Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal today inaugurated major infrastructure projects in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to augment the capacity of Chennai and Kamarajar ports in the state. The projects – worth more than ₹148 crore – aim at boosting the capacity of Chennai and Kamarajar ports. The Union Minister also underlined the ongoing discussion between India and Russia to open up ‘Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor’ in order to bolster the maritime trade between the two countries.

A bunker berth at Bharathi Dock, Goods Shed yard at Jolarpet and 40 KLD (Kilo Litres per day) sewage treatment plant were inaugurated at Chennai port by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. The total cost of these projects is more than ₹55 crore. The 182 m Bunker berth Project, funded under the visionary Sagarmala scheme of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways  (MoPSW), is worth ₹50.25 crore. This will enable a capacity addition of 1 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum) and will also handle Bunker Tankers up to 10,000 DWT. This will serve the bunkering needs of vessels calling at the regional ports in Chennai, Kamarajar and Katupalli and other vessels passing from nearby.

Speaking on the occasion, the Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The rich history of Tamil Nadu’s marine trade has been a bedrock of growth and development of Indian economy. As we work towards building an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, these projects are expected to play a pivotal role in engineering the positive turnaround in the marine sector of the region. The projects inaugurated today will not only empower Tamil Nadu’s marine sector but also enable growth multipliers in the regional trade along with the EXIM trade. Our conscious effort to unlock the humongous potential of Blue Economy, through revolutionary schemes like Sagarmala, is in sync with the vision of  new India as envisaged by Modi ji.”

Commenting on the furthering marine cooperation between Russia and India, Shri Sonowal said, “India is in talks with Russia to open up Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor to further the special relationship between the two countries while unlocking the huge trade potential in blue economy. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India affirms its commitment to rejuvenate its trade & investment potential to propel the growth of India. This corridor will serve this purpose acting as a conduit of growth & investment cooperation between two historic cities with rich marine history – Chennai and Vladivostok – of the two  countries.”

The 15,000 Sq Meters large Goods Shed facility, with loading & stacking facilities at Jolarpet, will enable movement of cargo from up to Chennai Port through railway, increasing movement of cargo especially containers. The port will also get a revenue share (from Southern Railway) from the Terminal Access Charges.

As part of the Green Port Initiative of MoPSW, the Sewage treatment plant of 40 KLD capacity will enable reuse of waste water after treatment for various purposes. The Amrit Mahotsav Marg between Kamarajar Port’s 4.8 km access road from Vallur junction to NCTPS junction was built with an investment of ₹88 crores. This will boost hassle free movement of cargo with better road connectivity to the port. Widening and Concreting of Port Access Road from Vallur Junction to NCTPS junction was completed under Sagarmala and one of the “National Infrastructure Pipeline” projects of MoPSW.

About Sagarmala Programme

Sagarmala Programme has taken an integrated approach towards development of the maritime infrastructure of India and identified projects under 5 key pillars for development – Port Modernisation, Port Connectivity, Port-Led Industrialisation, Coastal Community Development and Coastal Shipping & Inland Water Transport. There are 802 projects worth ₹5.40 Lakh crore for implementation under the Sagarmala Programme by 2035. Out of which, 221 projects worth ₹1.12 lakh crore have been completed and 252 projects worth ₹2.29 Lakh Crore are under implementation. In addition to the above, 329 projects worth ₹1.98 Lakh crore are under various stages of development.

Out of the total Sagarmala Projects, 108 projects worth ₹1.46 Lakh. Crore are being implemented in the state of Tamil Nadu. Of the 108 projects, 43 projects worth ₹34,752 Crore have already been completed, 34 projects worth ₹67,759 Crore are under Implementation and 31 projects worth Rs. 44,057 Crore are under various stages of development. Under the Port Modernisation category, 44 projects worth ₹49,045 Crore, some of the key projects under this category being ‘Development and Operation of a full-fledged Truck Parking Terminal adjacent to NH-7A opposite to Fisheries College at VoC Port’, ‘Dredging the dock basin for coastal cargo berth at VOC Port’ etc.

The Chennai Port has been playing a crucial role in the industrialization of the southern India. Along with the Kamarajar Port, the Chennai port has been the backbone of the EXIM trade of the State. Chennai Port achieved an operating income of ₹943 crore for 2022-23 and a net surplus of ₹150 crore, which is the highest in the last 13 years. The Kamarajar Port also crossed the ₹1,000-crore income mark for the first time in FY23. KPL recorded a net surplus (profit before tax) of ₹670 crore in 2022-23, an increase of 24.39% over the previous year.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has acknowledged the role played by Khelo India in encouraging sporting talent on completion of 5 years of the initiative.

