The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various development projects worth more than Rs 3200 crores at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala today. The projects include the dedication of the Kochi Water Metro to the nation, laying the foundation stone of various rail projects and the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister greeted the people for Vishu. Referring to the projects of today, the Prime Minister underlined that various projects related to the development and connectivity of Kerala have been unveiled today including the state’s first Vande Bharat Express, Kochi’s first Water Metro and several Railway developments. He congratulated the citizens of Kerala for these development projects.

Commenting on the education and awareness level of Kerala, the Prime Minister said that the hard work and politeness of the people of Kerala give them a unique identity. He said the people of Kerala are capable of understanding the global scenario and they can appreciate how India is being considered a vibrant spot of development amidst difficult times and the promise of India’s development is being acknowledged globally.

The Prime Minister credited the trust shown by the world towards India to a decisive government at the center that takes quick and firm decisions for the welfare of the country, the unprecedented investment made in strengthening and modernizing the infrastructure of India, investments made towards enhancing the skill set of the youth and finally the commitment of the central government towards Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business. He further added that the government focuses on cooperative federalism and considers the development of states as the development of the country. “We are working with a service-oriented approach. The nation can progress at a faster rate only if Kerala progresses”, the Prime Minister remarked.

The Prime Minister said one of the reasons for the growing stature of the country is due to the outreach efforts of the central government which has benefited the Keralites who live abroad. India’s growing might is helping the Indian Diaspora greatly, he said.

The Prime Minister said that in the last 9 years, work on connectivity infrastructure has been undertaken at an unprecedented speed and scale. He informed that in this year’s budget also, it is proposed to spend more than 10 lakh crore on infrastructure. “The public transport and logistics sector is being completely transformed in the country. We are moving towards the golden age of Indian railways”, he said and remarked that the average rail budget before 2014 has increased fivefold now.

Throwing light on the developments in railways carried out in Kerala in the last 9 years, the Prime Minister mentioned the work done with respect to gauge conversion, doubling, and electrification of railway tracks. He mentioned that work for the redevelopment of three major railway stations in Kerala has been initiated today with a vision to make it a multimodal transport hub. “Vande Bharat Express is the identity of aspirational India”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the transforming rail network in India which makes it possible to run such semi-high speed trains with ease.

The Prime Minister said that all the Vande Bharat trains, so far. are connecting places of cultural, spiritual and tourism importance. “Kerala’s first Vande Bharat train will link North Kerala with South Kerala. The train will ease travel to places of pilgrimage like Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kannur”, he said. He also talked about the environmental benefits of the modern train. The Prime Minister informed that work has been initiated today to prepare the Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section for semi-high speed trains. Upon completion, the Prime Minister continued, it will become possible to run semi-high speed trains from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangluru.

The Prime Minister elaborated that the effort is to provide Made in India solutions as per local needs with regard to infrastructure. He listed solutions like a semi-hybrid train, Regional Rapid Transport System, Ro-Ro ferry, and ropeway to illustrate situation-specific solutions for connectivity. He also underscored the indigenous origins of Made in India Vande Bharat and Metro coaches. He also mentioned projects like Metro-Lite and urban ropeways in smaller cities.

The Prime Minister underlined that the Kochi Water Metro is a Made in India project and congratulated the Kochi Shipyard for the development of ports for the same. He stated that the Kochi Water Metro will make modern and cheap means of transport accessible for the people living in the nearing islets of Kochi while also providing intermodal connectivity between the bus terminal and the metro network. The Prime Minister further added that it will benefit backwater tourism in the state apart from easing the traffic congestion in the city. He expressed confidence that the Kochi Water Metro will become a model for the other states in the country.

Shri Modi reiterated that along with physical connectivity, digital connectivity too is the country’s priority. He said projects like Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram will give a fillip to Digital India. He highlighted global appreciation for India’s digital system. “Indigenously developed 5G will create new opportunities in the sector”, he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the investments made towards connectivity not only expand the scope of services but also reduce the distance and connect various cultures without discriminating between caste and creed and the rich and poor. He emphasized that this is the correct model of development which can be witnessed all over India and it strengthens the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Kerala has a lot to offer to the country and the world. “Kerala has culture, cuisine and climate which has the source of prosperity inherent in them”, the Prime Minister pointed out. Referring to the recent G20 meet in Kumarakom, the Prime Minister said that such events give Kerala more global exposure.

The Prime Minister mentioned famous Shri Annas (millets) from Kerala such as Ragi Pattu. Shri Modi exhorted everyone to be vocal about the local produce and products. “When our products reach global markets, the path of Viksit Bharat will get stronger”, he said.

Speaking about citizens’ achievements in the Mann Ki Baat Programme, the Prime Minister stated that he frequently mentions the products created by self-help groups of Kerala with the objective of promoting ‘Vocal for Local’. He informed that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is completing a century of episodes this Sunday and it is dedicated to all the citizens who have made their contributions towards nation development as well as the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’. The Prime Minister concluded by saying that for building a Viksit Bharat everyone will have to dedicate themselves.

Governor of Kerala, Shri Arif Mohammed Khan, the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State, Shri V. Muraleedharan, Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Dr Shashi Tharoor and Ministers from Government of Kerala were present on the occasion among others.

Background

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated various projects to the nation worth more than Rs. 3200 crores today. The Prime Minister dedicated the Kochi water metro to the nation. This one-of-its-kind project connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats for seamless connectivity with Kochi city.

Apart from Kochi Water Metro, rail electrification of the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section was also dedicated by the Prime Minister. During the event, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of various rail projects including the redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Varkala Sivagiri railway stations; the comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area including Nemon and Kochuveli and increasing of sectional speed of Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section.

