NEW DELHI, July 18:
India is lagging considerably behind its key human development index targets, including population control, infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MFR), according to figures given by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in Lok Sabha today.
The goals set by the Government for IMR and MMR for 2010 were 30 per 1000 live births and 100 per 1 lakh live births repectively but it could achieve numbers of 42 and 178 only by 2012, falling way behind.
The total fertility rate (TFR) in 2012 was 2.4 while the target was 2.1 for 2010, Vardhan said. A TFR of 2.1 per woman is expected to make the population growth zero.
Though 23 states and UTs, including all four southern states, have already achieved replacement level fertility of 2.1 or less, the most populous state of UP and Bihar have TFR of 3.3 and 3.5 respectively, he said.
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have TFR between 2.2 and 3.
TFR is, however, showing a decline nationally as it was 2.6 in 2008 and 2.5 in 2010.
India has also shown improvement on IMR and MMR indicators as they were 53 and 212 in 2008 and 2007-09 respectively, according to official figures.
Vardhan said the country may reach its Millennium Development Goals, set up by the United Nations, of reaching under-five mortality rate of 42 in 2015 if the current trend of annual decline persists. The rate was 126 in 1990.
The MDG target for maternal mortality rate is 140 in 2015 and India is likely to reach 141 with its current rate. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 18:
The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to modify its 2013 office memorandum after considering the representation of NGO National Federation of Blind on computation of seats to be reserved for disabled persons in four category posts in Government departments.
“We are of the view that the modification made to Para 14 of Office Memorandum dated December 29, 2005 alone vide fresh OM dated March 03, 2013 is not in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court. Therefore, there shall be a direction to the respondents (Centre) to make further modifications to OM dated December 29, 2005,” a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw said.
The court asked the NGO to make the representation to the Centre within four weeks and the authorities will have to “consider the same and issue a fresh OM within six weeks thereafter” on the methodology of computation of vacancies in all Group A, B, C and D in Government sector.
The apex court had said that the computation of vacancies “shall be in case of Group A, B, C & D posts in an identical manner and that the same shall be on total number of vacancies in the cadre strength”.
The high court said the 2013 office memorandum on computation of vacancies in Government departments to provide three per cent quota to disabled persons was not in compliance of the apex court direction.
The court’s verdict came on a fresh plea of National Federation of Blind seeking reliefs including modification of office memorandum to provide for computation of posts to be reserved for disabled persons.
The NGO had also sought issuance of fresh OM to “all the establishments and PSUs” asking them to launch of special recruitment drive to fill the backlog vacancies.
Earlier, the High Court had passed a slew of directions to the Centre for providing quota for disabled persons.
It had asked the Centre to form a committee officials, including the Chief Commissioner for Disabilities (Chairman), and others to do various acts to work out backlog of vacancies for disabled persons.
It had also asked the Centre to undertake special recruitment drive to fill the backlog of vacancies by 2010.
Later, the Centre filed an appeal in the apex court against the high court order.
The Supreme Court issued various directions that included the order to amend 2005 OM on computation vacancies in all categories of posts.
“We hereby direct the ‘appropriate Government’ to compute the number of vacancies available in all the ‘establishments’ and further identify the posts for disabled persons within a period of three months from today and implement the same without default,” the apex court had said.
The NGO moved the high court alleging the orders of the high court and the apex court have not been complied with by the Government. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 18:
Nine cases of alleged irregularities in defence procurement have been referred to the Government by CVC for inquiry and five cases have been taken up by CBI for investigation in the last three years, Lok Sabha was informed today.
“During the last three years and in the current year, there are nine cases relating to alleged irregularities in defence purchases which the Central Vigilance Commission has referred for inquiry,” Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said in written reply.
He said whenever complaints alleging violations of procurement procedures or irregularities are received by the Defence Ministry, they are “examined and after due scrutiny, appropriate action is taken. Wherever necessary, the case is referred to appropriate agency for further investigation”.
In the last five years, there have been several cases of alleged corruption in defence procurement including the AgustaWestland chopper procurement scam.
To another query, the Minister said 42.7 per cent of the modernisation funds were spent by the three Services on buying equipment from foreign vendors.
On the procurement made from indigenous sources, Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, “69 per cent of the total revenue and capital requirement of armed forces was met through indigenous procurement”.
On converting the decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant into a museum, Jaitley said several reprepresentations have been received including from late Gopinath Munde, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Ministry of Culture for converting the old warship into a museum. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 18:
The Government today said they are closely monitoring the developments, related to changes that are being discussed in Swiss domestic laws. India is keeping a ”close eye” on the further changes being discussed to the Swiss domestic laws in that country, Finance Minister Arun Jailey said during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.
He said whatever best information that could be secured in the country’s interest will be done. ”There is nothing to hide,” Mr Jaitley added. The Minister said this was an issue that had been there for sometime and the Government has taken it up with ”some element of intensity” after taken over the reign. (UNI)