Replying to a tweet by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, the Prime Minister tweeted;

“As we mark 5 Years Of Khelo India, we acknowledge the role played by this initiative in encouraging sporting talent and giving a great platform to athletes to shine. Our Government shall continue to create the ideal environment for sports to thrive in India.”

Addressing an event organised by the Ministry of Earth Sciences to celebrate World Earth Day here today, 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 reiterated the “LiFE” (Lifestyle for Environment) movement launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, India is committed to furthering sustainable development in line with our culture of living in harmony with nature.

United Nations Ambassador and Grammy Award Winning Indian music composer and environmentalist, Rickey Kej was the special guest of the day whose new music composition on ‘Earth and Environment’ was launched by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement in June 2022 and stressed that the need of the hour is to solve the challenge faced by our planet using human-centric, collective efforts and robust action that further sustainable development.

Earth Day is an annual event observed on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first held in 1970. The theme for World Earth Day 2023 is ‘Invest In Our Planet. This ongoing theme encourages us all to invest in a better future for our planet by tackling environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and waste reduction.

The Minister mentioned that the idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during COP26 promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate utilisation’ instead of ‘mindless and wasteful consumption’.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) holistically addresses all the aspects relating the Earth System Science for providing weather, climate, ocean, coastal state, hydrological and seismological services. The services include forecasts and warnings for various natural disasters like tropical cyclones, storm surge, floods, heat waves, thunderstorm and lightning; alerts for Tsunamis and monitoring of earthquakes etc. In addition, the ministry also has the mandate of making ocean survey and exploration for living and non-living resources and exploration of all the three poles (Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayas).

The Minister added that the services provided by the ministry are being effectively used by different agencies and state governments for saving human lives and minimizing damages due to natural disasters.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Ministry of Earth Sciences has been supporting celebration of Earth Day / Ozone Day for the purpose, of spreading awareness and sensitizing the general public on the issues concerning to Earth and Earth Sciences in the country. MoES is also supporting celebration of Earth Day at more than 75 places / schools / colleges / Institutions across the country with a focus on Girls students / Differently abled students and aspirational districts.

The Minister said the across India, more than 7500 students / volunteers are participating in the activities comprising sowing the seed and seeing then grow as plants / plantation / slogan / rallys / paintings, etc. as part of Earth Day 2023. Moreover popular lectures are being organized at different Institutes including at MoES HQ.

Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, also spoke on the occasion and reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to furthering “LiFE” movement and sustainable development in India.

Hon’ble Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, Shri Piyush Goyal presided over the sixth interactive meeting with the Textile Advisory Group (TAG), on 22^nd April, 2023, to review the progress of initiatives for cotton value chain, as part of the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam which is being conducted under the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ Initiative in Gujarat in Rajkot.

Shri Piyush Goyal noted the progress in the project on Traceability, Certification and Branding of Kasturi Cotton India and lauded that branding of Indian Cotton will add great value to the entire cotton value chain from farmers to end users.

He pointed out that the quality of Indian cotton is beneficial for farmers and industry both. Meetings of Steering Committee and Apex Committee have taken place and the funds for project have been released and the work on Traceability, Certification and Branding of Kasturi India Cotton has begun.

He appealed to TEXPROCIL to make aggressive efforts to brand Kasturi cotton as premium cotton in domestic and international markets.

Final approval for Holistic plan to enhance cotton productivity by targeting the technology of HDPS, Closer Spacing and ELS with an amount of Rs. 4186.85 lakhs was obtained from MoA&FW under NFSM. Cluster-wise identification of villages/farmers has been finalized in Rajasthan and the same is in progress in all the remaining cotton growing states where sowing will be taken up for the ensuing cotton season 2023-24.

Shri Goyal emphasized the need for strengthening certification systems for organic cotton and requested industry for active participation in promotion of organic cotton production amongst cotton farmers. Hon’ble Minister advised to form a working group of experts, representative from industry, respective Ministries & other stakeholders to have detailed plan of action to boost organic cotton production on cluster based approach.

Smt. Darshana V. Jardosh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Textiles and Railways and TAG Chairman Shri Suresh Kotak also guided the TAG meeting.

Smt Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, appealed to all cotton value chain stakeholders to work together in a cohesive manner to achieve the Hon’ble PM’s dream of five F’s from Farm to Foreign in the Cotton Textile Value Chain and regain Supremacy in Cotton to enhance value returns to producers.