Apart from this, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram. Digital Science Park is envisaged as a key research facility to develop digital products and services by industry and business units in collaboration with academia.  As a third generation Science Park, the Digital Science Park will house common facilities to support the development of products in the area of Industry 4.0 Technologies like AI, Data Analytics, Cyber Security, Smart Materials etc. The state-of-the-art basic infrastructure will support high-end applied research by industries and the co-development of products in association with the Universities. The initial investment for Phase-1 of the project is around Rs 200 crore while the total project outlay has been estimated at around Rs 1515 crore.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station today. Upon arriving at the venue, the Prime Minister inspected the Thiruvananthapuram – Kasargod Vande Bharat Express and also interacted with children as well as with the train’s crew.

The train will cover 11 districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and  Kasargod.

The Prime Minister tweeted:

“Flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express, which will enhance connectivity from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.”

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a periodic review meeting with Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), here today. The review meeting was attended by the Revenue Secretary; Chairman, CBDT; and all the Members of CBDT.

Inter alia, the Finance Minister reviewed the following subjects:

• Efforts for increasing tax payer base
• Pending disciplinary proceeding cases
• Disposal of applications for condonation of delay and grant of exemptions under certain sections of the Income Tax Act, 1961

During the review meeting, the Finance Minister was apprised about the impact of the following initiatives:

• • Introduction of new data sources in Statement of Financial Transactions (SFT) like Dividend and Interest; Securities; Mutual Funds and information from GSTN in recent years has led to 1118% increase in reported information. This has resulted in addition of information of about 3 crore persons.
  • Introduction of new TDS codes, which have almost doubled from 36 to 65 in last eight years, led to increase in total reported transaction in FY 2021-22 to 144 crore as compared to total reported transaction in FY 2015-16 of 70 crore. This has resulted in increase in number of unique deductees — almost doubled from 4.8 crore (in F.Y. 2015-16) to 9.2 crore (in F.Y. 2021-22).

Smt. Sitharaman was also apprised of the fact that the Personal Income Tax (PIT) to GDP ratio has been steadily increasing from 2.11 in F.Y. 2014-15 to 2.94 in F.Y. 2021-22.

The Finance Minister also reviewed the pending disciplinary proceeding cases against employees/officers and observed that administrative and procedural delays should be minimised. Smt. Sitharaman also directed CBDT to take prompt action in finalisation of such proceedings.

The Finance Minister emphasised that CBDT should ensure timely and appropriate actions on all applications filed by tax payers and desired a reasonable time frame for disposal of such applications. The Finance Minister exhorted CBDT to expand and strengthen its efforts to increase tax payers’ awareness regarding the provisions of the direct tax laws and compliance thereof.

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal said that the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) of tomorrow will be a transformational engine across the world and not only in India during his address at “Enabling Bharat 2.0”, a one-day workshop conducted by ONDC today in New Delhi. The Minister said that he is optimistic about a significant growth of ONDC in the next few months. He invited all e-commerce companies, big and small, to join ONDC and be part of this new bazaar that reimagines digital commerce.

He mentioned that ONDC will promote local languages, products, and cultural heritage, and create opportunities for small businesses. He said that small artisans and workers can offer better quality through ONDC and also earn better without having to pay commission for their products. He emphasized that ONDC will foster healthy competition, benefit consumers and contribute to the overall growth of the digital commerce ecosystem in India.

He said that the Prime Minister believes that our ability to develop depends on our ability to leverage technology. He said that monolithic e-commerce platforms will never be able to provide the services of the kind that a network of platforms like ONDC can offer. The Minister highlighted the various sectors that may benefit from ONDC like farmers who can access bigger markets and demand better prices for their products, students who can compare prices of books and online courses, people who can avail health services at the best prices, etc.

He emphasized on the need to create systems that benefit everyone and create opportunities for all. He said that the efforts are being undertaken to ensure that e-commerce becomes an engine of growth that empowers both buyers and sellers. The Minister highlighted that ONDC will unlock doors of opportunities in an inclusive manner for both big and small businesses, benefitting the entire value chain of commerce. He said that ONDC will provide a much larger market for sellers, without any preferred or priority sellers, ensuring equitable and fair treatment for all stakeholders. He said that ONDC will foster economies of scale, competition, and better pricing and quality, ultimately benefiting consumers. He said that ONDC is customer-centric, keeping in line with the vision of Mahatma Gandhi, where the customer is king.

The Minister emphasized that India can only be defined as Bharat, as it thrives in villages and small habitations across the country. He mentioned that ONDC is targeting this ‘Bharat’ for inclusive growth, ensuring that the benefits of e-commerce reach every corner of the country. He said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi firmly believes in solving challenges the Indian way and trusts the people of India to come up with innovative solutions. He said that ONDC was born in such a manner when the e-commerce sector was grappling with multiple challenges and small businesses were under threat. He highlighted the need for alternate ways to address these challenges of the e-commerce ecosystem, while balancing the interests of small retailers and businesses led to the evolution of ONDC.

The Minister outlined the unique features of ONDC, which aims to provide a win-win solution for both buyers and sellers. He said that ONDC, with its concept of using interfaces between various platforms, will open up more options for buyers, enhance price discovery and market opportunities for sellers, and also empower consumers to make informed choices. He said that this will result in more competition in the market and will not be limited through algorithms. He emphasized that ONDC will enable speedy, efficient, and real-time settlement of transactions, catering to hyperlocal and global needs simultaneously.

During his address, the Minister said that ‘Enabling Bharat 2.0’ converges with the commitment of making India a developed nation by 2047 and it is desirable to plan for the future. He said that digital public infrastructure is the need of the hour. He said that all the efforts of the government have been citizen centric as was evident during the COVID pandemic with the development and production of vaccines and the launch of Co-WIN Vaccinator App to monitor the distribution of vaccines to everyone in the country.

He cited the success of initiatives like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the financial services sector, which has brought about a transformational journey and encouraged hundreds of fintech companies to innovate and promote financial inclusion. He said that UPI has brought about innovation in the fintech sector at a pace never seen before and promoted startups and unicorns through socialising valuation. He drew parallels with ONDC, which is based on a similar concept of interoperable interface, opening up more options for buyers and creating more competition, while providing ease of operation for sellers across multiple platforms and also providing them a bigger market.

