The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated ISRO for achieving another technological milestone in space.

Chandrayaan-3’s Propulsion Module took a successful detour. In another unique experiment, the Propulsion Module is brought from Lunar orbit to Earth’s orbit.

Responding to the X post of ISRO about this achievement, the Prime Minister posted on X;

“Congratulations @isro. Another technology milestone achieved in our future space endeavours including our goal to send an Indian to Moon by 2040.”

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah replied to the discussion on Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha today. After discussion, the Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

In the Lok Sabha, Shri Amit Shah said that a total of 29 speakers expressed their views but all agreed with the objectives of the bill. He said that these bills will add another pearl to the chain of hundreds of progressive changes brought under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Shri Shah said that these bills are going to provide rights and justice to those whom were treated unjustly, insulted and ignored for 70 years. Those who consider it as a means to garner votes in politics by just using them as a vote bank and giving good speeches cannot understand its name. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is such a leader who himself has become the Prime Minister of the country after being born in a poor family and he knows the pain of the backward and the poor. He said that when it comes to promoting such people, respect matters more than help.

Union Home Minister said that the era of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir started after the 1980s and the people who had lived there for generations were completely displaced from there but no one cared about them. He said that those who had the responsibility to stop all this used to holiday in England. If they had ended terrorism in the beginning without vote bank politics and by taking precise measures then there would have been no need to bring this bill today. Shri Shah added that the displaced people had to live as refugees in other parts of their own country and as per the current figures, 1,57,967 people from about 46,631 families were displaced in their own country. He said that this bill is a bill to give them rights and representation.

Shri Amit Shah said that in 1947, 31,779 families were displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to Jammu and Kashmir and out of these, 26,319 families started living in Jammu and Kashmir and 5,460 families started living in other parts of the country. He said that after the wars of 1965 and 1971, 10,065 families were displaced and overall, 41,844 families were displaced. He said that on August 5-6, 2019, Prime Minister Modi listened to the voices of these displaced people which were not paid attention in earlier decades and gave them their rights. Shri Shah said that judicial delimitation was part of the bill passed on August 5 and 6, 2019. He said that Delimitation Commission, Delimitation and Demarcated Assembly are the core of democracy and process of deciding the unit for electing people’s representatives. If the process of delimitation itself is not sacred, then democracy can never remain sacred, that is why a provision has been made in this bill that judicial delimitation will be done again. He said that all groups of displaced people asked the Delimitation Commission to take cognizance of their representation and it is a matter of joy that the Commission has made a provision that 2 seats will be reserved for displaced Kashmiri people and 1 seat to be reserved for the people displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He said that the Modi government has given legal framework to this system.

Union Home Minister said that for the first time in the history of Jammu & Kashmir, 9 seats have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes and seats have also been reserved for Scheduled Castes. Earlier there were 37 seats in Jammu which have now become 43, there were 46 seats in Kashmir earlier which have now become 47 and 24 seats have been kept reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Shri Shah said that earlier there were 107 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, now there are 114 seats, earlier there were 2 nominated members in the Assembly, now there will be 5. He said that all this happened because on August 5-6, 2019, a historic bill was approved by the Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and after its passage by the parilament Article 370 was abolished. He said that through these bills, in history the every oppressed, backward and displaced Kashmiri will remember efforts and blessings of the Lok Sabha that the Narendra Modi government has reserved 2 seats to provide justice to the brothers and sisters of their own country who were displaced since last 70 years. He said that in place of derogatory words like weak for the deprived people, the constitutional word of backward class kept for them.

In response to the question raised by some opposition members about the legitimacy of giving reservation to the displaced people, Shri Amit Shah said that this is a bill to give rights and representation to the displaced people of Kashmir. By giving reservation to displaced Kashmiri, they will have voice in the Kashmir Assembly and if a situation of displacement arises again, they themselves will stop it.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that when terrorism started in the valley and people were targeted and driven away from there, from that time till now we have seen people shedding crocodile tears, but it is Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi who wiped off their tears with full empathy. He said that we cannot imagine the pain of those people who abandoned their properties in Kashmir to save their lives and went to cities like Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Jammu or Delhi and lived in camps. When those people migrated from Kashmir, their property was confiscated and they were forced to sell their land at throwaway prices, in a way their property was snatched away and the administration remained silent and did not take any step.

Shri Amit Shah said that the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi made a new law to provide justice in this matter and by implementing it with retrospective effect, the people were given back their property. Shri Shah said that the government led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has done the work of giving domicile certificates to about 1.6 lakh people. He said that after Shri Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, a cash assistance amount of Rs 3250 per person and a maximum of Rs 13,000 per family is given. He said that the government is providing 9 kilos of rice, 2 kilos of flour and 1 kilo of sugar per person every month. Home Minister said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has done the work of giving a lump sum amount of Rs 5.5 lakh to the people coming from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. To those who claimed that no work has been done in the last few years, the Union Home Minister said that how will the people who are cut off from their roots know about this change. He added that the change in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be experienced by holidaying in England.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that a Backward Classes Commission was formed, which held several rounds of meetings with stakeholders with a participatory approach. The Commission met 198 delegations and 16,000 people in 750 days. The hearing was held in all the 20 districts and about 26,000 applications received by post were also taken into consideration. The suggestion of reforming the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act was a basic element among them. He said that this Act was existed earlier also, but it was for the weaker sections, whereas this time Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given them respect by giving them the constitutional name Other Backward Classes. Shri Shah said that it is a historical truth that the opposition party has opposed the backward classes the most and have worked to stop the backward classes. He questioned the opposition as to why the Backward Classes Commission was not given constitutional status for seventy years, whereas this is the mandate of the Constitution, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave it constitutional status.

