Union Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Kiren Rijiju visited Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi today to commence the final day celebrations of Jan Aushadhi Diwas. Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution & Textiles, Shri Rajnessh Tingal, Joint Secretary of Pharmaceuticals and Shri Parth Gautham Sharma, CEO, PMBI were also present at the event. Jan Aushadhi Rath to commence celebrations of Jan Aushadhi Jan Chetna Abhiyaan in New Delhi was flagged off by Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Dr Mansukh Mandaviya. This event kick started the launch of 5^th Jan Aushadhi celebrations across the country.

The third day of Jan Aushadhi Diwas, 2023 was observed as ‘Jan Aushadhi – Ek Kadam Matri Shakti Ki Ore’ across the country. women beneficiaries attended at large number at 34 locations in all States/UTs at Jan Aushadhi Kendras where interaction was conducted in the presence of women public representatives, women doctors, NGO’s and information sharing about Health benefits of Jan Aushadhi medicines were done. Special discussions about menstrual health were also conducted. Kits containing women-centric products were distributed to more than 3500 women at designated locations.

The fourth day of Jan Aushadhi Diwas, 2023 was celebrated as ‘Bal Mitra Diwas’. Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) conducted weeklong celebrations across the nation on the occasion of 5^th Jan Aushadhi Diwas. The fourth day’s events of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) were dedicated to children.

‘Jan Aushadhi -Jan Arogya Melas’ (Health Camps) and Heritage Walks (Health Walk Virasat ke Saath) were organised all over the country on the fifth day of  Jan Aushadhi Diwas, 2023. The sixth day of Jan Aushadhi Diwas, 2023 was celebrated as “Aao Jan Aushadhi Mitra Banein” today. On this occasion, large number of people took pledge ‘Jan Aushadhi Shapath’ digitally on the MyGov platform to promote the use of generic medicines.

With an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India. Under this scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines. The Jan Aushadhi scheme was launched in November, 2008 with an objective of having at least one Jan Aushadhi Store in each district of the country.

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya today launched NaMo Free Dialysis Centre and 100^th Janaushadhi Kendra at Bengaluru South in the presence of Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Basavaraj Bommai on occasion of 5^th Jan Aushadhi Diwas. The Minister was also inaugurated NaMo Day Care Center and Flagged off 4 NaMo Mobile Healthcare Units.

While addressing the gathering, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said that the first priority of the government is to provide cheap and better quality medicines to all citizens. Keeping this in mind, Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been opened across the country. At these kendras, every citizen, whether poor or rich, can buy medicines at very cheap prices. The Minister further said that disease affects both rich and the poor equally, but the rich man can buy medicines at any cost but the poor man is unable to get treatment many times due to lack of medicine, but our government is providing low cost and better quality medicines to everyone through these centers.

Highlighting the slogan of Jan Aushadhi Diwas ‘Sasti bhi, Achhi bhi’, the Minister also said that the quality and affordable medicines are available on Jan Aushadhi Kendras. NGOs and many others joined the journey of Jan Aushadhi and today more than 9000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are in existence. Union Minister urged the youth to become ‘Jan Aushadhi Mitra’ to publicise the benefits of Jan Aushadhi Kendras for betterment of the people. Dr Mandaviya informed that opening a Jan Aushadhi Kendra is very easy and anyone who opens Jan Aushadhi Kendra gets 20% commission.

Union Minister also narrated last year’s incident when PM was interacting with the beneficiaries of Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna, a woman beneficiary shared her experience that she belongs to a poor family, she has two sons and her husband is earning15-20 thousand rupees monthly. She said that she has been suffering from two-three diseases and around Rs 5,000 used to get spent on her medicines only. When she came to know about Jan Aushadhi Kendras and started availing the benefits, she started getting the medicines at Rs 1100. She found that the quality and effect of this medicine from Jan Aushadhi Kendra was same and she could save around Rs.4000 in this way.

Department of Pharmaceuticals is celebrating the Jan Aushadhi Diwas on 7^th  March 2023. Events have been planned in different cities starting from 1^st of March, 2023 to 7^th  March, 2023 to create awareness about the Jan Aushadhi Scheme.  Seminars, participation of children, women and NGO’s, Heritage walks and Health camps and many other activities engaging PMBJKs owners, Beneficiaries, State/UT officials, Public Representatives, Doctors, Health Workers, Nurses, Pharmacists, Jan Aushadhi Mitra’s organised at different locations across the country covering all State/UTs. This campaign generated awareness about the usages of generic medicines and benefits of Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana and its salient features and achievements.