The ‘Enabling Bharat 2.0’ workshop has been organized to find potential synergies and deepen collaboration among the various open protocol-enabled initiatives and generate awareness amongst multiple stakeholders.

Union Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the workshop on Future of Work: Skill Architecture and Governance Models of India and Singapore in Bhubaneswar today. HE Mr. Simon Wong, High Commissioner of the Republic of Singapore to India; Ms. Melissa Khoo, Deputy Secretary (Higher Education and Skills, Ministry of Education Singapore were part of the plenary session. Secretary, Higher Education, Shri K. Sanjay Murthy: Secretary, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari ; Secretary , School Education and Literacy Shri Sanjay Kumar and senior officials of Ministry of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship attended the workshop.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Pradhan expressed his pleasure to be present among the delegation of India and Singapore, stakeholders of skill ecosystem, educationists and students at the day-long workshop on being organised on the sidelines of the G20 3^rd EDWG meeting.

The Minister said that Skills development and knowledge collaboration is an important element of the Strategic Partnership. There is immense scope for both India and Singapore to work together to achieve mutual priorities, particularly towards preparing a future-ready workforce. We have to redefine and reimagine skilling, he added. H further said that Skilling is lifelong.  In the next quarter century, 25% of the global working population will come from India. Until and unless we skill, re-skill and up-skill our young demography and prepare them for Future of Work, we cannot fulfil global responsibilities, he added.

Shri Pradhan highlighted NEP 2020 envisioned under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has placed equal importance on education and skilling. It has paved the way for integration of schooling and skilling, horizontal & vertical mobility through National Credit Framework and redefining India’s skills ecosystem.

Shri Pradhan stressed that the joint workshop between India Singapore will focus on leveraging the expertise & knowledge of Singapore and facilitate mutual sharing of experiences for addressing obstacles to skilling and further transforming the Indian skills ecosystem. He expressed his happiness that in the context of Future of Work, India and Singapore are engaging holistically to deliberate upon three major aspects:

1. Development of new curriculum for skill
2. Framework for skilling ecosystem in higher education
3. Compulsory apprenticeship and frameworks for lifelong skilling.

Mr. Simon Wong in his address mentioned the close ties that Singapore has with India. He pointed out that Singapore is the first country to establish linkages with UPI through their fast payment system PayNow. Also, few days ago Indian rocket PSLV placed two Singapore satellites into the orbit. He said that there is a huge opportunity to extend this cooperation to the space of skilling. He pointed out Singapore follows a skilling philosophy of leaving no one behind, training for decent jobs and building a confident nation because decent job increases the confidence of the individuals and their families.

The objective of this workshop was threefold. (a) to catalyze exchange of knowledge between India and Singapore, two countries with a rich history of progressive reform in the sphere of education and skilling. The discussions in today’s workshop facilitated learning around best practices and policy responses that enable the development of robust education and skilling ecosystems. (b) The discussions, in turn, also uncovered pathways for collaboration, and c) Finally, workshop served a very important role in breaking what is known as the competency trap. Over time, we get better and better at what we do but that tends to constrain our thinking in certain directions. Therefore, when we need to innovate for a new world, the difficulty is not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones. In bringing together a very diverse set of stakeholders from two different countries under one roof, this workshop opened our perspectives and thinking on the way forward.

In terms of content, there were three thematic discussions. For vocational education to be widely adopted, it must be respected. That, in turn, is enabled through creation of progression pathways not just in the labour market but also in mainstream school education. Therefore, the first session on integration of skills in the school education curriculum advanced the understanding of how progression pathways in education can be created for vocational education learners. Adoption also requires vocational education to be relevant. The second session, therefore, focused on an agile and resilient TVET ecosystem for creating a future-ready workforce. This discussion advanced the understanding of the different ways in which industry can inform and integrate with the TVET ecosystem to drive superior workforce outcomes for TVET graduates and render them future-ready. Finally, it is fair to say that we live in an incredibly dynamic world. Rapid technological advances like generative AI are transforming the world of work and necessitating a response from education systems. In a recent report for the World Bank, it was found the most substantive impact of AI is not loss of work as is thought  but rather, reconfiguration of work so that humans and machines can work together to increase productivity. In such a fast-paced environment, the ability to learn is important but not as important as the ability to learn and unlearn. The third session, therefore, focused on lifelong learning and skill recognition in the context of future of work.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the National Panchayati Raj Day in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh today. He also laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation, projects worth around Rs. 17,000 crores.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister started his speech by bowing to Maa Vidhyawasini and to the land of bravery. He recalled his visits earlier and the affection of the people here. The Prime Minister noted the virtual presence of more than 30 lakh Panchayat representatives from all over the country and said that it presents a bold picture of Indian democracy. He pointed out that the scope of work for each one present here might be different but everyone works for the common goal of serving the citizens through serving the country. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that the Panchayats are implementing the government’s schemes for Gaaon aur Gareeb – villages and the poor, with full dedication.

Referring to eGramSwaraj and GeM portal for public procurement at the Panchayat level, the Prime Minister said that it will ease the working of the Panchayats. He also mentioned the distribution of 35 lakh SVAMITVA Property Cards and projects worth 17000 crores regarding railways, housing, water and employment for the development of Madhya Pradesh.