Shri Amit Shah said that the opposition leaders who talk about backward class in public meetings should tell the public that who withheld the Kaka Kalelkar Commission report. After the Mandal Commission report came, it was not implemented until they were in power and even when it was implemented later, the leader of the opposition opposed it. Shri Shah said that the opposition never provided reservation to backward classes under the Central Admission Scheme. This work was done only in the government led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and now backward class children have been given the opportunity to study in Sainik Schools, NEET and Kendriya Vidyalayas. Shri Shah said that earleir the idea of giving reservation to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) people was never been thought of. For the first time, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi made a provision of 10 percent reservation for poor children of unreserved castes. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation also replied in detail to some legal and constitutional issues raised by the opposition.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that many members were concerned about terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and directly linked it to the abrogation of Article 370. Shri Shah said that he had earlier also said that at the root of terrorism is the feeling of separatism which has arisen due to Article 370 and with the removal of Article 370, there will be a huge reduction in separatism and due to this terrorism will also reduce. He said that between 1994 and 2004, a total of 40,164 incidents of terrorism took place, between 2004 to 2014 7,217 took place where as in the 9 years of Narendra Modi government, these incidents came down to only 2,197 with a 70 percent reduction. Shri Shah said that 65 per cent of these incidents occurred due to police action. He said that in the 9 years of Narendra Modi government, the number of deaths of civilians has decreased by 72 percent and the number of deaths of security forces by 59 percent. Shri Shah said that in 2010, there were 2,654 stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir while in 2023 there was not a single stone pelting incident. He said that in 2010 there were 132 organized strikes, while in 2023 there was not even a single strike. In 2010, 112 civilians died in stone pelting, whereas in 2023, not even one person died. In 2010, 6,235 security personnel were injured in stone pelting, not even a single one was injured in 2023. The Union Home Minister said that in this very House, opposition broke all decorum and said that abrogation of Article 370 would lead to bloodshed, but the Narendra Modi government has made such arrangements that no one had the courage to throw even a single pebble. He said that in 2010 there were 70 incidents of ceasefire violations but in 2023 there were only 2 such incidents. There were 489 incidents of infiltration in 2010, only 48 incidents took place in 2023.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Central Government has made tireless efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to ensure the security of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and improve their quality of life. Shri Shah said that the Ministry of Home Affairs reviews the security situation in Kashmir every month and every three months he himself go there and review the security situation. Home Minister said that the Modi government has made a Zero Terror Plan which is being implemented since last 3 years and by 2026 the Zero Terror Plan will be completely implemented. He said that along with this, a complete area domination plan has been made which will be completed by 2026. Earlier only terrorists were killed, but now we have destroyed its entire ecosystem. Along with this, NIA has registered 32 cases under terror finance and these cases were registered because money was coming from Pakistan and Narendra Modi government will not let this happen. A total of 83 cases of terror funding have been registered, including 32 cases by NIA and 51 cases by SIA. Around 229 arrests have been made and the process is underway in the court to seize and auction 57 properties worth Rs 150 crore. 134 bank accounts were sealed in which Rs 122 crore were seized and another Rs 5.5 crore in cash was seized. He said that after the abolition of Article 370, cinema halls opened for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021 after 30 years. Shri Shah said that a multiplex was built in Srinagar, 4 new theaters opened in Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla and Handwara and shooting of more than 100 films started. Bank loan proposals for about 100 cinema halls are under consideration by the banks. Shri Shah said that Article 370 was responsible for the death of 45,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir, which was abrogated by Prime Minister Modi. He said that in this country there should be only one symbol, only one constitution and only one head and for this purpose Shri Shyama Prasad Mukherjee ji had given his life and this was the wish of the country.

Union Home Minister said that Article 370 was a temporary provision which should have been abolished long ago, but no one dared. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi showed courage and abolished Article 370. Shri Shah said that in accordance with the spirit of Constitution that Article 370 is temporary, Prime Minister Modi abolished it on August 5. He said that for the first time Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, English and Urdu were made the official languages of the state. He said that the Right to Education Act, Land Acquisition and Compensation Act, Forest Rights Act, SC-ST Prevention Atrocities Act, Whistle Blower Protection Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Minority Commission Act, 1992 were put on hold and but now they are being implemented. And now the duration of the assembly is also 5 years. He said that under the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, there was not a single house in the valley where the Tricolour was not hoisted, this change has taken place there. He said that today every festival is celebrated with joy and happiness at Lal Chowk and people from every community participate in it. The spirit of the Constitution has now been taken to the grassroots level there.

Shri Amit Shah said that before the abrogation of Article 370, GSDP was Rs 1 lakh crore, which has doubled in just 5 years to Rs 2,27,927 crore today. Earlier there were 94 degree colleges, today there are 147, Jammu and Kashmir became the first state to have IIT, IIM and 2 AIIMS. He said that in the last 70 years there were only 4 medical colleges, now 7 new medical colleges have been built. 15 new nursing colleges have been establised, earlier the medical seats were 500, now after the abolition of Article 370, 800 more seats have been added. PG seats were 367, Modi government has done the work of adding 397 new seats. About 6 lakh people used to get mid-day meal, now 9,13,000 people get mid-day meal. The average of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana was 158 kilometers, now it has become 8,068 kilometers per year. 24,000 houses were given in 70 years, in the last 5 years the Modi government has given houses to 1,45,000 people. In 70 years, the earlier governments provided drinking water to 7,82,000 people, now the Modi government has provided drinking water to 13 lakh families. The Union Home Minister said that the Modi government did the work of bringing down the infant mortality rate from 22 to 14.30, earlier there were 47 Jan Aushadhi centres, now people are getting cheap medicines at 227 Jan Aushadhi centres. Youth participation in sports has increased from 2 lakh to 60 lakh. Pension beneficiaries have increased from 6 lakh to 10 lakh. Shri Shah said that all these changes have been made only by the Narendra Modi government after the removal of Article 370. He added that after the removal of Article 370, terrorism has reduced in Kashmir due to which a good atmosphere has been created there and huge development has taken place there.

Shri Amit Shah said that Jammu and Kashmir had to suffer for years due to two big mistakes made by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during his tenure as Prime Minister. He said that Pandit Nehru’s first mistake was that when our army was winning, ceasefire was done as soon as it reached Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was born. He said that if the ceasefire had been delayed by 3 days, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would have been a part of India today. He said that the second big mistake was when they took our issue to the United Nations. Union Home Minister said that even when the matter was sent to the UN, the decision was taken very hastily. He said that this matter should not have been taken to the UN at all and even if it was taken, the matter should have been taken under Article 51 of the UN Charter instead of Article 35. The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that despite advice given by several people on record, the matter was taken to the UN under Article 35. He said that former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru had written that it was his mistake, but it was not just a mistake but a blunder. The country lost big chunk of land; it was a blunder.