Representatives from Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, CCI, APEDA, BIS, other senior officials from related Ministries and stakeholders from entire cotton value chain were also present during the meeting.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully conducted a maiden flight trial of sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal on April 21, 2023. The purpose of the trial was to engage and neutralize a hostile ballistic missile threat thereby elevating India into the elite club of Nations having Naval BMD capability.

Prior to this, DRDO has successfully demonstrated land-based BMD system with capability to neutralize ballistic missile threats, emerging from adversaries.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, Indian Navy and Industry involved in successful demonstration of ship based Ballistic Missile defence capabilities.

Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat complimented the teams involved in the design and development of the missile. He said that nation has achieved self-reliance in developing highly-complex network-centric anti-ballistic missile systems.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed Civil Servants on the occasion of 16th Civil Services Day, 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister also conferred the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration and released the e-books ‘Viksit Bharat – Empowering Citizens & Reaching the last mile Volume I and II.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister congratulated everyone on the occasion of Civil Services Day. The Prime Minister noted that the occasion of Civil Services Day this year becomes much more special as the nation has completed 75 years of its independence and is starting to move forward to achieve the goals and objectives of a developed India. He highlighted the contributions of those Civil Servants who joined the service 15-25 years ago and emphasized the role of young officers who will contribute towards nation-building in the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the young officers are extremely fortunate to serve the nation in this Amrit Kaal. “The responsibility to accomplish the dreams of every freedom fighter of the nation lies upon every shoulder”, the Prime Minister remarked as he pointed out the paucity of time but the abundance of potential and courage in the country.

The Prime Minister said that the country is prepared for take off due to the work done in the last 9 years. He said that different results are being obtained with the same bureaucracy and personnel. He acknowledged the role of Karamyogis in the growing profile of the country on the global stage, for the growing confidence of the poorest of the poor in ‘Sushasan’ and for a new momentum of development of the country. He mentioned India rising as the 5th largest economy in the world, taking strides in fintech as India is number one in digital transactions, one of the cheapest mobile data countries and the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. He remarked on transformative changes in the rural economy, railways, highways, port capacity augmentation and the number of airports. He said that the awards today reflect the contribution and sense of service of the Karmyogis.

Recalling his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August last year when the Prime Minister invoked the ‘Paanch Pran’ namely the development of Viksit Bharat or developed India, breaking the slavery mentality, taking pride in India’s heritage, strengthening the unity and diversity of the country, and keeping one’s duties before anything else, the Prime Minister underlined that the energy emanating from these five resolves will take the nation to its deserved place in the world.

Dwelling on the theme of this year’s Civil Service Day being based on the notion of Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister said that the concept of Viksit Bharat is not limited to modern infrastructure. “It is important for Viksit Bharat that India’s government system supports the aspirations of every Indian and every government servant helps every citizen in realizing their dreams and the negativity that was associated with the system in the previous years, turns into positivity”, the Prime Minister added.

Throwing light on decades of experience after India’s independence, the Prime Minister stated the importance of last-mile delivery in the implementation of government schemes. He gave examples of results from policies of previous governments and mentioned that there were more than 4 crore fake gas connections, more than 4 crore fake ration cards, and support was provided to 1 crore fictitious women and children by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, fake scholarships were offered to approximately 30 lakh youths by Ministry of Minority Welfare, and lakhs of fake accounts were created under MGNREGA to transfer the benefits of workers who never existed. The Prime Minister highlighted that a corrupt ecosystem had emerged in the country under the pretext of these fake beneficiaries. He credited the civil servants for the transformation that has taken place in the system where roughly 3 lakh crore rupees have been saved from landing in the wrong hands, which is now being used for the welfare of the poor.

The Prime Minister emphasized that when time is limited, it becomes very critical to decide the direction and working style. “Today’s challenge is not about efficiency but in figuring out how to find and remove deficiencies”, he said. He recalled the time when in the garb of deficiency even the small aspect was attempted to be controlled. Today, he continued, the same deficiency is being turned into efficiency and removing obstacles in the system. “Earlier, the thinking was that the government will do everything, now the thinking is that the government will work for everyone”,  said the Prime Minister highlighting the efficient use of time and resources to serve everyone. “Motto of the government is ‘Nation First-Citizen First’, today’s government’s priority is prioritizing the deprived”, the Prime Minister remarked, informing that the government is going up to Aspirational Districts and up to Aspirational blocks. He said today’s government is treating border villages as the first villages rather than the last villages. He said that for 100 percent saturation, we will need even more hard work and innovative solutions. He gave the example of departments asking for NoCs and information that is available somewhere in the system. He said for ease of living and ease of doing business we will have to find solutions for these.