In the Amrit Kaal of Independence, the Prime Minister said, every citizen is working towards fulfilling the dream of a developed India with utmost dedication. He highlighted the importance of developing the social system, economy and Panchayati Raj system in the villages of India in order to create a developed nation and pointed out that the present government is working tirelessly to create a robust system in place and expanding its scope, unlike the previous governments that discriminated with the Panchayats. Throwing light on the lack of efforts made by the previous governments before 2014, the Prime Minister informed that the finance commission granted less than 70,000 crores which was a paltry amount when one considers the scale of the country, but after 2014, this grant was increased to more than 2 lakh crores. He also mentioned that merely 6,000 Panchayat Bhawans were constructed a decade before 2014, whereas the present government constructed more than 30,000 Panchayat Bhawans in the last 8 years. He also informed that less than 70 Gram Panchayats were connected with optical fiber compared to more than 2 lakh Gram Panchayats that got optical fiber connectivity after the present government came to power. He also noted the lack of faith shown in the existing Panchayati Raj system by the previous governments after India’s independence. Recalling the words of Mahatma Gandhi that ‘India lives in its villages’, the Prime Minister pointed out that the previous regime barely paid any heed to his ideology which resulted in the Panchayati Raj remaining neglected for decades. The Prime Minister said that today, Panchayats are coming up as the life force of India’s development. “Gram Panchayat Vikas Yojana is helping Panchayats to work effectively”, Shri Modi added.

The Prime Minister said that the government is working ceaselessly to bridge the gap between villages and cities. Panchayats are being made smart in this age of the digital revolution. Technology is being harnessed in the projects being undertaken by the Panchayats. The Prime Minister gave the example of Amrit Sarovar where issues like the selection of sites and completion of the project are being done with the help of technology. He said the GeM portal for public procurement at the Panchayat level will make procurement by the Panchayats easy and transparent. Local cottage industry will find a strong avenue for their sales, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister talked about the benefit of technology in the PM Svamitva scheme. He informed that the scheme is changing the scene of property rights in villages and reducing disputes and litigation. The use of drone technology is ensuring property documents for the people without any discrimination. He informed that work of Property Card is completed in 75 thousand villages of the country. He praised the Madhya Pradesh Government for good work in this direction.

Referring to the indifference to the development of Chhindwara, the Prime Minister blamed the thinking of certain political parties. He said that the ruling parties broke the trust of the rural poor by ignoring the basic needs of the rural areas after Independence.

The Prime Minister emphasized that by discriminating against villages where half of the population of the country resides, the country can not progress. He said after 2014, the rural economy, facilities in villages and the interest of the villages were given the highest priority. He said schemes like Ujjwala, and PM Awas have left a deep impact in villages. He said out of 4.5 crore houses, 3 crore houses of PMAY are in rural areas and that too mostly, in the name of the women.

Highlighting that the cost of every house constructed under PM Awas Yojna is more than 1 lakh, the Prime Minister said that the government has transformed the lives of crores of women from the country by making them ‘Lakhpati Didi’ (millionaires). He informed that more than 4 lakh families have performed Grih Pravesh in pucca houses today and congratulated the sisters who have now become homeowners.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the PM Saubhagya Yojna and informed that out of the 2.5 crore houses that received electricity, most of the houses belonged to the rural areas and the Har Ghar Jal Yojna that resulted in tapped water connections to more than 9 crore rural households. He pointed out that approximately 60 lakh houses in Madhya Pradesh now have tapped water connections compared to 13 lakhs previously.

Stressing the need for access to banks and bank accounts, the Prime Minister pointed out that most of the rural population neither had bank accounts nor availed of any services from banks. As a result, the Prime Minister continued, the monetary aid that was sent out to the beneficiaries got looted before it reached them. Throwing light on the Jan Dhan Yojna, the Prime Minister informed that bank accounts were opened for more than 40 crore residents from villages, and the reach of banks was widened through India Post Payments Bank via India Post Office. He also gave the example of Bank Mitras and trained Bank Sakhis that are helping the people of the villages in everything, be it farming or business.

Shedding light on the great injustice caused to the villages of India by previous governments, the Prime Minister noted that money spending on villages was avoided as villages were not considered to be vote banks. The Prime Minister highlighted that the present government opened the doors of development of the villages by spending more than 3.5 lakh crores on Har Ghar Jal Yojana, lakhs of crores of rupees are spent on PM Awas Yojana, 1 lakh crore rupees is being spent to complete the irrigation projects lying incomplete for decades, and thousands of crores of rupees are being spent on PM Gramin Sadak Abhiyan. Even under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Prime Minister continued, the government has transferred about Rs 2.5 lakh crores directly to the bank accounts of the farmers where about 90 lakh farmers of Madhya Pradesh have received 18,500 crore rupees as part of this scheme. “The farmers of Rewa have also received about Rs 500 crore from this fund”, he added. The Prime Minister noted that thousands of crores of rupees have reached the villages in addition to the increase in MSP, while in the Corona period, the government has been giving free rations to the poor for the last three years at a cost of more than Rs 3 lakh crores.

Referring to the Mudra Yojna, the Prime Minister informed that the central government is creating employment and self-employment opportunities in the villages by providing assistance of Rs 24 lakh crore in the past years alone. Due to this, the Prime Minister said, crores of people have started their employment in the villages where women make for a huge number of beneficiaries. Shri Modi informed that in the last 9 years, 9 crore women have joined self-help groups including more than 50 lakh women from Madhya Pradesh, and the government is offering a loan of up to Rs 20 lakh without bank guarantee to every self-help group. “Women are now handling the command of many small-scale industries”, the Prime Minister remarked, referring to the ‘Didi Cafe’ set up by the state government in every district. Shri Modi congratulated the women power of Madhya Pradesh and informed that about 17,000 women associated with self-help groups have been elected as panchayat representatives in the last panchayat elections.

Referring to the ‘Samaveshi Abhiyan launched today, the Prime Minister said that this will be a strong initiative for achieving Viksit Bharat through Sabka Vikas. “Every panchayat, every institution, every representative, every citizen of the country will have to unite for a developed India. This is possible only when every basic facility reaches 100% beneficiaries quickly and without any discrimination”, he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Panchayats will have to spread awareness about new systems of agriculture. He especially stressed the need to propagate natural farming. He said Panchayats have a big role to play in the initiative for small farmers, fishermen, and animal husbandry. “When you get involved in every development-related activity, the collective efforts of the nation will get strengthened. This will become the energy for building a developed India in Amrit Kaal.”