Home Minister said that in 2014 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi started 63 projects at a cost of Rs 80,000 crore for the development of Jammu and Kashmir including projects related to electricity, infrastructure, irrigation, education and medical facilities. Of these, 9 projects costing about Rs 21,000 crore were in Ladakh. 32 projects of Jammu and Kashmir, worth Rs 58,477 crore have almost been completed and out of Rs 58,000, the expenditure of Rs 45,800 crore has been utilised. He said that investments have been made in hydro projects in the last 10 years like 642 MW Kiru Hydro Project worth Rs 4,987 crore with a target of 5000 MW, 540 MW Kwar Hydro Project at a cost of Rs 5000 crore, 850 MW Ratle Highway Project at a cost of Rs 5,200 crore, 1000 MW Sopak Dal Hydro Project at a cost of Rs 8,112 crore, 1856 MW Sawalkot Hydro Project at a cost of Rs 2300 crore and Shahpur Khandi Dam Irrigation and Power Project at a cost Rs 2793 crore. For the first time, a project has been started there to obtain 1600 MW solar energy, 38 group stations have been constructed, 467 kilometers of new transmission lines have been laid, 266 Up stations have been built and work of securing the 11000 circuit kilometers of ST and IT lines have been done by the government led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Union Home and Minister of Cooperation said that as far as irrigation is concerned, the Ravi Canal Project worth Rs 62 crore has been completed. The work of Tassar Chalan Teen Tal Irrigation Project at a cost of Rs 45 crore has been completed. The Phase-III of worth Rs 399 crore for flood management of Jhelum and tributaries has been completed. The Phase-II of worth Rs 1632 crore is going on and after the completion of Phase-I, the capacity of transmision has increased from 31885 to 41000. He said that Shahpur Kandi Dam project has also been completed. The major canals of Jammu province had not been desilted for many decades. Within 59 days of imposition of President’s rule, the desilting work was completed after 70 years. The rail network has expanded. The Rs 8.45 crore Qazikund Banihal tunnel has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 3127 crore. About 8000 kilometers of new roads have been built in rural areas. Shri Shah said that 10 crafts of Jammu and Kashmir got GI tag, Gucchi mushroom of Doda got GI tag, Basmati rice of R S Pura was issued organic certificate and Rs 5013 crore scheme for comprehensive agricultural development was completed.

Home Minister said that across the country, the government bears the entire cost of treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for poor people specifically, but in Jammu and Kashmir, the government bears the treatment cost of all the people up to Rs 5 lakh. He said that the government has handled Jammu and Kashmir with full sensitivity. Before the present government came to power, the last available figure of tourists was around 14 lakhs, whereas in the year 2022-23, 2 crore tourists reached Jammu and Kashmir and, this year by June 2023 the figure of one crore has already been touched. He expressed confidence that the record of arrival of 2 crore tourists under the government led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be broken by this December. Shri Shah said that Jammu and Kashmir has become a destination whose environment and nature has a global and modern outlook. Home stay policy has been framed in the state, film policy has been framed, work has also been done to frame a policy for house boats, Jammu Ropeway Project has been completed with a cost of Rs 75 crore and industrial policy has also been framed.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Bill we have tabled is a Bill to give rights to those people who were deprived for years, who were deprived of rights, who lost their country, state,  house, land and their property in their own country and became destitute. He said that this is a Bill to honour the backward classes of people with the constitutional term Other Backward Classes. The Union Home Minister requested the House to cooperate for passing the Bill as the purpose of this Bill is very sacred.

“Under the able and visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the Indian Fertiliser Sector has achieved the twin objectives of supporting our 14 crore farming families by providing timely fertilisers, driving agronomic services, and emerging as a strong force in fertilisers sector by playing a significant role in shaping up the global market.” This was stated by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilisers and Health and Family Welfare during his inaugural address to the 59th Fertiliser Association of India Annual Seminar 2023, here today. The theme of the seminar was “Innovations in Fertiliser and Agriculture Sectors”.

Highlighting the efforts taken by the Union Government in the fertilisers sector, Dr Mandaviya said “the Government has been stepping up its support to the small and marginal farmers, prioritizing their welfare and thereby, meeting the food security goals of the nation. During the past 2-3 years, the Government of India has absorbed the impact of high global commodity prices and ensured the availability of fertilisers at stable MRP. This has resulted in stable fertiliser consumption and a record agricultural output during these years, as compared to degrowth in consumption globally. He also stated that several proactive measures intending to strengthen domestic production and plugging leakages and diversions have been taken by the government, the combined efforts of which have led to record productivity.

On the efforts taken by the government towards self sufficiency, the Union Minister said “more than 3 million tons of Urea capacity have been revived, with additional capacity expected to come on-stream in next couple of years.” He said that the government been working towards raw material security in the Phosphatic and Potassic sectors and are encouraging Indian companies to partner in overseas ventures, long term strategic partnerships and mining. He also underscored the need to focus on promotion of integrated crop management, improving soil health through balanced nutrition, developing technologically superior products and penetrating technology from labs to farmers field to promote sustainable farming practices.

Dr Mandaviya informed that under the PM PRANAM initiative, a mass movement has started to save the health of Mother Earth by promoting sustainable and balanced use of fertilizers, adopting alternate fertilisers, promoting organic farming and implementing resource conservation technologies.

The Union Minister also highlighted the recent technological interventions made by India in the agriculture sector. He said that India is the first nation to introduce Nano fertilisers such as Nano DAP and Nano Urea through the Indian Research ecosystem. “This is one of the one-of-a-kind technology in the world and can revolutionise the nutrient application practices on earth”, he stated. He also emphasised that the “NAMO Drone Didi” scheme which was recently launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, will make drone spraying services accessible to farmers at affordable prices.

Dr Mandaviya encouraged Indian industries to scale up and develop smart nutrients like slow release, coated and liquid fertilisers which can improve nutrient use efficiency. He informed that the government have been engaging closely with the drone manufacturers, service providers and agri companies to develop cost effective solutions and improve technology penetration. He also highlighted that the Union Government has set up close to 2 lakh Model Retail outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendras which are acting as one-stop shops for all agricultural activities.

Dr Mandaviya concluded his speech by urging the fertiliser fraternity to move towards greener ways of fertiliser manufacturing and engage reasonably to achieve the goal of alleviating global food crisis. He assured the Union Government’s support to further strengthen communication and coordination between farmers, Government and Industry.

During the function, various awards were distributed by the Union Minister to companies, scientists and other individuals to recognize excellence in production, environment performance, safety, marketing and promotion of micronutrients, bio-fertilisers, etc. and for their contribution in research and development towards improving agricultural productivity. Three publications issued by the Fertiliser Association of India were also launched on the occasion, namely, The Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Order 1985; Fertiliser Statistics 2022-23; and Specialty Fertiliser and Micronutrient Statistics 2022-23.

The Union Minister also inaugurated an exhibition where a total of 56 exhibitors from India and abroad showcased their products and services provided to fertiliser and agriculture sectors.

Shri Rajat Kumar Mishra, Secretary (Fertilisers) and other senior government officials were present at the event. Shri N Suresh Krishanan, Chairman, FAI; Shri S C Mehta, Co-Chaiman, FAI and Shri Arvind Chaudhary, Director General, FAI were also present.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid floral tributes to Babasaheb Dr. B.R Ambedkar on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas at Parliament House today.

