Answers to the questions pertaining to NITI Aayog that were discussed in Rajya Sabha on 21st December 2015 were: Unstarred Questions 1) Special Category to Andhra. 2) Central Regulatory Authorities 3) Reduction of Fund under CSS to Bihar 4) World Bank Estimate on Poverty Line 5) Achievement of SDGs.

1. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2470
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2015
SPECIAL CATEGORY STATUS TO ANDHRA PRADESH
2470. SHRI MOHD. ALI KHAN:
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government is aware that people are ending their lives/committing suicides demanding Special
Category Status to Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the present status of granting special status to the State;
(c) whether NITI Aayog has prepared any road map and submitted its report on the subjects of granting
Special Category Status and special package to the State;
(d) if so, the details and the present status thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) to (d) : NITI Aayog has no such information. Special Category Status for plan assistance has been granted
in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that are characterized by a number of
features necessitating special consideration. These features include: (i) hilly and difficult terrain (ii) low
population density and / or sizeable share of tribal population (iii) strategic location along borders with
neighbouring countries (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v) non-viable nature of state
finances. No decision has been taken regarding grant of Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.
As part of the special package to Andhra Pradesh, an amount of Rs. 350 crore (at the rate of Rs. 50
crore per district) has been released for development activities in seven backward districts of Andhra Pradesh
consisting of four districts of Rayalseema and three districts of North Coastal region of Andhra Pradesh during
2014-15. During 2015-16, special assistance of Rs. 350 crore (at the rate of Rs. 50 crore per district) was
released for the development of these districts.
Regarding the financial assistance to the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Ministry of Finance,
Government of India had released Rs. 500 crore to Andhra Pradesh for the construction of Raj Bhawan and
Assembly, etc. during 2014-15. An amount of Rs. 1000 crore had been released to Andhra Pradesh during
2014-15 by the Ministry of Urban Development for creation of essential urban infrastructure for the new
capital region of Andhra Pradesh for the following projects:
(i) Storm water drainage scheme at Vijayawada city (Rs. 460 crore) and
(ii) Comprehensive underground sewerage scheme at Guntur city (Rs. 540 crore).
Besides this, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has released an amount of Rs. 350 crore for the
new capital of the State during 2015-16.
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2. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2471
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2015
CENTRAL REGULATORY AUTHORITIES
2471. SHRI ANUBHAV MOHANTY
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
a) how many Central Regulatory authorities are there in the country at present;
b) what are the judicial and non-judicial powers enjoyed by these authorities: and
c) whether there is any proposal to bring forward a law to regulate the regulators to create a uniform
national framework for orderly development of infrastructure and protection of consumer interests?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) There are 11 Central regulatory authorities in the country related directly or indirectly to
infrastructure sector and protection of consumer interests. These are listed below:
1. Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA)
2. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
3. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)
4. Competition Commission of India (CCI)
5. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
6. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)
7. Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (P&NGRB)
8. Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA)
9. Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERI)
10. Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP)
11. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)

3. (b) Regulatory authorities are quasi-judicial bodies which have the powers of a Civil Court for the
purposes of inquiry or proceedings under the Act through which they were created by the
Parliament. A regulatory authority has the powers to impose penalty for non-compliance of its
directions as well as powers to adjudicate the disputes. Non Judicial powers of the regulatory
authorities are to protect the interest of the people by ensuring fair competition, transparent and
competitive markets and protecting consumers from exploitation.
(c) During Budget speech (2015-16) Finance Minister stated that there is a lack of common approach
and philosophy in the regulatory arrangements prevailing even within different sectors of
infrastructure and proposed a regulatory reform law that will bring about a cogency of approach
across various sectors of infrastructure.
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4. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2472
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2015
REDUCTION OF FUNDS UNDER CSS FOR BIHAR
2472 SHRIMATI KAHKASHAN PERWEEN :
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the amount earmarked for Bihar under several Centrally Sponsored Schemes
is being reduced constantly; and
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE(INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) and (b) Union Government has accepted the recommendation of 14th
Finance Commission to
increase the shareable pool of Tax Devolution from 32% to 42% for it’s award period (2015-20) which gives
more resources and greater freedom to use these resources to the States. Total transfers in 2015-16 to Bihar
State have increased by almost 16.5% in comparison to 2014-15 (Actual). The details are as follows:
Total Transfer of Funds during 2014-15 & 2015-16:
(Rs. crore)
Items 2014-15
(Actual)
2015-16
(Recommended/
Estimated)
Share in Central Taxes 36,963 50,748
Grants of 14th
FC 3,1920 2,948
Central Assistance to State & UT Plans (CASP)* 16,806 12,672
Total 56,961 66,368
*The total provision of Plan Transfer for all States was Rs.2.71 lakh crore in 2014-15 RE which has reduced
to Rs.1.96 lakh crore in 2015-16 BE (27.6% reduction). Accordingly, in case of Bihar it is reduced by about
24.6 %.