Highlighting the projects of today, the Prime Minister mentioned the electrification of the Chhindwara-Nainpur-Mandla Fort rail line which will further ease the connectivity of the people of this region to Delhi-Chennai and Howrah-Mumbai while also benefiting the tribal population. He also mentioned the new trains that have also been flagged off today for Chhindwara-Nainpur and said that many towns and villages will be directly connected to their district headquarters in Chhindwara, Seoni, and going to Nagpur and Jabalpur will also become much easier. The Prime Minister noted the rich wildlife in the region and said that increasing connectivity will also boost tourism and create new employment opportunities. “This is the power of the double-engine government”, the Prime Minister said.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister thanked everyone for the love and support shown towards ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme which is completing 100 episodes this Sunday. The Prime Minister highlighted the mentioning of various achievements of the people of Madhya Pradesh in Mann Ki Baat and urged everyone to tune in for the 100th episode.

Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shri Giriraj Singh, Union Ministers of State, Shri Faggan Kulaste, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Members of Parliament and Ministers from Government of Madhya Pradesh were present on the occasion among others.

Background

The Prime Minister participated in the celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day and addressed all the Gram Sabhas and Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country. During the event, the Prime Minister inaugurated an integrated eGramSwaraj and GeM portal for public procurement at Panchayat level. The objective of eGramSwaraj – Government eMarketplace integration is to enable the Panchayats to procure their goods and services through GeM, leveraging the eGramSwaraj platform.

With the aim of taking forward people’s participation towards ensuring saturation of schemes of the government, Prime Minister unveiled a campaign named “विकास की ओर साझे क़दम”. The theme of the campaign will be inclusive development, with a focus on reaching the last mile.

The -Prime Minister also handed over around 35 lakh SVAMITVA Property Cards to beneficiaries. Post this programme, around 1.25 crore property cards were distributed under SVAMITVA Scheme in the country, including those distributed here. Taking a step towards fulfilling the vision of achieving ‘Housing for All’, the Prime Minister participated in a programme marking the ‘Griha Pravesh’ of more than 4 lakh beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various railway projects worth around Rs. 2,300 crores. The projects include 100 percent rail electrification in Madhya Pradesh, along with various doubling, gauge conversion and electrification projects. He also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Gwalior station.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of projects worth about Rs.7,000 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the ‘Chintan Shivir’ of Ministers of Youth Affairs & Sports of States/UTs in Imphal, Manipur today via video message.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed delight that ‘Chintan Shivir’ is taking place in Manipur this year and many sportspersons from the Northeast have raised the glory of the Tricolour by winning medals for the country. The Prime Minister highlighted the indigenous games of the region such as Sagol Kangjai, Thang-ta, Yubi Lakpi, Mukna and Hiang Tannaba, and said that they are very attractive in their own right. “Northeast and Manipur have significantly contributed to taking forward the sports tradition of the country”, Shri Modi added. Further explaining the indigenous games, the Prime Minister mentioned Oo-Lawabi of Manipur which resembles Kabaddi, Hiyang Tannaba reminds one of Kerala’s boat race. He also noted Manipur’s historical association with polo and said that the Northeast adds new colours to the country’s cultural diversity and provides new dimensions to the country’s sports diversity. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Sports Ministers from all over the country will have a learning experience at the end of the ‘Chintan Shivir’.

“Any Chintan Shivir begins with contemplation, proceeds with rumination and ends with implementation”, the Prime Minister remarked, throwing light on the Chintan Shivir and underlined the need to discuss future goals and also review the previous conferences. Recalling the previous meeting in Kevadiya in 2022, the Prime Minister pointed out that many important issues were discussed and an agreement was reached to make a road map for an ecosystem for the betterment of sports. The Prime Minister touched upon increasing the participation between the center and the states in the sports sector and highlighted the strides that have been made possible. He further added that this review should not be carried out at the level of policies and programs but on infrastructure development and sports achievements of the previous year.

Highlighting the performance of Indian athletes and sportspersons in the last year, the Prime Minister lauded their phenomenal efforts, especially in international sports events. He stressed on further extending help to the players while celebrating these achievements. The Prime Minister pointed out that the preparations of the Sports Ministry and its departments will be tested in events like Squash World Cup, Hockey Asian Champions Trophy, and Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championship in the times to come and stressed that while players are preparing themselves, it is now time for the ministries to work with a different approach regarding sports tournaments. Drawing the analogy of man-to-man marking in sports like football and hockey, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to carry out different strategies for each tournament and follow the approach of match-to-match marking. “You have to focus on sports infrastructure, and sports training according to each tournament. You also have to decide short-term, medium-term and long-term goals”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said that fitness could be achieved by a player alone but it is the continuity that makes way for great performance. He underlined the need to play more competitions and sports tournaments at the local level so that players get to learn a lot from this. Shri Modi asked the Sports Ministers to ensure no sporting talent is overlooked.

The Prime Minister underlined that it is the responsibility of the government to provide quality sports infrastructure to every talented player in the country and emphasized the need for the central and state governments to work together. Touching upon Khelo India Scheme, the Prime Minister noted that it has definitely improved sports infrastructure at the district level and urged to take the improvements to the block level. He also stated that the participation of all the stakeholders including the private sector is important. The Prime Minister also suggested that National Youth Festival be rethought to make it more effective and said that such programs which are held in the states should not become just a formality. “India will be able to establish itself as a leading sports country only when such efforts are made all-round”, the Prime Minister said.