Giving the example of PM Gatishakti Master Plan, the Prime Minister explained that all data layers related to any infrastructure project can be found on a single platform and stressed the need to utilize it to the maximum for better planning and execution in the social sector. He further added that it will greatly benefit in identifying the needs of citizens, tackling issues related to education that might arise in the future, and enhancing communication between departments, districts and blocks while also helping in the formulation of future strategies.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Amrit Kaal has brought immense challenges along with great opportunities.  The Prime Minister elaborated that today’s aspirational citizens are not willing to wait for long to see changes in the systems and this will need our full effort, he said. Taking quick decisions and implementing them with speed has become all the more important as the expectations of the world from India have also risen dramatically.  As the world is saying that India’s time has arrived, there is no time to be wasted by the bureaucracy of the country. “The country has put its faith in you, work while maintaining that trust. Basis of all your decisions should always be the national interest”, he insisted.

Highlighting the importance and necessity of political parties with different ideologies in a democracy, the Prime Minister stressed the need for Bureaucracy to assess whether the political party in power is utilizing the taxpayers’ money for the benefit of the nation. “It is the duty of the Bureaucracy to analyze whether a political party is making use of taxpayers’ money for the benefit of their own organization or the nation’s”, the Prime Minister continued, “if it is using the money to create a vote bank or making the lives of the citizens easier; if it is advertising itself with the government treasure or making the people aware; if it is appointing its own party workers in various organizations or creating a transparent process for recruitment.” Recalling the words of Sardar Patel about the Bureaucracy being the steel frame of India, the Prime Minister said that it is time to live up to the expectations and prevent the dreams of the youth from getting crushed along with taxpayers’ money from being destroyed.

The Prime Minister told the government servants that there are two approaches to life, first, getting things done and second letting things happen. The first is an active attitude and the second reflects a passive attitude. People with faith in getting things done take ownership in a proactive manner and become the driving force of their teams. “By this burning desire to bring change in the lives of the people you will be able to leave a memorable legacy. You will not be judged by what you have done for yourself but by what changes have you brought in the lives of the people”, the Prime Minister told the Karmyogis. Therefore, he said “Good governance is the key. People-centric governance solves problems and gives better results”, he said. He gave examples of Aspirational districts that are performing better than other districts on many development parameters due to good governance and the efforts of energetic young officers. By focussing on people’s participation a sense of ownership is created among the people and this people ownership ensures unprecedented results, he said. He illustrated this with examples of Swacch Bharat, Amrit Sarivar and Jal Jeevan Mission.

The Prime Minister referred to the District Visions@100 that are under preparation and said that such visions should be prepared up to Panchayat Level. What sectors should be focussed in the Panchayats, blocks, district and the state, changes for attracting investment and identification of products that can be taken up for exports, a clear vision for all this should be developed, he said. He emphasized linking the chain of MSME and Self-Help Groups to promote local products and said “It is very important for all of you to encourage local talent, promote local entrepreneurship and start-up culture.”

Underlining that he has been the head of the government for more than 20 years now, the Prime Minister expressed delight at getting the opportunity to work with civil servants. He emphasized capacity building and expressed happiness that ‘Mission Karmayogi’ has become a huge campaign among all civil servants. He underlined that the Capacity Building Commission is taking this campaign forward with full force and said, “The aim of Mission Karmayogi is to utilize the full potential of civil servants.” Highlighting the iGOT platform that has been created to ensure the availability of quality training material everywhere, the Prime Minister stressed that training and learning should not remain a formality for a few months. “Now, all the recruits are also being trained on iGOT platform with the orientation module of ‘Karmayogi Prarambh’”, Shri Modi added.

Highlighting the government’s initiative to do away with the protocol of hierarchy, the Prime Minister said that he constantly meets the secretaries, assistant secretaries, and trainee officers. He also gave the example of brainstorming camps to increase everyone’s participation within the department for new ideas. He also stated that the issue of officers getting work experience in the Central Government on deputation only after living in the states for the first years has been addressed by filling the gap through the assistant secretary programme where young IAS officers now get a chance to work in the Central Government at the very beginning of their career.