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5. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2473
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2015
WORLD BANK ESTIMATE ON POVERTY LINE
2473. SHRI D. RAJA:
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government’s attention has been drawn towards the latest world bank estimate on poverty line
according to which India's poverty ratio is only 12.4 per cent for 2011-12, i.e. population below poverty line
in India is 150.4 million;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether this calculation varies widely with the estimate made by the Rangarajan and Tendulkar Expert
Groups; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and Government's reaction thereto?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) & (b): The World Bank’s Policy Research Note titled “Ending Extreme Poverty and Sharing Prosperity:
Progress and Policies” released in October, 2015 contains poverty estimates of India for the year 2011-12.
The World Bank estimates poverty in India using large sample survey data on Household Consumer
Expenditure collected by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in its quinquennial rounds. The latest such
survey was done in 2011-12. In 68th
round of survey conducted in 2011-12, NSSO generated three estimates
of distribution of Monthly Per capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) depending upon the reference period
for which the data is collected for different items. These three MPCE measures are as follows:
(i) Uniform Reference Period MPCE (or MPCEURP): This is the measure of MPCE obtained when household
consumer expenditure on each item is recorded for a reference period of “last 30 days” (preceding the date of
survey).
(ii) Mixed Reference Period MPCE (or MPCEMRP): This is the measure of MPCE obtained when household
consumer expenditure on items of clothing and bedding, footwear, education, institutional medical care, and
durable goods is recorded for a reference period of “last 365 days”, and expenditure on all other items is
recorded with a reference period of “last 30 days”.
(iii) Modified Mixed Reference Period MPCE (or MPCEMMRP): This is the measure of MPCE obtained when
household consumer expenditure on edible oil, egg, fish and meat, vegetables, fruits, spices, beverages,
refreshments, processed food, pan, tobacco and intoxicants is recorded for a reference period of “last 7 days”,
and for all other items, the reference periods used are the same as in case of Mixed Reference Period MPCE
(MPCEMRP).
For 2011-12, the World Bank has estimated India’s poverty rate using URP based consumption
expenditure as 21.2 percent. It also mentions that India’s poverty ratio for the same year on the basis of MMRP
consumption expenditure translates to 12.4 percent.
(c) & (d): The Tendulkar Expert Group used MRP based consumption expenditure of NSSO to derive poverty
estimates. The erstwhile Planning Commission estimated poverty for 2011-12 based on the methodology
recommended by Tendulkar Expert Group as 21.9 percent. The Expert Group under the Chairmanship of Dr.
C. Rangarajan has recommended the use of MMRP based consumption expenditure of NSSO to derive poverty
estimates. The poverty ratio for India based on Rangarajan Expert Group is 29.5 percent during 2011-12.
The poverty estimates given by World Bank, Tendulkar Expert Group and Rangarajan Expert Group
vary due to differences in methodologies used.
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6. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2474
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2015
ACHIEVEMENT OF SDGs
2474 SHRI SANJAY RAUT:
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
(a) what are the measures taken or proposed to be taken by Government to ensure and achieve the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030:
(b) whether NITI Aayog has started any definite mechanism to guide, integrate and promote SDGs in
Government programmes, and
(c) if so, the details in this regard?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) In September, 2015, the United Nations adopted the document titled Transforming our world: the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopting a new set of 17 Global Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) for the next 15 years, i.e. up to 2030. The SDGs include Poverty,
Employment, Education and Literacy, Health, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, Child
Development, Water and Sanitation, Modern Energy and Decent Work, Resilent Infrastructure,
Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Consumption and Production, Combat Climate Change, Conserve and
Sustainable use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources, Protect Ecosystems, Reverse Land
Degradation and halt Biodiversity loss, Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies, Provide Access to
Justice for all.
Government of India is implementing a number of Central Sector (CS) / Centrally Sponsored Schemes
(CSS) throughout India for the benefit of the people at the grass root level. The targets and
achievements under these schemes also address most of the SDGs adopted by the UN. As the SDGs
have been intimated by the UN to the participating countries including India very recently. The work
on mapping these SDGs with various Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes has been
initiated.
(b) and (c)
NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) are engaged in
the identification of indicators for the national targets adopted under the SDGs.
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