Highlighting the sporting developments carried out in the Northeast, the Prime Minister said that the region is a huge inspiration for the nation. He informed that projects worth more than 400 crores related to sports infrastructure are giving a new direction to the development of the Northeast today. The Prime Minister gave examples of the National Sports University of Imphal which will provide new opportunities to the youth of the country in the coming times, and efforts like Khelo India Scheme and TOPS that have played a big role in this. Informing that at least 2 Khelo India Centers in every district of the Northeast, and Khelo India State Center of Excellence in every State are being set up, the Prime Minister said that these efforts would become the foundation of a new India in the sports world and will give a new identity to the country. Concluding the address, Shri Modi urged the stakeholder to speed up such works in the respective states and expressed confidence that the Chintan Shivir will play an important role in this direction.

Background

More than 100 invitees from various States, Union Territories and the Ministry of Youth Affairs are expected to attend the unique two-day Chintan Shivir and put forward their views and ideas on making the nation fitter and making India into one of the biggest sporting powers in the world. Also, discussions will be held for working towards the objectives of personality-building and nation-building, that is, developing the personality of youth by involving them in various nation-building activities.

“Malaria is not just a public health issue but also social, economic and political challenge that requires the co-operation of all stakeholders. India was the only high-burden, high-impact country in South- East Asia region to report a decline in malaria cases in 2020 as compared to 2019. India witnessed 85.1% decline in malaria cases and 83.36% decline in deaths during 2015-2022”. This was stated by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare as he virtually addressed the Asia Pacific Leaders’ Conclave on Malaria Elimination in presence of Dr. Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura, Dr. R. Lalthamgliana, Minister, Health and Family Welfare Department, Mizoram, Dr. V.K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Dr Poonam Khetrepal, Regional Director, WHO-SEARO.

Dr. Culwick Togamana, Minister of Health and Medical Services, Solomon Islands, Dr. Antonio Lalabalavu, Minister of Health and Medical Services, Republic of Fiji, H.E. Prof. Dr. Dante Saksoni Harbuwono, Vice Minister of Health, Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Zaliha Binti Mustafa, Minister of Health, Malaysia, H.E. Dr. Mao Tan Eang, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Combodia, Dr. Champa Aluthweera, Director, Anti Malaria Campaign, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, Dr Chuman Lal Das, Director, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, Nepal, Dr Moh Moh Lwin, National Director, Myanmar were also present at the conclave.

Lauding the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister,Dr. Mandaviya elaborated that Shri Narendra Modi ji was among the global leaders who endorsed the malaria elimination roadmap of Asia-Pacific Leaders Alliance at the East Asia Summit in 2015 which galvanized the region in striving to become malaria free by 2030.

Addressing the significant challenge posed by malaria particularly to the marginalized and vulnerable communities, Dr. Mandaviya added that “rejuvenated political commitment and strengthened technical leadership will play a monumental role in eradicating malaria from the world”. Citing the transformational impact of India’s health initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission as well as the substantial role of its healthcare workers, Dr. Mandaviya said “India is committed to sharing our resources, knowledge and learnings with other countries in our endeavour to eliminate Malaria.”

Dr V.K Paul congratulated South Asian and Pacific Region countries in achieving significant decline in malaria cases and stressed on the goal to make malaria a history with a focus on working on most marginalized and vulnerable communities with an inter-sectoral approach. He highlighted the need for collaboration across borders while embracing whole-of-government and the whole-of-society’s approach. “We can’t eliminate malaria till we work together across borders. We need to prioritize research & innovation, and encourage behavioral change research. We need to work tremendously in developing vaccine against malaria in order to have additional arms against Malaria.” Advocating leveraging the use of digital tools for eliminating malaria, Dr. Paul stated that “We need to focus on high-burden areas and eliminate this disease with inter-sectoral collaboration which starts at village level.” Dr. Paul emphasized that urban areas with dense population, migrant population, areas inhabited by tribal population are some key challenging areas where we need to focus and work together as ‘One Team India’.

Dr. Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura alluded to the devastating effects endured by Tripura in 2014 due to an outbreak of malaria. He informed how the State evolved and scaled its practices of vector-control measures, community awareness via institutional support such as Indian Council of Medical Research leading to an all-round development of the state and sharp reduction of cases of malaria.

Dr. R. Lalthamgliana, Health Minister, Mizoram highlighted the role and impact of political commitment stating “these deliberations, discussions serve to enhance knowledge and awareness in this endeavour, and illuminate further ways and means of achieving higher impact.”

Dr Ratu Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu, Minister of Health and Medical Services, Fiji discussed the practices deployed to eliminate malaria from their country. He said “There is a need for contingent and persistent efforts as no-size-fits-all and all countries must leverage the available resources to the best of their use, strengthening community engagement and institutional mobilization.”

Dr. Culwick Togamana, Minister of Health and Medical Services, Solomon Islands referred to impediments of financial constraints. He advocated employing whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach with support from different organizations in the endeavour to eliminate malaria. He further added “that this is an occasion to review our progress, re-affirming our commitments and strategize plan to eliminate malaria by 2030.”

Reiterating the importance of regional and political commitment to strengthen inter-sectoral commitment with a whole of system approach, Shri Rajesh Bhushan emphasized that awareness, detection, diagnosis and treatment need to be taken to the door step of the last mile community for successful elimination of the disease.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh added “Together, we must invest, innovate and implement, with a focus on reaching the most vulnerable first. Reaching these sections of the population is imperative for achieving the Global Technical Strategy and Sustainable Development Goal targets, and also for delivering on our promise of achieving zero malaria for everyone, everywhere in our region.”

Dr Sarthak Das, CEO, Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance and senior representatives from various government departments, development partners and corporates were present.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar,  Minister of State, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Electronics and Information Technology today inaugurated the Day 2 of one of its kind Future of Work exhibition under 3^rd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting.  The inaugural ceremony was also graced by the august presence of Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE; Mr R Dinesh, President Designate, CII and Executive Vice-Chairman, TVS Supply Chain Solutions and Mr NSN Murty, Partner, Deloitte.

