100 Per Cent FDI In Space Sector And Four Other Decisions Government Announced In A Late Evening Press Briefing

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur addressed a media briefing at 10:15 pm on 21 February. In this briefing, he announced the following decisions of the Union Cabinet:

1. Sugarcane prices

The 'Fair and Remunerative Price’ (FRP) of sugarcane payable by sugar factories for sugar season 2024-25 (October-September) has been fixed at Rs. 340 per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25 per cent. The recovery indicates the amount of sugar that can be produced from a given unit of sugarcane.

A premium of Rs. 3.32 per quintal will be provided for every 0.1 percentage point increase above the 10.25 per cent recovery rate mark. The same amount will be deducted on reduction of recovery by 0.1 percentage point.

For sugarcane having recovery rates of 9.5 per cent or even less, the FRP has been fixed at Rs 315.10 per quintal.

2. Continuation of Centre's flood management scheme

The Cabinet decided to continue with the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) for a period of five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 (15th Finance Commission period). The total outlay for this would be Rs. 4,100 crore.

3. Women safety

The Cabinet decided to continue the following projects under the Umbrella Scheme for “Safety of Women”:

1. 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) 2.0;

2. Upgradation of Central Forensic Sciences laboratories, including setting up of National Forensic Data Centre;

3. Strengthening of DNA analysis, cyber forensic capacities in State Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs);

4. Cyber crime prevention against women and children;

5. Capacity building and training of investigators and prosecutors in handling sexual assault cases against women and children; and

6. Women help desk and anti-human trafficking units.

The total outlay for the six initiatives above would be Rs.1179.72 crore for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

4. National Livestock Mission

Four new activities were added to the National Livestock Mission, the primary amongst them being government assisting states in the conservation of horses, donkeys, and camels.

5. FDI in space sector liberalised

As per the previous FDI policy, FDI was permitted in establishment and operation of satellites through the government approval route only. 

The new policy:

a) Approves 100 per cent FDI in the space sector.

B) Introduces automatic route for FDI in space sector up till prescribed limits. Different activities have different limits:

1. Upto 74 per cent under automatic route for satellites-manufacturing and operation, satellite data products and ground segment and user segment. Beyond 74 per cent, any FDI inflow into these activities would require approval through the government route.

2. Upto 49 per cent under automatic route for launch vehicles and associated systems or subsystems, creation of spaceports for launching and receiving spacecraft. Beyond 49 per cent, FDI inflow into these activities would require approval through the government route.

3. Upto 100 per cent under automatic route for manufacturing of components and systems/sub-systems for satellites, ground segment and user segment.