The UPA Government on Thursday approved a Rs 2,550 crore National AIDS Control Support Project (NACSP) and also decided to launch a Special Recruitment Drive to fill backlog of 11,347 vacancies for reserved categories of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the NACSP to provide desired impetus required for consolidation of gains made in containing the spread of HIV infection in the country. It will contribute towards intensifying prevention services with a focus on highly vulnerable populations, high risk groups and bridge population like sex workers, transgender and men having sex with men.
The project will focus on strengthening behaviour change communication and demand generation, besides institutional strengthening and financial management.
It will be financed by the Indian Government and the World Bank in equal proportion, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.
Regarding the Special Recruitment drive for SC/ST and OBCs, he said that in the past also the Government had made concerted efforts to fill the backlog.
At the conclusion of last such drive on March 31, 2012, a total of 75,522 backlog vacancies were identified of which 44,427 were in the direct recruitment quota and 31,095 were in promotion quota. Of direct recruitment quota 28,588 have been filled. But in promotion quota 11,347 vacancies could not filled as eligible candidates are not available even in the extended zone of consideration.
The Cabinet has also decided to grant Classical language status to Malyalam. It would result in benefits like two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence and a ‘Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical languages being set up.
The University Grants Commission will be requested to create at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for Malyalam.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal for creation of 20,751 additional posts in Income Tax Department in various cadres to increase revenue collection by Rs 25,000 crore per annum and provide better services to tax payers. Of these, 1,349 additional posts will be in IRS cadre and 19,402 additional posts in non-IRS cadres incurring additional expenditure of Rs 449.71 crore per annum, Chidambaram said.