With an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India in November, 2008. As on 31st January, 2023, the numbers of stores have increased to 9082. Under the PMBJP,743 districts out of 764 districts of the country have been covered.

This scheme ensures easy reach of affordable medicine to the people in every nook and corner of the country. The Government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to 10,000 by the end of December,2023. Product basket of PMBJP comprises 1,759 drugs and 280 surgical instruments. Further, new medicines and nutraceuticals products like protein powder, malt-based food supplements, protein bar, immunity bar, sanitizer, masks, glucometer, oximeter, etc. have been also launched.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Rozgar Mela of the Gujarat Government via a video message, today.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted that the festival of Holi is around the corner and the organization of Gujarat Rozgar Mela will double the festivities for those receiving their appointment letters. Noting that the Rozgar Mela is taking place for the second time in Gujarat, the Prime Minister highlighted the Government’s commitment to providing constant opportunities for the youth and harnessing their potential in the development of the country. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that all departments of the Central Government and NDA state governments are working continuously to provide the maximum number of jobs. Apart from the Central Government, the Prime Minister informed that employment fairs are being organized continuously in 14 NDA-ruled states and union territories. He expressed the belief that the youth assuming the new responsibility will contribute towards fulfilling the resolutions of Amrit Kaal with full dedication and devotion.

The Prime Minister informed that more than 1.5 lakh youths got state government jobs in the last 5 years apart from 18 lakh youths who got jobs in various fields over the past years through the Employment Exchange. He further added that the Gujarat government concluded the recruitment process within the stipulated time by creating a recruitment calendar. Noting that preparations are underway to give jobs to more than 25 thousand youths in the state government this year, the Prime Minister highlighted that the entire recruitment process has been made transparent with the help of technology where different digital platforms, mobile apps and web portals have been developed.

Highlighting the efforts of the current government in creating new opportunities for the youth, the Prime Minister underlined the concrete strategy for Direct and Indirect Employment Generation with a focus on boosting employment through infrastructure and development projects, boosting manufacturing, and creating the right environment in the country for self-employment. He also informed that the government is focused on providing guaranteed financial assistance and skill development for the youth according to the changing nature of jobs.

“When the wheels of development are in motion, employment opportunities are created in every sector”, the Prime Minister said. He underlined that millions of crores of rupees are being spent on development projects in infrastructure, information technology as well as other sectors in the country. He pointed out that projects worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore are currently underway only in Gujarat itself and a provision of Rs 10 lakh crore has been made for infrastructure in this year’s budget.

“Experts from all over the world believe that India will become the biggest manufacturing hub in the coming years”, the Prime Minister said. He underlined that it is the youth who will lead this revolution in India. He noted that the railway engine factory is being constructed in Dahod, Gujarat with an investment of 20 thousand crores and is also going to be a huge hub of semiconductors in the near future.

“The holistic approach of development by the government is generating employment on a large scale”, the Prime Minister said. He noted the important changes at the policy level that have prepared an ecosystem where startups are getting promoted. He informed that more than 90 thousand startups are working in the country today, and as a result, new employment opportunities are being created while also motivating millions of youth towards self-employment. “The government is giving financial assistance without bank guarantee”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the Mudra Yojana and the Standup India scheme. He further added that millions of women are standing firmly on their feet by joining the self-help group and the government is also giving financial assistance of hundreds of crores.

