From 1,000 complaints against Air India to 13 lakh EVs in India: 7 things we learnt in Parliament yesterday

Amid the chaos in Parliament over the imposition of GST on some new items, rising prices and the Agnipath scheme, among other issues, the government on Tuesday responded to important questions posed by Members of Parliament.

Let's take a look at some such responses from the government:

Strength of the Indian Rupee

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said that the Indian rupee had weakened against the US dollar but gained strength against major currencies like the Japanese Yen, the British Pound and the Euro.

In his response, the minister blamed 'global factors' like the war in Eastern Europe, tightening of global financial conditions and soaring crude oil prices for the weakening of the Indian Rupee against the Dollar.

Shortage of Armed Personnel

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt informed Rajya Sabha that the armed forces are facing a shortage of 1,35,784 personnel. Out of these, the army alone has 1,16,464 vacant positions, including officers and soldiers.

The minister said that the average annual recruitment in Army was 60,000, followed by 5,332 in the Navy and 5,732 in the Air Force. He also confirmed that the Indian Army had not recruited anybody in the last two years.

Image: DRDO

DRDO Technology Transfer

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, replying to another question posed in the Rajya Sabha, said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation had inked 1,464 technology transfer pacts with Indian firms till date.

He further informed that the government is trying to tie up with a foreign engine maker to co-develop and co-produce fighter jet engines with a thrust higher than 80 kiloNewtons (kNs), for India's advanced medium combat aircraft.

1,000 complaints against Air India in 3 months

Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said that in the last three months, around 1,000 passenger complaints had been lodged against Air India related to issues like baggage, refund of fares, staff behaviour and overbooking of flights. To recall, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had, on June 14 imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India after it denied boarding to passengers with valid tickets and did not compensate them after that.

Over 13 lakh electric vehicles are in use in India

Minister of State for Heavy Industries Krishan Pal Gurjar said India has 13,34,385 electric vehicles and 27,81,69,631 non-electric vehicles. Out of this, Uttar Pradesh alone has 3,37,180 electric vehicles followed by 1,56,393 in Delhi, 1,20,532 in Karnataka and 1,16,646 in Maharashtra.

Decline in Terror Cases

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed that there had been a substantial decline in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021. He informed Lok Sabha that the measures adopted by the government in the Kashmir valley, including proactive operations against terrorists, security and intelligence grid, intensified night patrolling and a high level of alertness maintained by the security forces, had allowed the security situation to improve significantly.

Religious Radicalisation

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Lok Sabha that some foreign agencies inimical to India along with global terrorist groups, have been making efforts to radicalise people. However, he said, the inclination towards radical ideologies is minuscule compared to the country's population. Among other measures, the government has set up a counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation division in the Union Home Ministry to help and coordinate with various security and law enforcement agencies.