The Prime Minister said that 25 years of Amrit journey is considered a time of duty (Kartavya Kaal). “The century of independence will be the golden century of the country when we will give first priority to our duties. Duty is not an option for us but a resolution”, the Prime Minister stressed. “This is the time of rapid change. Your role will also be determined not by your rights, but by your duties and their performance. The power of the citizens of the country has increased in the new India, the power of India has increased. You have got an opportunity to play an important role in this new emerging India.”, he added.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister stated that young civil servants have the opportunity to make a mark of prominence in history when the accomplishments of the nation will be evaluated after 100 years of independence. “You can say with pride that I have played a role in creating new systems for the country and also improving it. I am sure all of you will continue to expand your role in nation-building”, Shri Modi concluded.

Union Minister of State for Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Shri P K Mishra, Cabinet Secretary, Shri Rajiv Gauba and Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Shri V Srinivas were present on the occasion.

Background

The Prime Minister has constantly appreciated the contribution of Civil Servants towards nation-building and enthused them to work even harder. The programme served as an apt platform for the Prime Minister to motivate and inspire Civil Servants across the country so that they may keep serving the nation with the same zeal, especially during this crucial phase of Amrit Kaal.

During the event, the Prime Minister also conferred the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration as well. These have been instituted with a view to recognize the extraordinary and innovative work done by districts & organizations of the Central and State Governments for the welfare of common citizens.

Awards will be given for exemplary work done in four identified priority programmes: Promoting Swachh Jal through Har Ghar Jal Yojana; Promoting Swasth Bharat through Health & Wellness Centres; Promoting quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment through Samagra Shiksha; Holistic Development through Aspirational District  Programme – overall progress with special focus on saturation approach. Eight awards for the above four identified programmes will be given while seven awards shall be given for innovations.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh stressed on the need for comprehensive health including physical, mental and Spiritual domains to fully realise the benefits of demographic dividend. Virtually addressing the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) on its 63^rd Foundation Day in New Delhi on April 21, 2023, he said the country’s strong and youthful human resources must be nurtured properly to leverage their strength in making country stronger and self-reliant.

He complemented the NAMS for its contribution to the growth of Indian health sector, Medical education and research, as well as formulation of relevant health policies and establishment of 6 AIIMS all over the country.

Highlighting health as a key element in the development of any nation, Shri Rajnath Singh said overall development of the country is possible only if its citizens are healthy. The healthier people will be able to work for the progress of the country in a better manner and that is why health sector is key for our country. It is for this reason doctors and medical practitioners are respected and revered.

Quoting Swami Vivekanand he said “ Guru should be like doctor who could understand his disciple and his nature and could impart knowledge to disciple which is most appropriate for him” he said that Guru has been given supreme position in our culture as it is through Guru one can have glimpse of  God.

Listing out the steps taken by government in ensuring health for all, Shri Rajnath Singh called on the medical fraternity to focus more on research of public health related issues. “During Covid we all realized how important research is in the health sector. The benefits of any research done in the health sector are not only quick, but with that research we can help our country as well as many countries of the world. Even during Covid, we saw how the vaccines made by Indian scientists and researchers benefited not only us but the whole world’, he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh elaborated on the importance of the broader aspects of health which goes beyond having no illness and is linked with the vision of ‘Healthy India, Strong India’. He added “According to World Health Organisation (WHO), good health encompasses complete physical, mental and social well-being of a person. That is, health does not just mean that you do not have any disease, health is a much wider concept than this. It includes healthy life style, physical fitness, mental health, and social well-being.”

Raksha Mantri highlighted the significance of social well-being which he viewed as the third dimension of health besides physical and mental health. He expressed concern that the social well-being is facing challenges as people move from their native places to urban centers and other places in search of work. Cut off from their roots, they feel lonely and insecure which impacts their health adversely. In addition, nuclear family and sub nuclear family have become more prominent with even single parenting emerging on the scene.

Shri Rajnath Singh added that such developments, if left unchecked, may endanger the institution of marriage and single person households may become common. “It may appear to be a matter of freedom of choice, but in reality it is a big social crisis pushing human beings towards loneliness which need to be avoided. Many medical studies indicate that loneliness is the root cause of physical, mental and psychological problems of a person. We need to introspect whether we are destroying our social well-being in the name of so called modernity,” he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh was of view that spiritual health is the fourth dimension of health besides physical, mental and social well-being. Elaborating upon the spiritual health which is based on having empathy with fellow human beings, he added “Today, it is very necessary for a human being to be spiritually healthy. Here when I am talking about spirituality, I do not mean any kind of religious rituals. By spirituality, I mean that state of human mind, when it starts experiencing oneness with whole creation and connects itself with the whole world. That is, when a man starts considering the happiness and sorrow of the society as his own, then that man becomes spiritual, in my view”, he added.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on 24th and 25th April, 2023.