Earlier, in a X post, the Prime Minister said;

“पूज्य बाबासाहेब भारतीय संविधान के शिल्पकार होने के साथ-साथ सामाजिक समरसता के अमर पुरोधा थे, जिन्होंने शोषितों और वंचितों के कल्याण के लिए अपना जीवन समर्पित कर दिया। आज उनके महापरिनिर्वाण दिवस पर उन्हें मेरा सादर नमन।”

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today released a flagship document on ‘National Circular Economy Roadmap for reduction of Plastic waste in India’, a collaborative exercise between leading research institutions from India and Australia.

The document aims to foster research and industry partnerships between the two countries and co-develop a roadmap for India’s transition to a circular economy in the Plastics sector.

India and Australia are active participants in the negotiations for formulation of a Global Plastics Treaty to be finalized next year.  Both countries aim to leverage their respective strengths in waste management, recycling policies, and environmental initiatives to foster a circular economy that prioritizes resource efficiency and environmental protection.

The present research commenced in July 2020 as part of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced by the Indian and Australian Prime Ministers in June 2020.

Speaking at the launch of the document during a function in New Delhi, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy, said India has taken the lead in its quest for a circular economy towards achieving the Net Zero target by 2070, as committed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India’s Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is developing various technologies towards reducing India’s Carbon footprint and recycling.

“Swachhata campaign, inspired by PM Modi, has generated awareness about ‘waste to wealth’ concept. There is now also better mass understanding about the application of innovation and technology for Recycling and Reuse of Waste materials for productive means,” he said, pointing out that the Government has earned a total revenue of Rs.11,000 crore just by disposing of electronic scrap in the last three years.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Department of Science and Technology, Technology Development Board and CSIR recently launched the ‘Recycling on Wheels’ bus, which can generate Waste to Wealth at different spots due to its mobility.

“Dehra Dun based Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) has jointly developed a Repurposed Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) van that collects used cooking oil and convert it into biofuel,” he said.

The S&T Minister said, CSIR- Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi has pioneered the development of a revolutionary Steel slag road technology which facilitates the large-scale utilization of waste steel slag of steel plants in road construction.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India has emerged as a pioneer in addressing issues of Climate Change, as envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 New Delhi Summit. At India’s initiative, the Global Biofuels Alliance was set up on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, he said.

“PM Modi has unveiled the idea of making ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ (LiFE) a global Mission through bolder steps by the global clean energy fraternity,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Australian High Commissioner to India, Mr Philip Green said, the collaboration with India on Circular Economy is “important for Australia”. “Reducing Plastic Waste to Zero and achieving a circular economy is a difficult proposition, but possible,” he said.

In her address, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, Dr (Mrs) N Kalaiselvi said that the world has moved from saying “No to Plastics” to “Biodegradable Plastics”. “We have to find the best to live with plastics,” she said.

The Government of India has been actively formulating policies and promoting projects to drive the country towards a circular economy. It has already notified various rules, such as the Plastic Waste Management Rules, e-Waste Management Rules, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, Metals Recycling Policy, etc., in this regard.

India remains committed to address the plastic waste challenges and consequential human health and ecological impact concerns. Reducing Plastic Waste in India will help drive the transformation of the plastic waste economy in India into a circular economy. The introduction of the Plastic Waste Management Rules in 2016 for India has led to a raft of measures directed at municipal, industry, residential and commercial actors.

Your Excellency राष्ट्रपति विलियम रुटो,
दोनों देशों के delegates,
मीडिया के साथियों,
नमस्कार!

राष्ट्रपति रुटो और उनके डेलिगेशन का भारत में स्वागत करते हुए मुझे बहुत प्रसन्नता हो रही है।

मुझे ख़ुशी है कि अफ्रीकन यूनियन के G20 में शामिल होने के कुछ समय बाद ही उनकी यात्रा हो रही है।

भारत की विदेश नीति में अफ्रीका को हमेशा उच्च प्राथमिकता का स्थान दिया गया है।

पिछले लगभग एक दशक में हमने मिशन मोड में अफ्रीका के साथ अपना सहयोग बढ़ाया है।

मुझे विश्वास है कि राष्ट्रपति रुटो की यात्रा से हमारे द्विपक्षीय संबंधों के साथ-साथ पूरे अफ्रीका महाद्वीप के साथ हमारे engagement को नया बल मिलेगा।

Friends,

इस वर्ष हम भारत और कीनिया के diplomatic relations की साठवीं वर्षगाँठ मना रहे हैं, किन्तु हमारे संबंधों का हज़ारों वर्ष पुराना इतिहास है।

मुंबई और मोम्बासा को आपस में जोड़ता हुआ विशाल हिंद महासागर हमारे प्राचीन संबंधों का साक्षी रहा है।

इस मज़बूत नींव पर हम सदियों से साथ मिलकर आगे बढ़ते रहे हैं। पिछली सदी में हमने मिलकर उपनिवेशवाद का विरोध किया।

भारत और कीनिया ऐसे देश हैं जिनका अतीत भी साझा है, और भविष्य भी।

Friends,

एक प्रगतिशील भविष्य की नींव रखते हुए आज हमने सभी क्षेत्रों में अपना सहयोग सुदृढ़ करने पर विचार किया। और कई नए initiatives की पहचान भी की।

भारत और कीनिया के बीच आपसी व्यापार और निवेश में लगातार प्रगति हो रही है।

हमारे आर्थिक सहयोग के पूरे पोटेंशियल को realise करने के लिए हम नए अवसरों की तलाश जारी रखेंगे।

भारत कीनिया के लिए एक विश्वसनीय और प्रतिबद्ध development partner रहा है।

ITEC तथा ICCR scholarships के माध्यम से भारत ने कीनिया के लोगों की skill development और capacity building में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दिया है।

दो कृषि प्रधान अर्थव्यवस्थाओं के रूप में हमने अपने अनुभव साझा करने पर सहमति जताई।

कीनिया के कृषि क्षेत्र का आधुनिकिकरण करने के लिए हमने ढाई सौ मिलियन डॉलर की Line of Credit प्रदान करने का भी निर्णय लिया है।

आधुनिक समय की ज़रूरतों के अनुसार हम टेक्नोलॉजी और इनोवेशन में अपना सहयोग बढ़ा रहे हैं।

Digital Public Infrastructure में भारत की उपलब्धियों को कीनिया के साथ साझा करने के लिए हम पूरी तरह से तैयार हैं।

इस महत्वपूर्ण विषय पर आज किए जा रहे समझौते से हमारे प्रयासों को बल मिलेगा।

Clean Energy दोनों ही देशों की मुख्य प्राथमिकता है।

कीनिया द्वारा लिया गया Africa Climate Summit का initiative एक बहुत ही सराहनीय कदम है।

