08 AG/HP/AKP/IS

RU-20-01-0041-050122/BACKGROUNDER Special Economic Zones 14 SEZs operational in Uttar Pradesh (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) January 05, 2022 Special Economic Zones - An overview: India was one of the first in Asia to recognize the effectiveness of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) model in promoting exports, with Asia's first EPZ being set up in Kandla in 1965. With a view to overcome the shortcomings experienced on account of the multiplicity of controls and clearances, absence of world-class infrastructure and to attract larger foreign investments in India, the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Policy was announced in April, 2000.1 This policy intends to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum possible regulations. SEZs in India functioned from November 01, 2000 to February 09, 2006 under the provisions of the Foreign Trade Policy and fiscal incentives were made effective through the provisions of relevant statutes.2 To instill confidence in investors and signal the Government's commitment to a stable SEZ policy regime and with a view to impart stability to the SEZ regime thereby generating greater economic activity and employment through the establishment of SEZs, a comprehensive draft SEZ Bill was prepared after extensive discussions with the stakeholders.3 The Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, was passed by Parliament in May, 2005 which received Presidential assent on June 23, 2005. The SEZ Rules, came into effect on February 10, 2006, providing for drastic simplification of procedures and for single window clearance on matters relating to Central as well as State governments. The main objectives of the SEZ Act are:4  Generation of additional economic activity.  Promotion of exports of goods and services.  Promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources.  Creation of employment opportunities.  Development of infrastructure facilities. 1 http://sezindia.nic.in/ 2 Ibid 3 ibid 4 ibid

The SEZ Act, 2005 envisages key role for the State Governments in Export Promotion and creation of related infrastructure. A Single Window SEZ approval mechanism has been provided through a 19-member inter-ministerial SEZ Board of Approval (BoA). The applications duly recommended by the respective State Governments/UT Administration are considered by the BoA periodically. All decisions of the Board of Approval are with consensus. The SEZ Rules provide for different minimum land requirement for different classes of SEZs. Every SEZ is divided into a processing area where only the SEZ units would come up and the non-processing area where the supporting infrastructure is to be created. The SEZ Rules provide for:5  Simplified procedures for development, operation and maintenance of the SEZs and for setting up units and conducting business in SEZs  Single window clearance for setting up of an SEZ  Single window clearance for setting up a unit in a SEZ  Single Window clearance on matters relating to Central as well as State Governments  Simplified compliance procedures and documentation with an emphasis on self- certification Salient Feature of SEZ scheme:6  A designated duty-free enclave to be treated as a territory outside the customs territory of India for the purpose of authorised operations in the SEZ.  No licence required for import.  Manufacturing or service activities allowed.  The Unit shall achieve Positive Net Foreign Exchange to be calculated cumulatively for a period of five years from the commencement of production.  Domestic sales subject to full customs duty and import policy in force.  SEZ units will have freedom for subcontracting.  No routine examination by customs authorities of export/import cargo.  SEZ Developers /Co-Developers and Units enjoy Direct Tax and Indirect Tax benefits as prescribed in the SEZs Act, 2005. Facts and Figures:7  As on November 30, 2021, approvals have been accorded to 425 proposals for setting up of SEZs in the country.  So far, 376 SEZs are notified, out of which 268 are operational.  As on December 08, 2021, eight Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been approved for the Agro and Food Processing sector in India. Out of these 8 SEZs, 7 have been notified and 3 SEZs are operational.  As on September 30, 2021, total employment generation was about 25.60 lakh persons and investment of Rs. 6,28,565.89 crore has been made. 5 ibid 6 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1594927 7 http://sezindia.nic.in/upload/61aa07c253e56New%20FACT%20SHEET%20ON%20SEZs%20as%20on%2030.11.2021.pdf

 In the Financial Year 2021-22 (as on October 31, 2021), exports from SEZs was 5,29,333 crore. There is a growth of 31% over the exports of the corresponding period of FY 2020-21. Special Economic Zones in Uttar Pradesh - At a glance As of September 27, 2021, there are 14 operational SEZs in Uttar Pradesh. Details are mentioned in the table below: Source Noida Special Economic Zone (SEZ):8 Noida Special Economic Zone (NSEZ), the only Central Government SEZ in northern India was set up in 1985 in Noida Phase-II. Prior to its being an SEZ in 2000, it was one of the seven Export Processing Zones of the country and was known as the Noida Export Processing Zone (NEPZ). The Government of India has so far invested a sum of Rs.1,114.96 crores on its development. NSEZ provides excellent infrastructure, supportive services and sector specific facilities for the thrust areas of exports like gem and jewellery and electronics software. This is the land locked SEZ, with the nearest point of exports being the Integrated Container Depots (ICDs) like Dadri, Tughlakabad and Patparganj as well as the airport in Delhi. Its proximity to Delhi and availability of skilled and dedicated manpower makes it ideal for setting up both manufacturing and services units. 8 https://www.nsez.gov.in/AboutUs.aspx