Emphasizing the need to prepare large-scale skilled manpower for the new possibilities in the country, the Prime Minister pointed out that India has the potential to become the third major economy in the world. Underlining the government’s endeavor that every section of society should benefit from skill development, the Prime Minister said that it will provide equal opportunity to Dalits, the underprivileged, tribals and women of every region. “Priority is being given to the skill development of the youth”, the Prime Minister remarked as he informed that 30 Skill India International Centers will be developed under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojna where youth will be trained through New Age Technology. He also touched upon PM Vishwakarma Yojana where small artisans will be trained thereby providing a gateway for people associated with small businesses in accessing the world market. Underlining the role of Industrial Training Institutes in constantly preparing the youth for the changing nature of jobs, the Prime Minister informed that there has been a steady increase in the number of ITIs and their seats in Gujarat. “Training is being provided for different skills in about 2 lakh seats of about 600 ITIs in Gujarat”, Shri Modi added as he expressed delight that the placement of ITIs in Gujarat has been very good.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the government is focused on developing every opportunity for employment generation which was neglected in the decades after the Independence. He informed that the budget has announced the development of 50 new tourist centers and a  Unity Mall in every state along the lines of the unity mall in Kevadia-Aata Nagar where unique products across the country will be promoted. He further added that a provision has also been made for the appointment of about 40 thousand teachers in Eklavya School.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister warned that the personal development of youth will stop if getting a government job becomes their only goal. He stressed that it is hard work and dedication that has brought them here and the urge to learn something new will help them move forward throughout their lives. The Prime Minister urged the youth to make the most out of various online courses on Karmayogi Bharat online platform and said, “Wherever your posting is, pay special attention to improving your skill. It is our endeavor that every government employee gets better training.”

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed a Post Budget Webinar on the subject of ‘Health and Medical Research’. It is the ninth of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organized by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effectively implementing the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that health care could be seen in terms of pre and post-Covid pandemic systems. He said that the pandemic tested even prosperous nations. He pointed out, as the pandemic focused the global attention on health, India went a step further and focused on wellness. “That is why we have put forward a vision before the world – One Earth One Health. This involves holistic healthcare for all creatures -humans, animals or plants.

The Prime Minister reiterated the lessons learnt with regard to supply chain during the pandemic and said that it has become a matter of great concern. He lamented the fact that life-saving equipment like medicines, vaccines and medical devices were weaponised when the pandemic was at its peak. The Prime Minister underlined that in previous years’ budgets, the government has constantly tried to reduce India’s dependence on foreign nations and emphasized the role of all stakeholders in this.

The Prime Minister noted the absence of an integrated long-term vision for health for many decades after Independence. The Prime Minister said that we are now pushing the whole-of-the-government approach instead of limiting the subject of health to just the Health Ministry. “Making medical treatment affordable has been the top-most priority of our government”, said the Prime Minister, informing that through Ayushman Bharat, about 80 thousand crore rupees of the poor patients were saved due to free treatment under the scheme. Noting tomorrow i.e. 7th March is observed as Jan Aushadhi Diwas, the Prime Minister pointed out that affordable medicines through 9000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have saved about 20 thousand crore rupees of the poor and middle classes all over the country. This means that just these two schemes saved one lakh crore rupees of the citizens.

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of strong health infrastructure for the treatment of serious ailments. Highlighting the prime focus of the government, the Prime Minister informed that more than 1.5 lakh health centres are being developed in close proximity to homes across the country so that testing centres and first aid are available. He also informed that facilities for screening serious ailments like diabetes, cancer and heart-related issues will also be available at these centres. The Prime Minister underlined that Critical health infrastructure is being made accessible to small towns and villages under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission which is not only giving rise to new hospitals but it is also creating a new and complete health ecosystem. As a result, the Prime Minister noted that many opportunities are being created for health entrepreneurs, investors and professionals.

Regarding human resources in the sector, the Prime Minister informed that more than 260 new medical colleges have been opened in the last few years. This has doubled the medical seats in graduate and postgraduate medical courses as compared to 2014. The Prime Minister underlined the emphasis on the nursing field in this year’s Budget. “Opening 157 nursing colleges in the vicinity of the medical colleges is a huge step in the direction of medical human resources. This may be useful in fulfilling global demand, not just the domestic need”, he added.

The Prime Minister highlighted the role of technology in constantly making medical services accessible and affordable and elaborated on the government’s focus on the implementation of technology in the sector. “We want to give timely healthcare to the citizens through the facility of Digital Health ID. 10 crore people have already benefited by teleconsultation through schemes like e-Sanjivini”, he said. 5 G is creating new opportunities in this sector for startups. Drones are bringing revolutionary changes in medicine delivery and testing services. “This is a great opportunity for the entrepreneurs and will give a push to our efforts for universal healthcare”, he said, exhorting the entrepreneurs to avoid the import of any technology. The Prime Minister listed the required institutional response in this regard. He informed about the new schemes in the medical device sector. He mentioned Bulk drug parks, medical device parks, more than 30 thousand crores on PLI schemes and said that the last few years have witnessed 12-14 per cent growth in medical devices. He informed that this market is reaching rupees 4 lakh crore in coming years. The Prime Minister also said that India has started work on skilled manpower for future medical technology and high-end manufacturing and research. He said, in institutions like IIT, courses like biomedical engineering will be run.  He asked the participants to find ways of industry-academia and government collaboration.