यह राष्ट्रपति रुटो की सभी वैश्विक चुनौतियों का एकजुट होकर सामना करने की प्रतिबद्धता को भी दर्शाता है।

मुझे ख़ुशी है कि कीनिया ने Global Biofuels Alliance और International Solar Alliance से जुड़ने का निर्णय लिया है।

साथ ही कीनिया द्वारा लिए गए International Big Cat Alliance से जुड़ने के निर्णय से हम big cats के संरक्षण के लिए वैश्विक प्रयासों को सशक्त कर सकेंगे।

रक्षा के क्षेत्र में हमारा बढ़ता सहयोग हमारे गहरे आपसी विश्वास और समान हितों का प्रतीक है।

आज की चर्चा में हमने military exercises, capacity building के साथ साथ दोनों देशों के रक्षा उद्योगों को भी आपस में जोड़ने पर बल दिया।

हमने space technology को जन कल्याण के लिए इस्तेमाल करने पर भी विचार विमर्श किया।

इस महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्र में हम भारत के सफल अनुभव को कीनिया के साथ साझा करने पर सहमत हुए।

इसी प्रतिबद्धता और मित्रता भाव से हम सभी क्षेत्रों में अपना सहयोग बढ़ाने के लिए अपने प्रयत्न जारी रखेंगे।

Friends,

आज की बैठक में हमने कई वैश्विक एवं क्षेत्रीय मुद्दों पर चर्चा की।

हिन्द महासागर से जुड़े हुए देशों के रूप में maritime security, piracy और drug trafficking हमारी साझा प्राथमिकता के विषय हैं।

इस महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्र में आपसी सहयोग को मज़बूत करने के लिए हम Maritime Cooperation पर Joint Vision Statement जारी कर रहे हैं ।

कीनिया और भारत का करीबी सहयोग इंडो-पेसिफिक में हमारे सभी प्रयासों को बल देगा।

भारत और कीनिया एकमत हैं कि आतंकवाद मानवता के लिए सबसे गंभीर चुनौती है।

इस संबंध में हमने counter-terrorism के क्षेत्र में आपसी सहयोग को बढ़ाने का निर्णय लिया है।

Friends,

कीनिया को अपना दूसरा घर मानने वाले लगभग अस्सी हज़ार भारतीय मूल के लोग हमारे संबंधों की सबसे बड़ी ताक़त हैं।

उनकी देखरेख के लिए कीनिया से मिल रहे सहयोग के लिए मैं राष्ट्रपति रुटो का व्यक्तिगत रूप से आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ।

आज किए जा रहे cultural exchange agreement से हमारी आपसी नज़दीकियाँ और बढ़ेंगी।

कीनिया के long distance और मैराथन runners विश्व विख्यात हैं। उसी तरह क्रिकेट भी दोनों देशों में लोकप्रिय है।

दोनों देशों में खेलों के क्षेत्र में आपसी सहयोग को मजबूत करने के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण समझौते पर सहमति बनी है।

बॉलीवुड के साथ साथ योग और आयुर्वेद की popularity भी कीनिया में बढ़ रही है।

हम दोनों देशों के बीच people-to-people ties और गहरे करने के प्रयास जारी रखेंगे।

Excellency,

एक बार फिर आपका और आपके डेलिगेशन का भारत में बहुत बहुत स्वागत है।

बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद।

“India is a global front runner in the field of generic medicines on a scale, commanding a 20% share in global supply by volume.” This was stated by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during his address to the India – Kenya Trade and Investment Forum in the presence of Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, here today. Dr Ruto is currently on a state visit to India.

Highlighting the deep and strong historical, cultural and trade ties between India and Kenya, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated that “our entrepreneurs find it easier to do business with each other. This historically established trust has also encouraged many Indians to settle in Kenya.”

The Union Health Minister emphasised on healthcare and pharmaceuticals as two important sectors where India has made the most advances and the people of Kenya can benefit from it. He stated that “India also stayed true to its reputation of being the ‘pharmacy of the world’ by supplying almost 100 countries with vaccines and 150 countries – including from the developed world – with increased supply of relevant medicines.”

Pitching Indian industries as natural partners for Kenya, Dr Mandaviya said “India is the birthplace of some of the most ancient and well-known branches of traditional medicine, holistic healing and wellness practice that could have strong business implications.” He informed that “for the people of Kenya, India is the biggest destination for medical treatment. Over the years, India has grown to become a premier destination for medical value travel since it scores high over a range of factors that determine the overall quality of care.” “The Government of India has launched a portal to promote Medical Value Travel. This platform will facilitate treatment in India for foreign nationals across the globe. India’s cost-effective and quality pharmaceuticals and healthcare systems have made healthcare more accessible to people in Kenya and worldwide. We are happy to facilitate this further”, he stated.

The Union Health Minister also touched upon other initiatives taken by India including on digital economy and renewable energy. He urged Indian and Kenyan enterprises to cooperate in these sectors for the mutual benefit of both the countries. He also welcomed Kenya’s decision to join the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance and congratulated them on the  successful advocacy for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr William Ruto stated that “Kenya established relations with India  in 1911, even before India attained independence”. He stated that Kenyans and Indians are “one people” situated in two different geographical regions.

Encouraging investors and businesses to encash on the opportunities available in the state, Dr Ruto stated that “the govt has created a conducive ecosystem for businesses to grow and has brought in long-term policies to encourage investors. India has also opened its EXIM bank in Nairobi which will serve 15 countries in the region”. He urged Indian businesses to establish manufacturing facilities in Kenya as it will give them access to the whole African market as well as the American market, thanks to Kenya’s free trade agreements with these regions.

Dr Musalia Mudavadi highlighted that Kenya offers a safe and reliable investment destination for Indian businesses. He mentioned about cooperation between India and Kenya in sectors like Railways and encouraged Indian industries to expand their presence further.

Ms Rebecca Maino encouraged Indian businesses to invest in Kenya as it is the gateway to Africa and part of important trading partnerships in the region. She highlighted other important attributes of Kenya such as a stable economy, young and productive workforce, vibrant democracy and its position as a leading logistics and innovation hub in the region as important considerations for India to choose Kenya as its trade and investment partner in Africa.

Background:

India is the 3rd largest trading partner of Kenya, after China and the UAE. India – Kenya bilateral trade is worth 3.39 billion USD with Indian exports worth 3.274 billion and imports worth 116.6 million.

According to the Kenya Investment Authority, India is one of the top investors in Kenya. Over 200 Indian companies are present in various sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, telecom, IT & ITES, banking and agro-based industries.