At around 11:30 AM on 24th April, Prime Minister will attend a programme marking National Panchayati Raj Day in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation projects worth around Rs. 17,000 crores.

On 25th April at around 10:30 AM, Prime Minister will flag off Vande Bharat Express at Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station. Thereafter, at around 11 AM, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation, development projects worth more than Rs. 3200 crore, at Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.

At around 4 PM, Prime Minister will visit NAMO Medical Education & Research Institute and at around 4:30 PM, he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various development projects worth more than Rs. 4850 crores at Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Thereafter, at around 6 PM, Prime Minister will inaugurate the Devka Seafront at Daman.

PM in Rewa

Prime Minister will participate in the celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day and address all the Gram Sabhas and Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country.

During the event, Prime Minister will inaugurate 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 will unveil a campaign named “विकास की ओर साझे क़दम”. The theme of the campaign will be inclusive development, with focus on reaching the last mile.

Prime Minister will hand over around 35 lakh SVAMITVA Property Cards to beneficiaries. Post this programme, around 1.25 crore property cards would have been distributed under SVAMITVA Scheme in the country, including those distributed here.

Taking a step towards fulfilling the vision of achieving ‘Housing for All’, Prime Minister will participate in programme marking the ‘Griha Pravesh’ of more than 4 lakh beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of various railway projects worth around Rs. 2300 crores. The projects that will be dedicated include 100 percent rail electrification in Madhya Pradesh, along with various doubling, gauge conversion and electrification projects. Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of redevelopment of Gwalior station.

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

PM in Thiruvananthapuram

Prime Minister will flag off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. The train will cover 11 Districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and  Kasargod.

Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and dedicate various projects to the nation worth more than Rs. 3200 crores. Prime Minister will dedicate 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 Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section will also be dedicated by the Prime Minister.

During the event, Prime Minister will also lay the foundation of various rail projects including redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Varkala Sivagiri railway stations; comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area including Nemon and Kochuveli and increasing of sectional speed of Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section.

Apart from this, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of 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 the academia.  As a third generation Science Park, the Digital Science Park will house common facilities to support 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 co-development of products in association with the Universities. 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.

PM in Silvassa and Daman

Prime Minister will visit and dedicate NAMO Medical Education & Research Institute in Silvassa, foundation stone of which was also laid by the Prime Minister himself in January, 2019. It will bring in transformation in healthcare services for the citizens of the Union Territory  of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The state of the art medical college includes latest research centres, a 24×7 Central  library equipped with access to national and international journals, specialised medical staff, medical labs, smart lecture halls, research labs, anatomy museum, a club house, sports facilities as well as residences for students and faculty members.

Thereafter,  Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and dedicate 96 projects worth more than Rs. 4850 crores to the nation at Sayli ground, Silvassa. The projects include government schools at Morkhal, Kherdi, Sindoni and Masat of Dadra and Nagar Haveli District;  beautification, strengthening and widening of various roads in Dadra and Nagar Haveli district; government schools at  Ambawadi, Pariyari, Damanwada, Khariwad and Government Engineering College, Daman;  fish market and shopping complex at Moti Daman and Nani Daman and  augmentation of water supply scheme in Nani Daman, among others.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation, Devka Seafront in Daman. The 5.45 km Seafront built at a cost of around Rs. 165 crores is one of its kind coastal promenade in the country.  The Seafront is expected to boost the local economy and attract more tourists to the region, making it a hub for leisure and recreation activities. The Seafront has been transformed to a world class tourist destination. It includes smart lighting, parking facilities,  gardens,  food stalls, recreational areas and provision for luxury tent cities in future.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit at Hotel Ashok in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister walked through the photo exhibition and offered flowers to the Buddha statue. He also offered monk robes (Chivar Dana) to nineteen eminent monks.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed everyone from different corners of the world to the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit. He underlined that ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ i.e. guests are equivalent to God, is a tradition of this land of Buddha and the presence of so many personalities who have lived through Buddha’s ideals makes us feel the experience of Buddha being present himself around us. “Buddha is beyond the individual, it is a perception”, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister said that Buddha is a sensation that transcends the individual, he is a thought that transcends form and Buddha is a consciousness beyond manifestation. “This Buddha consciousness is eternal”, he said. He said the presence of so many people from diverse areas represents the expansion of Buddha that binds humanity in a single thread. He also underlined the strength of the collective will and resolution of crores of followers of Lord Buddha globally to make for the welfare of the world. Noting the occasion, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the inaugural Global Buddhist Summit will create an effective platform for the efforts of all nations and thanked the Ministry of Culture and International Buddhist Confederation for this momentous event.

