Cabinet to consider 2013 as Water Conservation Year

Against the backdrop of per capita availability of water falling at a fast pace, the Union Cabinet is likely to consider a proposal to declare 2013 as Water Conservation Year under which awareness programmes will be launched for conservation of the scarce natural resource.
Under the proposal, the Water Resources Ministry will launch a series of programmes among masses, especially children, on water conservation.
While India has more than 18 per cent of the world's population, it has only 4 per cent of the world's renewable water resources.
With growing population and rising needs, per capita availability of water is likely to go down from 1545 cubic meter per annum in 2011 to 1341 cubic meter per annum in 2025.

The Cabinet is also likely to consider another proposal of the Law Ministry to carry out a minor amendment to the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification Act), 1959.
Under the Act, the office of the chairperson of the erstwhile National Commission of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes does not come under the office of profit.

In the 89th Amendment of the Constitution, it was decided to have a separate National Commission for Scheduled Castes and separate National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
The erstwhile National Commission for SCs and STs was bifurcated into two different Commissions in December, 2004.
The bifurcation was not reflected in the Prevention of Disqualification Act.

Under the proposed amendment, the offices of chairpersons of the two Commissions will be defined separately with retrospective effect to bring clarity.