NSEZ has 202 developed plots of varying sizes, besides thirteen Standard Design Factory (SDF) complexes that can accommodate 208 units including one exclusive block for trading service units. The SDFs are like ready to move in warm shells. Future expansion has been strategically planned and when implemented fully, the zone would be able to provide 224 SDF units. NSEZ units have been logging impressive exports during the past many years. Exports from the zone during 2020-21, even during a tough pandemic period, has been Rs.4,043 crores. Employment in the zone has gone up from 32,550 in 2009 to 40,061 in 2021. During the same period, number of operational units in the zone has increased from 245 to 289. On services side, for all the 34 SEZs under the jurisdiction of NSEZ, the total exports for software and services are Rs 52,613 crores in 2020-21, with the share of Noida SEZ being Rs 3,009 crores.9 Exports from Export Oriented Units (EOUs) in the jurisdiction of NSEZ have been to the tune of Rs. 10,006.6 crores during the financial year 2020-21 (as per the figures obtained from CBIC). NSEZ’s year wise exports are illustrated in the chart below: Source Besides, the jurisdiction of Noida Special Economic Zone is spread over State & Private sector SEZs and EOUs in nine states namely Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Union Territory of Chandigarh. There are 34 SEZs under the jurisdiction of NSEZ. 9 https://www.nsez.gov.in/AboutUs.aspx

Moradabad Special Economic Zone (SEZ):10 Moradabad SEZ, the only Uttar Pradesh Government Developed SEZ in the northern India, was set up in 2003 at Pakbara – Dingarpur Road in Moradabad. Government of Uttar Pradesh through UPSIDC Limited being developers to this SEZ project has so far invested a sum of Rs. 1100 million on its development. Moradabad SEZ provides excellent infrastructure, supportive services and sector specific facilities for the Handicraft Trade. Proximity to Delhi/ NCR and availability of skilled and dedicated manpower makes it ideal for setting up various industries in Handicrafts & its allied field. This is a sector Special Economic Zone for handicraft products. Provision for infrastructure facilities such as: – greenbelt, boundary wall, internal development, security system, power substation, CETP, inland container depot, design and training center, helipad, school, canteen has been made. Moradabad SEZ was operationalized since April, 2007 when it started with only one unit, however till today in spite of global slowdown in the handicraft trade for past four years; this zone has now 58 operational Units as on 30.06.2021. Source Infrastructure, supportive services and trade related facilities have been substantially upgraded during the last few years. Moradabad SEZ offers access to global telecommunication network, uninterrupted power supply and efficient local transport system. Supportive infrastructure and easy availability of manpower make Moradabad SEZ an ideal location for setting up handicraft unit. 10 http://moradabadsez.gov.in/about.html

Facility of Inland Container Depot (ICD) is available inside the zone which is operated by the Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR), Moradabad and which is linked to the rail-head available at Moradabad Inland Container Depot (ICD) in city.11 Source Other operational Special Economic Zones in Uttar Pradesh: S.No. Name of the SEZ Address Type of SEZ Status Greater Noida, Uttar Non- Operational 1. Moser Bear India Ltd. Pradesh conventional Operational 2. Ansal IT City and Parks Techzone, Greater Energy including solar energy equipments / cell IT/ITES Limited Noida, Uttar Pradesh 3. HCL Technologies Ltd Sector 126, Noida, IT/ITES Operational Uttar Pradesh 4. NIIT Technologies Plot No.TZ-02, IT/ITES Operational Limited SEZ Sector-Tech Zone, ITES Park, Greater Noida, UP 5. WIPRO Limited Gautam Budh Nagar, IT/ITES Operational IT Operational Greater Noida, Uttar IT/ITES Operational Pradesh 6. Seaview Developers Plot No. 20&21, Limited Sector-135, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 7. Oxygen Business Parks Plot No. 7, Sector- Pvt. Ltd. [Formerly 144, Noida, Uttar Aachvis Softech Private Pradesh Limited (Formerly Falcon Commercial Developers Limited)] 11 http://moradabadsez.gov.in/about.html

8. Arshiya Northern FTWZ Ibrahimpur, Junaidpur Multi Sector Operational Limited Urf Maujpur, District SEZ (including Operational Bulandshahar, Uttar Operational 9. Artha Infratech Private Pradesh FTWZ) Limited Sector Techzone-IV, IT/ITES Operational Greater Noida, District Operational 10. HCL IT City Lucknow Gautam Budh Nagar, IT/ITES Private Limited Uttar Pradesh Village Kanjehara & IT/ITES 11. Golden Tower Infratech Mastemau, Chack IT/ITES Pvt. Ltd. Gajaria Farms, Sultanpur Road, 12. TATA Consultancy Lucknow, Uttar Services Limited Pradesh Plot No. 8, Sector-144, Noida, Uttar Pradesh Plot No: 01, Sector- 157, Noida, Uttar Pradesh Source References: 1. PIB Press Release Independence Day- August 15, 2020 Dated August 15, 2020. 2. PIB Press Release Development of SEZ Dated December 4, 2019 3. PIB Press Release Special Economic Zones in the Country Dated March 20, 2020. 4. PIB Press Release 378 SEZs are presently notified, out of which 265 are operational Dated March 10, 2021. 5. PIB Press Release Special Economic Zones touch new heights Dated July 23, 2021. 6. PIB Press Release Functioning SEZs Dated August 6, 2014. 7. PIB Press Release Cabinet approves the SEZs (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Dated June 12, 2019 8. PIB Press Release India shines in Ease of Doing Business Rankings Dated December 11, 2018. 9. PIB Press Release Special Economic Zones Dated December 8, 2021. 10. http://moradabadsez.gov.in/about.html 11. https://www.nsez.gov.in/AboutUs.aspx 12. http://sezindia.nic.in/cms/operational-sezs-in-india.php 13. http://sezindia.nic.in/ Further Reading: 1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40277713 2. https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=afUtk2KTun0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=special+economic +zones+in+india&ots=Fib4oCieQm&sig=SpUQlCGwqr- v91fstHqcfe4JXnQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=special%20economic%20zones%20in%20india&f=false 3. https://www.jnu.ac.in/sites/default/files/u63/08-Labour%20Economic(Jaivir%20Singh).pdf AG/HP/SA/JA