The Prime Minister highlighted his personal connection with Buddhism as Vadnagar from where he hails has been a major Buddhist center, Hiuen Tsang had visited Vadnagar. Shri Modi also mentioned Kashi in the context of Sarnath, deepening the connection with Buddhist heritage.

Noting that the Global Buddhist Summit is taking place during India’s 75th year of Independence when the nation is celebrating Azaadi Ka Amrit Kaal, the Prime Minister underlined that India has a major goal for its future and new resolutions for the global good. He emphasized that the inspiration behind India achieving the recent global landmarks in various sectors is Lord Buddha himself.

Remembering the Buddhist path of theory, practice and realization, the Prime Minister elaborated on India’s adoption of all three points in its journey in the last 9 years. Shri Modi said that India has worked with dedication for the propagation of Lord Buddha’s teaching with a sense of dedication. He talked about the development of Buddhist circuits in India and Nepal, the renovation of Sarnath and Kushinagar, Kushinagar International Airport, and India International Center of Buddhist  Heritage and Culture at Lumbini in collaboration with the IBC.

The Prime Minister credited the teachings of Lord Buddha for an inherent empathy in India for the issues of humanity. He mentioned peace missions and India’s whole-hearted efforts in rescue work for disasters like the earthquake in Turkiye. “This emotion of 140 crore Indians is being seen, understood and accepted by the world”, he said. Platforms like IBC, he continued, are giving the opportunity to like-minded and like-hearted countries to spread Buddha Dhamma and peace.

The Prime Minister said, “The journey from the problem to arriving at the solution is the actual journey of Buddha.” Throwing light on Lord Buddha’s journey, the Prime Minister reiterated that he left his life of castles and kingdoms because he realized the pain in the lives of others. He emphasized the only way to achieve the goal of a prosperous world is when one gives away the idea of self and narrow-mindedness and realizes the totality of the Buddha Mantra of adopting the idea of the world. He stressed that a better and stable world can be achieved only if we consider the nations dealing with a scarcity of resources. “It is the need of the hour that the priority of every person and nation should be the interest of the world along with the interest of the country”, the Prime Minister remarked.

The Prime Minister said that the current time is the most challenging time of this century as there is war, economic instability, terrorism and religious fanaticism, and the challenge of climate change with species disappearing and glaciers melting. He said amidst all this there are people who believe in Buddha and the welfare of all creatures. “This hope, this faith is the biggest strength of this earth. When this hope gets united, the Buddha’s Dhamma will become the world’s belief and Buddha’s realization will become the belief of humanity.

Shri Modi underscored the relevance of Buddha’s teaching by saying that all the problems of modern times lend themselves to solutions through the ancient teachings of the Lord. Lord Buddha, the Prime Minister said, preached abandoning war, defeat and victory for eternal peace. He said enmity can never be countered with enmity and happiness lies in unity. Similarly, Lord Buddha’s teaching that one should first look at the conduct of the self before preaching to others can address the menace of imposing one’s own views on others so prevalent in today’s world. The Prime Minister came back to his favourite Buddha teaching अप्प दीपो भवः, be your own light to elaborate the eternal relevance of the Lord’s teachings. He remembered telling the United Nations a few years ago that ‘we are the country that has given the world Buddh, not Yudh (war)’.

The Prime Minister said “The path of Buddha is the path of the future and the path of sustainability. Had the world followed Buddha’s teachings, it would not have faced the problem of climate change.” This problem arose, the Prime Minister explained, as nations stopped thinking about others and coming generations. This mistake accumulated to catastrophic proportions. Buddha preached good conduct without any consideration of personal gain as such behavior leads to overall good.

The Prime  Minister highlighted how each person is affecting the earth in one way or the other, be it with lifestyle, eating or traveling habits and pointed out that everyone can contribute towards fighting climate change. Throwing light on Lifestyle For Environment or Mission LiFE, an initiative by India influenced by the inspirations of Buddha the Prime Minister said that if people become aware and change their lifestyle, then this huge problem of climate change can also be tackled. “Mission LiFE is influenced by the inspirations of Buddha and it furthers Buddha’s thoughts”, Shri Modi remarked.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister stressed the need to come out of the definitions of materialism and selfishness and imbibe the feeling of ‘Bhavatu Sab Mangalan’ i.e. Buddha should not only be made a symbol but also a reflection. He remarked that this resolution will be fulfilled only when we remember the words of the Buddha of not turning back and always moving forward. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that resolutions will become successful with everyone coming together.

