The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the proposal to expand the scope of the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) to mobilise ₹ 1 lakh crore for research and academic infrastructure for higher education institutions by 2022.

In a first, Kendriya Vidyalayas /Navodaya Vidyalayas will also get funding from HEFA. Apart from these, IITs, NITs, IISERs and other central universities as well as AIIMS and other medical colleges will also get funds from HEFA.

Higher compensation to Air India for SESF operations

It has also decided enhance the compensation given to Air India for "Special Extra Section Flights" (SESF) to ₹534.38 crore plus applicable taxes for 2016-17 with built-in annual escalation of 10 per cent for the maintenance of B747-400 aircraft. Air India operates SESF flights for the President, Prime Minister and the Vice-President.

An official statement said that over the past five years there has been substanital increase in expenditure incurred by Air India on maintenance of these aircraft.“ It is, therefore, necessary to review the estimates/ reimbursements provided to Al since 2011-12 as the cost base has not been indexed to inflation. Since Al is suffering financial losses, the airline cannot afford to provide any services below its cost,” the statement.

DNA Technology Bill

Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 the objective of which is to expand application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support the justice delivery system in the country. The bill aims at speedier justice delivery and an increased conviction rate. DNA-based technologies for solving crimes and to identify missing persons is well recognised across the world.

It has also given its nod for inking a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the UK for cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of law and justice and to set up a Joint Consultative Committee. “The MoU takes care of concerns and requirements in the field of exchange of experience by legal professionals, government functionaries and their training and effective legal aid mechanism for resolution of disputes before various the courts and tribunals,” an official statement added.

India is all set to adopt the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Copyright Treaty, 1996, and the WIPO Performers and Phonograms Treaty, which extends coverage of copyright to the Internet and digital environment, after a nod from the Cabinet. The WIPO Copyright Treaty came into force on March 6, 2002 and has been adopted by 96 contracting parties till date.

Other Cabinet decisions

The Cabinet took several other decisions which include renaming Agartala Airport in Tripura as ‘Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore Airport’ and transfer of defence land for construction of three Kendriya Vidyalayas in Udhampur, Delhi and Jalandhar Cantt.

It also gave its nod to exempt the Fijian High Commission from payment of commerical rates for acquiring a plot in Chankyapuri’s Diplomatic Area in New Delhi. Fiji will offer India similar terms and condition for the land offered to the Indian High Commission in Suva, Fiji.

The Cabinet has approved continuance of eight schemes of the Ministry of Home Affairs up to March 2020 for Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates.

In a bid to optimise functioning of the Commission and for fulfilling the desired objectives of welfare and development of the target group, the Cabinet gave a green signal for the creation of one post each of Vice-Chairperson and Member in the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis.

It also approved transfer of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)'s land measuring 5.99 acres at Tawang to the state government of Arunachal Pradesh for construction of a mega-festival-cum-multipurpose ground.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the proposal for expanding the scope of the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) to mobilise ₹1,00,000 crore for research and academic infrastructure for higher education institutions by 2022.

After the announcement, the Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted, “Increase of allocation for education from ₹65,867 crore in 2013-14 to ₹ 1,10,000 crore in 2018-19 (67 per cent increase) without any rise in fee is a huge push for research and academic infrastructure with social equity.”

The Cabinet also approved the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 the objective of which is to expand application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support the justice delivery system in the country. The bill aims at speedier justice delivery and increased conviction rates. DNA-based technologies for solving crimes and to identify missing persons, is recognised across the world.

It also approved accession of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Copyright Treaty 1996 and the WIPO Performers’ and Phonograms’ Treaty, which extends coverage of copyright to the Internet and digital environment.

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