Indian companies with presence in Kenya include PSUs like Bank of Baroda, Bank of India and KenIndia Assurance, and private companies like Bharti Airtel, Air India, Indigo Airlines, Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Mahindra & Mahindra, Thermax, Godrej, representative offices of Indian hospital chains, IT companies like Mahindra Tech and Zoho, Agri-company UPL, and over 200 Indian pharma companies registered in Kenya for mostly trade.

India and Kenya cooperate closely in regional and multi-lateral fora. Kenya is important member of the AU Committee of 10 Heads of State responsible for preparation of common African position on UNSC reforms. Kenya has extended (reciprocal) support for India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for term 2028-29. India and Kenya are also founding members of IORA.

India is the fifth largest source of inbound tourists for Kenya. According to Kenya Tourism Board, out of total 1,483,752 tourists in 2022, 83,106 tourists were Indians.

Many Kenyans travel to India for medical treatment of critical ailments every year. It is understood that 90% of international medical travel from Kenya is to India, followed by Thailand and Turkey. In 2022, the Indian Mission issued 4000 medical visas to Kenyans. Mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccines has also been agreed to by both sides. Under Vaccine Maitri, Kenya was given 1.12 million doses of Covishield in March 2021 (1.02 million under COVAX alliance and 100,000 as gift). A MoU for establishing a tertiary care hospital in Eldoret, Kenya was signed between Apollo Hospital and Baler Healthcare, Kenya.

Senior Indian and Kenyan government officials and industry representatives were present at the event including Dr Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Government of Kenya; Ms. Rebecca Maino, Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Government of Kenya; Mr Subhrakant Panda, President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Managing Director, India Metals & Ferro Alloys Limited (IMFA); Dr Eric Rutto, President, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mr Sanjay Nayar, Senior Vice President, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Founder and Chairman, Sorin Investment Fund; Ms. Carole Kariuki, CEO, Kenya Private Sector Alliance and Mr. Akhil Gupta, Vice-Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that “Atal Tinkering Labs”, introduced at the initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, have proved to be game-changer for school children.

While inaugurating the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) Schools Annual Science Fair at NDCC Convention Center, Dr Jitendra Singh said, “Atal Tinkering Labs, Atal Incubation Centres and Atal Community Innovation Centres are inculcating an innovative mindset in school children, besides supporting StartUps and innovators”.

Referring to Mentorship programmes of the Department of Science & Technology and Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), Dr Jitendra Singh said, all these are guided with the Mantra of “Catch them Young”.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), which recently completed its 7th year, is complementary to the government’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”.

Young minds will steer India’s future growth with Science & Technology and Innovation, the Minister said. India’s scientific prowess is going to have a major role in the making of Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, our greatest asset is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who not only has a natural predilection for science, but is also forthcoming in supporting and promoting S&T based initiatives and projects.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, Science & Technology and Innovation go hand in hand and a country with a good scientific temper and R&D structure will excel in innovation and entrepreneurship. The Minister recalled that in 2019, PM Modi at 106th Science Congress, emphasised the importance of Research by adding “Jai Anusandhan” to the famous slogan “Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan, Jai Vigyan”.

The S&T Minister pointed out that in the past few years, India has covered a long distance in the innovation landscape and today India has more than 1,25,000 Startups and 100+ Unicorns.

“This has been possible with the government’s various initiatives like Atal Innovation Mission and INSPIRE-MANAK Awards,” he said.

With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million Children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, AIM is establishing ATLs in schools across India. The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.

ATL is a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands-on do-it-yourself mode; and learn innovation skills. Young children get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). ATL contains educational and learning ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) kits and equipment on science, electronics, robotics, open-source microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers and computers.

There are 10,000 ATLs spread across the country, with 75 lakh students actively engaged. Under the AIM, 59 Atal Incubation Centres have created over 32,000 jobs and supported more than 2,900 Startups.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the DST is also encouraging more and more students to participate in the INSPIRE– MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) Awards scheme.

“It is heartening to note that there were 7 lakh entries from across the country for the INSPIRE Awards and more than half of them were girl innovators. Besides, 83% of the entries were from the rural areas and this is a vindication of Prime Minister’s vision to take Science, Technology and Innovation to the rural hinterland and at the doorsteps of Aspirational Districts and Blocks,” he said.

Dr. Jitendra Singh narrated how the Jigyasa programme is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a new India and Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) of Scientific Community and Institutions.

Jigyasa is a Student-Scientist Connect Programme implemented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

Dr Jitendra Singh said, these young innovators will play a crucial role in the Amrit Kaal to contribute to make India a global tech hub by 2047 when India will celebrate Hundred years of Independence.

“This 3rd Generation of post-Independence Bharat is the most fortunate as they are no longer ‘Prisoners of their Aspirations,” said Dr Jitendra Singh, adding, “These are one of the best times with India in the forefront, witnessing innovation under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi”.

The Minister expressed the hope that in the coming years, Innovation in India will play a vital role in achieving the goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy.

Dr Jitendra Singh also took a round of the stalls in the exhibition put up on the occasion and witnessed different kinds of science models prepared by the students. NDMC Chairman Shri Amit Yadav was also present on the occasion.

The NDMC Annual Science Fair is being held after a hiatus of three years due to the pandemic. The theme of the fair is “Technology and Toys”. Apart from NDMC Schools, some public schools in NDMC area, National Science Center, Science Magazine-Science Reporter and Avishkar are participating in the two-day Science Fair. Science Games, quiz, debate, health mela, science toys etc. are also attractions of Science Fair.

More than 60 exhibits are displayed in the Science Fair, showcasing the scientific temperament, aptitude and innovative minds of the future scientists.  Science/Mathematics inventive exhibits, displays from Palika Tinkering Lab / Atal Tinkering Lab, and interactive workshops for students on “Fun with Science,” “Science Behind Miracles,” and exploring the wonders of science with the National Science Centre are also in the science fair.

The overarching goal of the exhibition is to educate children on “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and contribute to the education of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Science Fair also highlights the Digital India Mission and the objectives outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.

Union Minister of State for External affairs and Culture Ms Meenakshi Lekhi today participated at a programme organised as part of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Shahpur Jat village of South Delhi. She administered pledge of Viksit Bharat and interacted with beneficiaries of various schemes on the occasion.  Addressing on the occasion, the minister said that the country was waiting for the past 70-75 years for a leader who can take the country towards development and it happened in 2014. She said that before 2014, there were no guarantee of anything but under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today there is a guarantee that there will be no theft. Under the Ayushman Health Scheme, Prime Minister has given a health guarantee of up to ₹ 5 lakh to the entire family and more than 55 crore people are covered under this scheme. Ms Lekhi said that Ayushman Bharat Yojana has not been implemented in Delhi because the Delhi government is not in favour of it. She said that it is our responsibility to make people aware about the schemes so that they can take advantage of those schemes. If we will be successful in doing so then our life will also be successful. She said that the Government of India is going door-to-door searching for diseases and setting up camps around the houses. The minister said the central government is trying to reach out to all those people who have not got the benefit of Modi ji’s guarantee.

