Approval for Rs. 3,150-crore package for backward regions in Bihar, Odisha, U.P. and M.P. The Cabinet on Thursday cleared the National Policy on Electronics 2012, which aims to make the domestic electronic hardware manufacturing segment a $400-billion industry by 2020. “The Union Cabinet today [Thursday] approved the National Policy on Electronics 2012. The draft National Policy on Electronics was released for public consultation and it has now been finalised based on comments from various stakeholders,” an official statement said. Under the policy, the government has set an objective “to create an eco-system for a globally competitive ESDM [Electronic System and Design and Manufacturing] sector in the country to achieve a turnover of about $400 billion by 2020 involving investment of about $100 billion and employment to around 28 million people at various levels.” The government also approved a Rs. 3,150-crore package for the development of backward regions in Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Under the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF), which was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Rs. 1,500 crore will provided to Bihar as Special Plan Assistance. Similarly Additional Central Assistance of Rs. 1,400 crore will be provided for drought mitigation strategies in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, an official statement said here. The CCEA also approved Rs. 250 crore for Special Plan for development of Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) districts of Odisha. The BRGF, which aims to catalyse development in backward areas, was approved by the CCEA in August, 2006. In its present form, the BRGF has two components, namely, district component covering 272 backward districts in 27 States and a State component, which includes Special Plan for Bihar, West Bengal, KBK districts, Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for selected tribal and backward districts and Bundelkhand Package. — PTI It is likely that by 2020, electronics import may far exceed oil imports Need for more anti-tank missiles felt ever since 26/11 terror attacks