Chhattisgarh govt uses paints manufactured from cow dung for its buildings
Raipur (PTI): As part of a unique and eco-friendly initiative, the Chhattisgarh government has started using organic paints manufactured from cow dung in government buildings in the state, an official said on Saturday.
Units have been set up in 'gauthans' (livestock shelters) in Raipur and Kanker so far to manufacture paint from cow dung and the same will be expanded in all districts by the end of January 2023, the official said, adding that this paint has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
The use of natural paint will not only contribute towards environmental conservation, but also help strengthen the rural economy as local women are associated with its manufacturing in gauthans, he said.
As part of the state government's ambitious Suraji Gaon Yojana, a flagship scheme Godhan Nyay Yojana was launched two years ago, under which more than 8,000 gauthans have been set up where cow dung and urine are being procured from cattle-rearers and farmers at Rs 2 per kg and Rs 4 per litre respectively.
Earlier this year, the state government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for technology transfer for manufacturing paints from cow dung, while another agreement was inked with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for technical support for producing electricity from cow dung.
The manufacturing of 'prakritik (natural) paints' has been started in gauthans located in Hirapur Jarway village in Raipur district and Saradhu Nawagaon village in Kanker district, joint director (Godhan Nyay Yojna) RL Khare told PTI.
At least 73 more such units will become operational in all districts of the state by January end next year, he said.
Units to generate electricity from cow dung has become operational in three gauthans, one each in Bemetara, Durg and Raipur districts, the official said.
On the direction of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the state's agriculture department has issued instructions to all district collectors and chief executive officers (CEOs) to speed up setting up paint manufacturing units in gauthans and use the product in painting all government buildings in place of chemical paints, he said.
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is the main ingredient of natural paint manufactured from cow dung. About 10 kg dry CMC is prepared from 100 kg cow dung. CMC accounts for 30 per cent composition of the paint, he said.
"This paint has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and fragrance-free properties. It is affordable too as the distemper and emulsion - two variants being manufactured from cow dung, are priced at Rs 120 per litre and Rs 225 per litre respectively," Khare said.
Each litre of emulsion and distemper will fetch profit to the tune of Rs 130 to Rs 139 and Rs 55 to Rs 64, he said.
In the unit set up in Hirapur Jarwai village on the outskirts of Raipur, 22 women have been associated and production started there in June this year, he said.
The paint was used for government buildings, including veterinary hospitals in Raipur, the official added.
Similarly, in Kanker, schools and hostels were painted with this natural paint for the first time, CEO of Charama Janpad Panchayat (Kanker) GS Badhai said.
The manufacturing unit in Saradhu Nawagaon gauthan was inaugurated by the chief minister on October 2 and the machine has the capacity to produce 500 litres of paint a day, he said.
"But as of now, paint is being manufactured in low quantity in view of the demand. So far, 1,000 litre have been manufactured, of which, 120 litre was sold in the last one week," he said.
The paint was used in tribal hostels in Kodtara village, government school in Vadgaon, panchayat buildings in Chavdi, Bhilai and Aaavdi villages, he said, adding that in future it will be used in all government establishments.
People from Bilaspur, Kondagaon and Bastar districts have also procured it for private use, he added.
Notably, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had recently hailed the state government's initiative and tweeted, "Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has given instructions to use natural paint made from cow dung in the government buildings. I congratulate him for his decision. It is commendable and welcoming."
"Under leadership of PM Narendra Modi, I started this as MSME minister. The use of natural paint will not only protect the environment, but also provide a new employment opportunity to farmers, which will benefit the cultivators of the country," Gadkari said in another tweet.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
_vb_22.jpeg)