She said that earlier there were 44 types of taxes but now only one GST is there, because of that the tax collection of the government is increasing and government is investing that in public welfare by fixing the broken roads, keeping people healthy. She said “We all have the same responsibility to resolve that India should become a developed country, India should progress, India should move forward and our children should have good health. We should have good doctors and engineers, there should be cleanliness everywhere, let us all contribute in making a developed India.” Ms Lekhi said that because of the efforts of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, our country got prestige at the international platform.

Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has been launched throughout the country to raise awareness through outreach activities to achieve saturation of various welfare programs launched by the Government of India. In Delhi, the campaign was launched on 28^th November by Lt. Governor V K Saxena with flagging off of urban IEC vans.

As part of the campaign 5 specially designed IEC (Information, Education, Communication) vans are travelling across 11 districts of Delhi covering more than 600 locations.  The urban campaign aims to spread awareness and achieve saturation about relevant Central Government welfare schemes like PM SVANidhi, Mudra Loans, Stand Up India and Start Up India, Digital Payments revolution, PM eBus Sewa, Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas (Urban) PM Ujjwala Yojana among others.

As part of the campaign on spot services like PM Svanidhi Camp, Health Camp, Ayushman Card camp, Aadhar updation camp, PM Ujjwala camp at various locations of Delhi is being organized by urban local bodies and district administration at different locations visited by the vans. The people of the National Capital specially women are participating enthusiastically in VBSY.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi attended the program marking ‘Navy Day 2023’ celebrations at Sindhudurg. He also witnessed the ‘Operational Demonstrations’ by Indian Navy’s ships, submarines, aircraft and special forces from Tarkarli beach, Sindhudurg. Shri Modi inspected the guard of honor.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that the historic day of 4th December along the magnificent fort of Sindhudurg on the coast of Malvan, Tarkarli, the splendor of Veer Shivaji Maharaj and the inauguration of his spectacular statue at Rajkot Fort along with the roars of the Indian Navy has filled every citizen of India with passion and enthusiasm. Shri Modi conveyed his best wishes on the occasion of Navy Day and bowed before the brave hearts who laid down their lives for the country.

Prime Minister Modi said that it is indeed a moment of unprecedented pride to celebrate Navy Day from the victorious land of Sindhudurg. “The Sindhudurg Fort instills a feeling of pride in every citizen of India”, the Prime Minister said as he underlined Shivaji Maharaj’s foresight in recognizing the importance of naval capabilities for any nation. Reiterating Shivaji Maharaj’s acclamation that those who have control over the seas hold the ultimate power, the Prime Minister said that he had drafted a powerful navy. He also bowed before warriors like Kanhoji Angre, Mayaji Naik Bhatkar and Hiroji Indulkar, and said that they remain an inspiration even today.

Inspired by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Prime Minister said, the India of today is moving forward abandoning the slavery mentality. He expressed happiness that the epaulettes donned by the Naval Officers will now highlight the heritage and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as the new epaulettes will be similar to the naval ensign. He also recalled unveiling the Naval Ensign last year. With the feeling of taking pride in one’s heritage, the Prime Minister announced that the Indian Navy is now going to name its ranks in line with Indian traditions. He also emphasized strengthening Nari Shakti in the armed forces. Shri Modi congratulated the Indian Navy on the appointment of India’s first woman commanding officer in a naval ship.

The Prime Minister said that the trust of 140 crore Indians is the biggest strength as India is setting big goals and working to achieve them with full determination. The Prime Minister said that a glimpse of positive outcomes of unity of resolutions, emotions and aspirations are visible as people of the diverse states are being driven by the spirit of ‘nation first’. “Today, the country has taken inspiration from history and is busy preparing a roadmap for a bright future. People have pledged to move forward in every field by defeating the politics of negativity. This pledge will take us towards a developed India”, he added.

Reflecting on India’s widespread history, the Prime Minister emphasized that it is not about slavery, defeats and disappointments alone, but also comprises the glorious chapters of India’s victories, courage, knowledge and science, art and creative skills, and India’s maritime capabilities. He highlighted India’s capabilities by giving the example of forts like Sindudurg which were erected when technology and resources were next to none. He mentioned the heritage of the Indus Valley Civilization port found in Lothal, Gujarat and the docking of more than 80 ships in the port of Surat. The Prime Minister credited India’s maritime strength for the expansion of trade to countries of South East Asia by the Chola Empire. Lamenting that it was the maritime power of India that first came under attack by foreign powers, the Prime Minister said that India which was famous for making boats and ships, lost control of the sea and thereby lost strategic-economic strength. As India is moving towards development, the Prime Minister emphasized regaining the lost glory and highlighted the government’s unprecedented impetus to the Blue Economy. He mentioned the port-led development under ‘Sagarmala’ and said that India is moving towards harnessing the full potential of its oceans under the ‘Maritime Vision’. He informed that the government has made new rules to promote merchant shipping, leading to the number of seafarers in India increasing by more than 140 percent in the last 9 years.

Emphasizing the importance of the present time, the Prime Minister said, “This is that period of India’s history, which is going to write the future not just of 5-10 years but for the coming centuries.” He informed that in the last 10 years, India became 5th largest economy from 10th place and rapidly moving towards 3rd spot. “The World is seeing the rise of a ‘Vishwa Mitra (friend of the world) in India”, Shri Modi said measures like India Middle East European Corridor will recreate the lost spice route. He also touched upon the strength of Made in India and illustrated that with the mention of Tejas, Kisan Drone, UPI system and Chandrayaan-3. Self-reliance in defence is also visible by the imminent start of production of transport aircraft, aircraft carrier  INS Vikrant.

Reiterating the government’s approach of treating the coastal and border villages as the first villages instead of the last, Shri Modi said “Today, it is the priority of the Central Government to improve the life of every family living on the coastal areas.” He mentioned the creation of the separate fisheries ministry in 2019 and 40 thousand crore rupees investment in the sector. He informed that after 2014 fishery production increased by 8 percent and exports increased by 110 percent. Furthermore, insurance cover for the farmers has been increased from 2 to 5 lakh and they are getting the benefit of the Kisan Credit Card.

