‘Green Good Deeds’ initiative to promote environmental awareness and to mobilize people’s participation for conservation of environment Posted On: 09 DEC 2019 2:55PM by PIB Delhi



  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change coordinates a Central Sector Scheme namely ‘Environment Education, Awareness and Training’ with an objective to promote environmental awareness among all sections of the society and to mobilize people’s participation for conservation of environment. Through the National Green Corps programme, which is one of the components of this scheme, about one lakh fifty thousand Ecoclubs have been established in schools/colleges across the country and nearly 35 lakh students are actively involved in the programmes related to environment protection and conservation. The ‘Green Good Deeds’ initiative is about simple, practical steps that students/teachers/citizens can perform in their day-to-day life towards protection of environment.


  • Taking forward the Green Good Deeds initiative, among other activities of the Ecoclubs, the Ecoclubs have been a centre stage for various environment protection and conservation activities like conducting cleanliness drives as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, plantation drives, awareness on waste minimisation, waste segregation, recycling and reuse etc. Various environment awareness programmes are being undertaken by the students like minimizing the use of single-use plastic, celebrating Green Diwali, making of Eco-friendly idols of Ganesh and seed balls, adopting water bodies, beach cleaning, etc.


Production of Ethanol Posted On: 09 DEC 2019 3:00PM by PIB Delhi

  • Biofuels are derived from renewable biomass resources and wastes such as Used Cooking Oil, Plastic, Municipal Solid Waste, waste gases, etc. and provide higher degree of national energy security in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner by supplementing conventional energy resources, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and meet the energy needs of India’s urban and vast rural population. Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are procuring biodiesel for the biodiesel blending program since August 2015 and during Apr 19 - Oct 19, 8.62 crore litres of biodiesel have been procured by the OMCs.


  • Ethanol is produced by distilleries from various feed stocks. In order to encourage production of ethanol, the Government has announced remunerative prices for manufacture of ethanol depending on the feed stocks.


  • Government of India has notified the National Policy on Biofuels-2018, which inter alia envisages a crucial role for Village Panchayats and communities in augmenting indigenous feedstock supplies for biofuel production. The Policy has also envisioned plantation of non edible oil seeds bearing trees and crops for feedstock generation from wasteland through local communities under Gram Panchayats and Talukas. Farmers are encouraged to grow variety of different biomass as well as oil seeds on their marginal lands, as inter crop and as second crop wherever only one crop is raised by them under rain fed conditions.


  • As per National Policy on Biofuels-2018, this Ministry has constituted a National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC), under the Chairmanship of Minister, Petroleum & Natural Gas (P&NG) to provide overall coordination, effective end-to-end implementation and monitoring of biofuel programme. In addition, a Working Group has also been set up by this Ministry consisting eminent and technical experts in the field of biofuels to monitor the implementation of biofuel programme.


  • National Policy on Biofuels-2018 has inter alia envisaged production of biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO). In order to encourage large scale production of biodiesel from UCO, OMCs have floated Expression of Interest for procurement of biodiesel produced from UCO from 200 locations across the country.


Labour Codes will Ensure Safety, Social Security and Welfare of Posted On: 09 DEC 2019 2:24PM by PIB Delhi

  • In line with the recommendations of the Second National Commission on Labour, the Ministry has taken steps for drafting four Labour Codes i.e. the Code on Wages; the Code on Industrial Relations, the Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions & the Code on Social Security by simplifying, amalgamating and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the existing Central Labour Laws. Out of these 4 Labour Codes, the Code on Wages, 2019, has been notified on 8th August, 2019 in the Gazette of India. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 23rd July, 2019 and subsequently, referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour for examination. The Industrial Relations Code, 2019 has been introduced in Lok Sabha on 28th November, 2019. The Code on Social Security, 2019 has been approved by the Cabinet for its introduction in Parliament.


  • These Labour Codes , inter-alia, address issues relating to minimum wage, social security and working conditions for workers. For health care, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) provides health coverage up to Rs. 5.00 lakh per family per annum to around 10.74 crore deprived families based on the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.


  • The proposed codification will also make the existing labour laws in sync with the emerging economic scenario; reduce the complexity by providing uniform definitions and reduction in multiple authorities under various Acts and bring transparency and accountability in enforcement of labour laws. This in turn would lead to ease of compliance, catalyzing the setting up of manufacturing units including boosting Labour intensive industries such as agriculture and manufacturing exports. This would lead to enhancement in employment opportunities as well as its formalization along with ensuring safety, social security and welfare of workers.