While addressing the gathering, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the conference is focusing on intersection of logistics, coastal economies and sustainability and is integral in the context of skilling in coastal economies. He further said that logistics will be an area full of opportunities for young Indians in the coming years, as much as Semiconductors, electronics, and Information technology. It will have huge scope for investment, entrepreneurship and employment.

The Minister highlighted that this is an interesting time for the world, representing opportunities and challenges and in this context, India has become the fastest growing nation of the world. And India is being looked upon by the world with lot more respect, he added.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the world is looking at resilient logistics and trusted supply chains, moving away from risk and moving to trusted resilient economy. With this, the focus and discussion on logistics is important in coastal states like Odisha. Citing the example of mobile phones production the Minister said in 2014, 82% of mobile phones consumed in India were imported, in 2022, almost 100% mobile phones consumed in India are manufactured in India. In 2014, India used to export almost zero mobile phones and this year alone, India has exported Apple phones, Samsung phones made in India to the tune of about 11 billion dollars. One of the arguments for India for many decades has been, that India did not have a viable market and capacity to become a global manufacturing hub as logistics cost of doing business in India was not competitive, today global majors are manufacturing semiconductors,  electronics, mobiles and many more products in India, exporting and selling in India as well as the underline logistics ecosystem has become more efficient, he said.

He further said that the Narendra Modi government’s programmes like Gati Shakti, National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity, will create modern logistics ecosystem that will help India emerge as a global hub for blue economy products, food, and agricultural products.

Emphasizing that the future is about skilling, upskilling and reskilling, the Minister urged the students present at the conference to focus on acquiring skills, as that will increase the prospects of their employability. “As our Hon. PM says, Skilling should always remain a continuous process,” he added.

After the inaugural ceremony, the Minister visited nearly 70 exhibitors and lifted their morale by appreciating their efforts. The exhibitors included premier institutes and organizations from diverse sectors such as MeitY,  National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), NIESBUD, UNICEF, NCERT, NIT Rourkela, IIT Bhubaneshwar, IIM Sambalpur, CV Raman Global Institute, Odisha based start-ups and many more, displaying technologies that will drive the future of work with constant innovations in modern workplace, future skills, and innovative delivery models.

The guests and visitors witnessed many highlights, Future of Work exhibit in 3 sectors- Agriculture, Mobility & Healthcare, Metaverse, Reverse engineering and automated design solutions, drone technology, Ed-tech solutions leveraging AR/VR, industry 4.0 skills, vernacular learning-based tech solutions, virtual internship solutions, and assistive technology & tactile display for inclusion and live demo of assistive technology innovation. This exclusive exhibition is being put together on the sidelines of the 3^rd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting under G20 presidency from April 23^rd to 28^th at CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) hosted the second precursor event on the theme Transforming logistics for coastal economies with a focus on Sustainability. The aim of the precursor events is to create an environment that promotes innovation, collaboration, and learning by bringing together professionals from different fields to explore the implications of future of work for the government, industry, and academia. Today’s panels were attended by Mr Sanjay Mishra, Special Secretary, Commerce and Transport Department, Government of Odisha; Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice Chancellor, Siksha O Anusandhan University; Mr V. Venkateswara Rao, Chief Logistics Officer, Jindal Stainless Group; Mr Rahul Pandit, Chief Executive Officer, Horizon Industrial Parks; Prof Sasmita Rani Samanta, Vice Chancellor, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT); Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi, Fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW); Ms Madhulika Sharma, Chief Sustainability Officer, ITC Ltd and many more eminent speakers.

A unique Future of Work Experience Zone that has been setup aims to display to the youth that how the Future of work will evolve by getting a preview of the required advanced technical skills and softer transferrable skills at this experience zone, to remain market relevant. The exhibition will showcase a variety of technologies from different sectors that will shape the future of work, including innovations in modern workplaces, the integration of technology in traditional sectors, and novel delivery models. The exhibition will provide an exceptional opportunity for technology leaders, influencers, and academics to showcase the best practices in adapting to the future of work.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh announced a special drive for StartUps and R&D activities in the new and emerging areas in the University ecosystems of North Eastern region, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, in addition to Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, and Rajasthan by providing basic infrastructure and enabling scientific facilities, at the “Vishwavidyalaya Anusandhan Utsav 2023” organised today at Dr Ambedkar International Centre here.

“In India’s quest for competitive advantage, our universities and related institutions need to play a major role towards generating high calibre human resources as repositories of national intellectual wealth in the S&T sector. In light of the vision by our Hon’ble PM that India’s self-reliance will be based on five pillars — economy, infrastructure, technology-driven system, vibrant demography, and demand it is prudent to strengthen the foundation of relevant R&D infrastructure across the Nation to contribute to the development of a self-reliant India,” Dr. Singh said at the inauguration of the Utsav.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that in order to meet these diverse challenges and strengthen the S&T infrastructure support system in the universities and other related academic institutions, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) nurtures and supports a variety of infrastructure related schemes like FIST, PURSE, SAIF, etc. towards augmenting/ facilitating the R&D equipment for research activities at various Universities/ Institutes and other Academic organizations as well as promote industry-academia linkages.It’s our endeavour that the youth of our country have access to quality R&D infrastructure to pursue research in all areas of S&T,” Dr. Singh added while speaking at the Utsav organised to showcase the achievements of the PURSE supported Universities.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Honourable Prime Minister’s vision is to step up the efforts in various fields to make the country ‘the most advanced laboratory for modern science’ in the ‘Amrit Kaal’-the next 25 years leading to the centenary of India’s Independence. Working towards this vision, the Government has committed to invest heavily on building research infrastructure in the country. Under FIST Program, DST has supported 3074 Departments and PG Colleges at a total budget of about Rs. 3130.82 crores for Scientific Infrastructure Building in various STEM Departments in Universities and academic institutions. Flexible infrastructure grants are being provided to universities nationwide to keep up the vigour of conducting highly challenging R&D activities with an investment of Rs 950 Crores till date. The Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) with a nationwide reach supports the university’s research ecosystem by making high-end research equipment available to our academicians/scientists, enabling our universities to compete with global standards,” Dr. Singh pointed out.