Concerning the value chain development in the fisheries sector, the Prime Minister said that the Sagarmala Scheme is strengthening modern connectivity in the coastal areas. Lakhs of crore rupees are being spent on this and new business and industry will come to the coastal areas. Seafood processing-related industry and modernization of the fishing boats are also being undertaken.

“Konkan is a region of unprecedented possibilities”, the Prime Minister said. Highlighting the government’s commitment to the development of the region, the Prime Minister mentioned the inauguration of medical colleges in Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Alibaug, Parbhani and Dharashiv, operations of Chipi Airport, and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor connecting till Mangaon. The Prime Minister also mentioned special schemes being drafted for the cashew farmers here. He underlined the government’s priority is to safeguard the residential areas situated on the sea coast. In this effort, he mentioned the emphasis being laid on expanding the scope of mangroves. Prime Minister Modi informed that the many sites of Maharashtra including Malvan, Achara-Ratnagiri, and Devgarh-Vijaydurg have been selected for mangrove management.

“Heritage as well as development, this is our path to a developed India”, the Prime Minister underlined. He said that central and state governments are determined to preserve the forts and forts built during the period of Chhatrapati Veer Shivaji Maharaj where hundreds of crores of rupees are being spent on the conservation of these heritages in the entire Maharashtra including Konkan. The Prime Minister stated that it would also increase tourism in the area and create new employment and self-employment opportunities.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister talked about the new tradition of holding armed forces day such as Army Day, Navy Day etc outside Delhi as this expands the occasion to all over India and the new places get new attention.

Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Ramesh Bais, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde, the Union Minister of Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Narayan Rane, Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Shri Ajit Pawar, Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar among others were present on the occasion.

Background

Navy Day is celebrated on 4th December every year. ‘Navy Day 2023’ celebrations at Sindhudurg pay homage to the rich maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose seal inspired the new Naval Ensign which was adopted last year when the Prime Minister commissioned the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

Every year, on the occasion of Navy Day, there is a tradition of organizing ‘Operational Demonstrations’ by the Indian Navy’s ships, submarines, aircraft and special forces. These ‘Operational Demonstrations’ allow the people to witness various facets of multi-domain operations undertaken by the Indian Navy. It highlights the Navy’s contributions towards national security while also heralding maritime consciousness amongst citizens.

The operational demonstrations witnessed by the Prime Minister included Combat Free Fall, High Speed Runs, Slithering Ops on Gemini and Beach Assault, SAR Demo, VERTREP and SSM Launch Dill, Seaking Ops, Dunk Demo and Submarine Transit, Kamov Ops, Neutralising Enemy Post, Small Team Insertion – Extraction (STIE Ops), Fly Past, Naval Central Band Display, Continuity Drill, Hompipe Dance, Light Tattoo Drummers Call, and Ceremonial Sunset followed by National Anthem.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. Shri Modi also paid floral tributes to the statue and took a walkthrough of the photo gallery.

The Prime Minister posted on X:
“Earlier this evening, unveiled a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Rajkot fort. ”

“आज संध्याकाळी,  राजकोट किल्ल्यावरील छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांच्या भव्य पुतळ्याचे अनावरण करण्यात आले.”

Namaskar friends,

The cold, perhaps, is late and it is approaching very slowly, but political heat is rising rapidly. Just yesterday, the election results for four states were announced, and the results are very encouraging.

These results are encouraging for those who are committed to the well-being of the common man, and who are dedicated to the bright future of the country, especially for all sections of all societies, women from every village and city, youth from every village and city of all social groups, farmers from every community, and the poor people of my country. Those who follow the principles of empowering these four important castes and ensuring their bright future and last mile delivery of concrete plans received strong support. When there is good governance and consistent support for public welfare, the term ‘anti-incumbency’ becomes irrelevant. Some may call it pro-incumbency, good governance, transparency, national interest, or solid plans for public welfare, but this has been the experience that we have been witnessing consistently. And today we are meeting in this new temple of the Parliament after such an excellent public mandate.

When this new Parliament Building was inaugurated, it was a brief session, but it was a historic moment. However, this time there will be an opportunity to work in this House for a longer duration. It’s a new House, therefore, small details may still be lacking in arrangements. However, when it will function normally, then Members of Parliament, visitors and media personnel will also notice those shortcomings and it will be taken care of. I have confidence that the Hon’ble Vice President and the Hon’ble Speaker are fully vigilant towards these things. I would also suggest to you that if some small things come to your attention, do point it out. When these things (new Parliament Building) are made, there is also a need for changes according to the requirements.

The country has rejected negativity. We consistently have discussions with opposition colleagues at the beginning of each session. Our main team discusses with them and appeals for everyone’s cooperation. This time too, all these processes have been followed as well. Through you, I also publicly appeal to all our MPs that this temple of democracy is a crucial platform to strengthen the foundation of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ for the aspirations of the people.

I am urging all respected MPs to come prepared fully, discuss thoroughly on any bills presented in the House and provide the best suggestions. Because when a Member of Parliament gives a suggestion, it contains elements of practical experience. But if there is no discussion, the country misses out on those things, and that’s why I am urging (all the members for serious discussions) once again.

Based on the current election results, I would like to tell my Opposition colleagues that they have a golden opportunity. Instead of planning to vent frustration over defeat (in assembly elections) in this session, if they learn from this defeat, shun the idea of negativity that has been prevalent for the past nine years, and move forward with positivity in this session, the country’s perspective towards them will change. A new door may open for them… and even if they are in the opposition, I am giving them good advice to come forward with positive thoughts. If we take ten steps, then you should take twelve steps while making decisions.

Everyone’s future is bright; there’s no need for despair. But please, do not vent the frustration of defeat in the House. There might be disappointment. Your colleagues may have to do something to show their strength. But, at least, do not turn this temple of democracy into a platform for expressing frustration. And I say this again, based on my long experience, change your approach a bit, leave the confrontational attitude aside just for the sake of opposition, and contribute positively for the country’s benefit. Debate the shortcomings. You see, the hatred growing in the country today over certain issues might turn into love through such actions. So, there is an opportunity; don’t let it slip away.

I have been urging for your cooperation in the House. From a political perspective, I also want to say that it is in your interest to convey a message of positivity to the country. It’s not good for democracy if your image becomes associated with hatred and negativity. The Opposition is as crucial, valuable, and powerful in a democracy, and it should be equally capable. I make this statement once again for the well-being of democracy.

Now the country does not want to wait long for its goal of development. In every section of society, there is a sentiment that we just need to move forward. I urge all respected MPs to lead the House while respecting this sentiment. This is my request to them. Wishing all of you the very best!

Thank you very much.