Union Minister for Culture, Shri G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Law and Justice, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Ministers of State for Culture, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Smt Meenakshi Lekhi, and Secretary General of International Buddhist Confederation, Dr Dhammapiya were present on occasion.

Background 

The two-day Summit is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation on 20-21 April. The theme of the Global Buddhist Summit is “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis”.

The Summit is an effort towards engaging the global Buddhist Dhamma leadership and scholars on matters of Buddhist and universal concerns, and to come up with policy inputs to address them collectively. The discussion at the Summit explored how the Buddha Dhamma’s  fundamental values can provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings.

The Summit witnessed the participation of eminent scholars, Sangha leaders and Dharma practitioners from all over the world, who will discuss pressing global issues and look for answers in the Buddha Dhamma based on universal values. The discussions were held under four themes: Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India’s centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark.

PM congratulated PM Frederiksen on her appointment as the Prime Minister of Denmark for a second term.

The two leaders reviewed the progress of the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership. They expressed satisfaction at the recent high-level exchanges and the growing cooperation.

PM briefed PM Frederiksen on India’s ongoing Presidency of the G20 and its key priorities. PM Frederiksen appreciated India’s initiatives and conveyed Denmark’s full support to them.

The two leaders agreed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India-Denmark relations next year in 2024 in a befitting manner and to explore areas to diversify their relations further.

To realize Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous North East, a historic agreement to settle the long-pending border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, in New Delhi today. This important agreement was signed by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh as part of another important step of the Modi government to establish complete peace in the Northeast. Union Law Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Home Secretary and senior officials from the Center and both the States were also present on the occasion.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that today we all have witnessed a historic moment in the Northeast and India with over 700-kilometre long border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, pending since decades being completely resolved. He said that the report of the Local Commission on this dispute kept circling around for decades, which has now been accepted by both the states. Shri Shah said that today’s agreement will prove to be a milestone in the direction of realizing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s dream of a developed, peaceful and conflict-free Northeast.

Shri Amit Shah said that since 2018, the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has signed several accords including BRU, NLFT, Karbi Anglong, tribal peace accord to establish peace and end violence in the Northeast. He said that as a result of these agreements, peace has started prevailing in the entire North East and so far more than 8000 armed youth have shunned violence and joined the mainstream. Shri Shah said that compared to 2014, there has been a 67 percent reduction in incidents of violence, 60 percent reduction in the number of deaths of security forces and 83 percent reduction in the number of civilian deaths in the North East, which is a big achievement of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said that the Modi government has withdrawn AFSPA from many places in the Northeast. 70% police stations in Assam, 15 police stations in 6 districts in Manipur, all but 3 districts in Arunachal Pradesh, 7 districts in Nagaland, and entire Tripura and Meghalaya are now free from AFSPA.

Union Home Minister said that due to the efforts of the Modi government, all-round development is visible in the entire Northeast today and this entire region is on the path of progress. He said that Prime Minister Modi himself has visited this region more than 50 times and has always promoted its language, culture, literature, costumes and food. He said that by witnessing the local Bihu dance during Bihu festival in Assam recently, which created a world record, Prime Minister Modi made it world famous. Congratulating the people of both the states on behalf of the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Shri Shah said that today’s agreement will prove to be auspicious for both the states and the northeast and will open new avenues of development.

Shri Amit Shah appreciated the efforts of Chief Minister of Assam, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu in resolving this long pending border dispute. He said that both the states formed a regional committee to settle the dispute, talked to the common people and worked to include everyone in this effort.

Today’s agreement between the two states will end the dispute relating to 123 villages along the border has been done keeping in view the historical perspective, demographic profile, administrative convenience, proximity to the border and the aspirations of the residents. Under the agreement, both the state governments have agreed that this agreement will be final with regards to these 123 disputed villages and neither of the States will make any new claim related to any area or village in future. After the agreement, a detailed survey will be carried out by the Survey of India in the presence of representatives of both the state governments to determine the boundaries of both the states.

The Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has always been acting as a facilitator for amicable settlement of inter-state border disputes with the active cooperation of the concerned State Governments. With the efforts of the Modi government, today’s important agreement between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is a successful example of cooperative federalism and will provide a roadmap for resolving border disputes between other states