The Union Minister launched a new scheme, SUPREME, a first-of-its-kind program by the Government of India, to provide financial support for repair/ upgradation/ maintenance/ retrofitting or acquiring additional attachments to increase functional capabilities of existing analytical instrumentation facilities (AIFs) during the programme.

Dr. S Chandrasekhar, DST Secretary said that the future of scientific research will call for deeper and more widespread multidisciplinary collaboration among countries which will enable researchers to optimize the precondition of securing sustainable scientific collaboration. India can escalate this through deeper collaborations while hosting the G20 nations.

Department of Science and Technology has supported numerous Universities to augment their research infrastructure as they are striving towards potentially high-impact, interdisciplinary research (both basic and applied) aligned to national priorities and missions. Universities supported under the various programmes showcased their research accomplishments, novel findings, and technologies under the common platform for knowledge sharing provided by Vishwavidyalaya Anusandhan Utsav. A Book on the achievements of various universities supported under PURSE was also released.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed his happiness over installation of 254 4G mobile towers in Arunachal Pradesh.

In a tweet thread, Union Minister, Shri Kiren Rijiju informed that in Arunachal Pradesh, 254 4G mobile towers have been dedicated to the nation. This high-speed internet facility to 336 remote villages will transform the lives of the people, he added.

Responding to the tweet threads by Union Minister, the Prime Minister tweeted;

“Excellent news for furthering connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh.”

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship today inaugurated one of its kind Future of Work exhibition under 3^rd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting.  The inaugural ceremony was also graced by the august presence of Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE; Ambassador Atul Keshap, President, USIBC and Senior Vice President, South Asia, US Chamber of Commerce; Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII; Mr Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, CII Mission on Tech, Innovation & Research and Future Mobility and Former MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland and JCB India and Mr. Raghav Narsalay, Managing Director, Accenture Research.

The Minister visited nearly 70 exhibitors with keen interest and appreciated their efforts. The exhibitors included premier institutes and organizations from diverse sectors such as NIT Rourkela, IIT Bhubaneshwar, IIM Sambalpur, Microsoft, Meta, UNICEF, NCERT and many more, displaying technologies that will drive the future of work with constant innovations in modern workplace, future skills, and innovative delivery models. The exhibition received a positive response with 10,000 visitors attending it on Day 1.

The guests and visitors witnessed many highlights, Future of Work exhibit in 3 sectors- Agriculture, Mobility & Healthcare, Metaverse, Reverse engineering and automated design solutions, drone technology, Ed-tech solutions leveraging AR/VR, industry 4.0 skills, vernacular learning-based tech solutions, virtual internship solutions, and assistive technology & tactile display for inclusion and live demo of assistive technology innovation. This exclusive exhibition is being put together on the sidelines of the 3^rd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting under G20 presidency from April 23^rd to 28^th at CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

After the inaugural, Shri Pradhan addressed the first precursor event of 3^rd EdWG Meeting, a seminar on Deep Tech with a focus on advanced technology in Future of Work at IMMT Auditorium in Bhubaneswar. Speaking on the occasion Shri Pradhan said that Odisha is a land of skills. Its art & architectural excellence and ancient trade linkages is a glowing testimony to this. He said 21st century will be knowledge-based and technology-driven. Guided by its civilisational ethos and as a natural hub of talent, captive market & resources, India is going to play a leading role in fulfilling global aspirations of the 21st century. Skills and competencies rather than degrees will drive the future, he added.

Shri Pradhan said Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has envisioned to transform India’s Yuva Shakti into job-creators rather than job-seekers. He said that as technologies continue to disrupt, we must think new approaches to skilling to prepare youth for future of jobs. Internet, mobility, and global connectivity provides us with an opportunity to think about global requirements. We must come together to convert this opportunity for India’s youth as well as for those belonging to the Global South, he added. The Minister expressed his happiness that today on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, industry, academia, startup ecosystem and all stakeholders have come together in Bhubaneswar under the G20 Future of Work framework to reimagine the skilling ecosystem, create future-ready global citizens and make India a global hub of skilled manpower. He also complimented and appreciated the spirit of Jan Bhagidari of the people of Odisha.

The Minister informed that more than 1 lakh youth have participated in month long G20-related events to generate and pique curiosity about India’s G20 Presidency as well as the 3rd Education Working Group Meeting in Bhubaneswar.

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) are hosting precursor events on April 23^rd and 24^th, and for Day 1, the theme is ‘Deep Tech with a focus on advanced technology in Future of Work’. To delve deeper into theme around the advent of Deep Tech and its impact on Future of Work, multiple panel discussions were held today, including India’s prospects in global semiconductor ecosystem, the world of digitalization and new age startups. The speakers at the panel were Dr. Charan Gurumurthy, CEO, Fabrication (Semiconductor), Tata Electronics; Mr Kishore Balalji, Executive Director, Govt & Regulatory Affairs, IBM South Asia; Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar;

Col. Amit Verma, Chief Administrative Officer, IIM Ahmedabad; Mr Nishit Gupta, Scientist E, MeitY, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India; Dr. Ashutosh Chadha, Director and Country Head, Public Policy & Govt Affairs, Microsoft India; Mr Abhishek Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, YuWaah, (Generation Unlimited) UNICEF; Dr G Narahari Sastry, Director, CSIR – Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) and Mr. Rohit Gupta, Program Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog.

A unique Future of Work Experience Zone that has been setup aims to display to the youth how the Future of work will evolve by getting a preview of the required advanced technical skills and softer transferrable skills at this experience zone, to remain market relevant.