Review: What Did MoHFW, MHA, Ministry of Jal Shakti, MoEFCC Achieve in 2024?
As the year 2024 ended, we look at key activities, achievements and other milestones of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Jal Shakti, and Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change based on their yearly review summaries published on the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
As the year 2024 ended, we look at key activities, achievements and other milestones of some of the important ministries/departments, based on their yearly review summaries published by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
As per the information available on the PIB website, a total of 66 ministries/departments have published these summary reports. We look at the summary reports of major ministries.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM): As of 30 November 2024, about 1.75 lakhs AAMs, an initiative under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, have been operationalized with an expanded package of 12 services and teleconsultation facilities. As per the ministry, AAM is an attempt to move from a selective approach to health care to deliver a comprehensive range of services spanning preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care. It has two components which are complementary to each other. Under its first component, 1,50,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandir will be created to deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care, that is universal and free to users, with a focus on wellness and the delivery of an expanded range of services closer to the community.
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): It provides health insurance coverage of Rs. 5 lakhs per year to poor and vulnerable families seeking secondary and tertiary care. About 55 Crore individuals from 12.37 Crore families are covered under PM-JAY. Approximately 37.19 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi Helpers (AWH) were included under the scheme from February 2024.
- eSanjeevani: National Telemedicine Service-eSanjeevani provides access to specialized medical healthcare across the country by providing facilities for doctor-to-doctor consultation and patient-to-doctor consultation. eSanjeevani is operational in more than 1,30,500 Spokes and 16,700 hubs with 2,29,350 providers onboarded. More than 32.6 crores eSanjeevani consultations were rendered.
Department of Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakthi
- The Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen (SBM-G): It was launched in 2014 with an aim of making the country Open Defection Free (ODF) by providing access to toilets to all the rural households in the country. The SBM-G phase-II (ODF Plus) was launched to have all persons covered with individual household toilets.
- As per the Ministry’s press release, there was a 460% increase in ODF Plus villages, from 1 lakh in December 2022 to over 5.61 lakh in December 2023. The breakup of villages covered are as follows:
- More than 11.77 crore Individual Household Latrines (IHHL) and 2.49 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes (CSC) have been constructed since 2 October 2014.
- Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): It was launched in August 2019 to provide safe and ample drinking water to all rural households. Over the past five years, this mission has reached 15.30 Crore households with tap water connections.
- The details of Central funds allocated, funds drawn by States/UTs, and funds utilized from 2019-20 to 2024-25 under JJM are as below:
- One Nation, One Election: The High-level Committee on Simultaneous Elections submitted an 18,626 pages Report to the President of India on 14 March 2024 after extensive consultations with stakeholders and experts. 47 political parties submitted their views and suggestions, out of which 32 supported simultaneous elections. 21,558 responses were received from citizens from all over India. 80% of the respondents supported simultaneous elections. After the approval by the Union Cabinet, the report has now been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
- New Criminal Laws: The three new Criminal Laws, namely, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, were implemented replacing more than century-old three colonial-era Criminal Laws.
- Online course on Constitution: On 26 November 2024, the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice in collaboration with NALSAR University of Law launched an online course on the Constitution of India in Hindi. The course covering important aspects of our Constitution in 15 videos is designed to empower individuals with a deep understanding of the Constitution’s essence, its historical journey, and its role in shaping modern India.
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
- National Clean Air Programme: The programme launched in 2019 covers 130 cities in 24 States and UTs with an objective to achieve substantial improvement in air quality. The ministry notes that the goal is to reduce up to 40% reduction in PM10 by 2025-26 from 2017-18. It further notes that a 20% reduction of particulate matter in 55 cities and a 40% reduction in 23 cities is achieved by 2023- 2024.
- Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI): The MISHTI was launched on 5 June 2024 to restore and promote mangroves as a unique, natural eco-system and for preserving and enhancing the sustainability of the coastal habitats. Approximately, 22561 hectares of degraded mangrove area was brought under restoration in 13 States/UTs and a total of Rs. 17.96 crore was released for the restoration of 3836 hectares in 6 States/UTs.
- Decriminalization of Environment (Protection) Act (EPA): The Government has amended the penal provisions of the EPA as a part of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provision) Act for decriminalization and rationalizing offences to further enhance trust-based governance for ease of living and doing business and the same has been made effective from 1 April 2024.
- First-ever Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) was tagged in Assam. This initiative was implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak.
- Forest Cover: 19 states/UTs have above 33% of the geographical area under forest cover. Out of these, eight states/UTs namely Mizoram, Lakshadweep, A & N Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Manipur have forest cover above 75%.
- Boosting Citizens’ Safety in Disasters: The Lok Sabha passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill which empowers response forces to tackle disasters with more efficacy and agility. The bill seeks to shift the approach to disaster management from a reactive to a proactive one with a renewed thrust on prevention, mitigation, and preparedness.
- Zero Tolerance Against Drugs: In the year 2024, the agencies under MHA destroyed 1,17,284 kg of narcotics. Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ was launched. MANAS will have a toll-free number 1933, a web portal, a mobile app, and the UMANG app so that citizens can anonymously connect with NCB 24×7 to seek advice on de-addiction and rehabilitation and share information on drug trafficking.
- Strengthening Digital Defenses and Sharpening Forensic Expertise: Cabinet approved Central Sector Scheme “National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme” (N.F.l.E.S). The scheme underscores the importance of high-quality, trained forensic professionals in the timely and scientific examination of evidence for an efficient criminal justice process, leveraging the advancements in technology and evolving manifestations and methods of crime.