Highlighting the growing confidence of the world in the pharma sector of India, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to capitalize on this and work towards protecting this image. He informed that a new programme is being launched to boost research and innovation in the pharma sector through centres of excellence which will strengthen the economy as well as create new opportunities for employment. “The market size of the pharma sector in India is 4 lakh crores today”, the Prime Minister said. He stressed the need to find coordination between the private sector and academia as it has the potential to grow the market size beyond 10 lakh crores. The Prime Minister suggested the pharma sectors identify important areas for investment. Highlighting the several steps taken by the government to further research in this sector, the Prime Minister informed that many new labs by ICMR have been opened up for the research industry.

Shri Modi noted the impact of the government’s efforts on preventive healthcare. He listed Swacch Bharat Abhiyan for cleanliness, Ujjwala Scheme for smoke-related diseases, Jal Jeevan Mission to tackle waterborne diseases and National POSHAN Mission is addressing anemia and malnutrition. He also mentioned the role of millets-Shri Anna in the International Year of Millets. Similarly, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, Mission Indradhanush, Yoga, Fit India Movement, and Ayurveda are protecting people from diseases. Noting the establishment of the global centre for traditional medicine under the aegis of WHO in India, the Prime Minister reiterated his request for evidence-based research in Ayurveda.

Shri Modi underlined the efforts taken by the government from modern medical infrastructure to medical human resources and said that the new capabilities are not limited to health facilities only for its citizens but also aim to make India the world’s most attractive medical tourism destination. He pointed out that medical tourism is a very large sector in India and also becoming a huge medium for generating employment in the country.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister stressed that a developed health and wellness ecosystem can be created in India only with Sabka Prayas (everyone’s efforts) and requested all stakeholders to give in their valuable suggestions. “We should be able to implement the Budget provisions within the time limit for decided targets with a concrete roadmap. Realizing all the dreams on the ground before the next Budget while taking all stakeholders along will require the benefit of your experience”, he told the participants.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviewed the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy during the Naval Commanders’ Conference held aboard India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant on March 06, 2023. He interacted with the Naval Commanders and witnessed the operational demonstrations at sea, highlighting the Navy’s capability to undertake multi-dimensional missions towards safeguarding the maritime interests of the country.

In his address to the Commanders, the Raksha Mantri lauded the Navy for standing firm and protecting national interests with courage &dedication. He exhorted them to continue focussing on futuristic capability development to effectively overcome the emerging security challenges in the maritime domain. “Future conflicts will be unpredictable. The constantly-evolving world order has forced everyone to re-strategise. Constant vigil on the Northern & Western borders as well as the entire coastline must be maintained. We need to be ready to deal with all future challenges,” he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh described secured borders as the first requirement to ensure social and economic progress, asserting that India, under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership, is moving forward in ‘Amrit Kaal’ with renewed thrust & zeal to achieve this objective. Emphasising that economic prosperity and security scenario go hand-in-hand, he pointed out that the defence sector has emerged as a major demand creator, which has been boosting the economy and ensuring the country’s development.

“In the next 5-10 years, orders worth over $100 billion are expected to be placed through the defence sector and it will become a major partner in the economic development of the country. Today, our defence sector is on the runway, soon when it takes off, it will transform the country’s economy. If we want to see India among the top economic powers of the world by the end of ‘Amrit Kaal’, we need to take bold steps towards becoming a defence superpower,” the Raksha Mantri said.

Shri Rajnath Singh also made special mention of the credible and responsive presence of the Navy in the Indian Ocean Region. He stated that Mission-Based Deployments of the Navy have strengthened India’s position as a ‘Preferred Security Partner’ of friendly foreign countries in the region.

The Raksha Mantri reiterated the need for a huge country like India to be completely self-reliant and not dependant on others for its security. He listed out numerous steps taken by the Government to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, including notification of four Positive Indigenisation Lists, increase in FDI limit and creating a favourable environment for Indian vendors including MSMEs. He termed the recent announcement of earmarking record 75% of the defence capital procurement budget for domestic industry in 2023-24 as a testament to the Government’s firm commitment to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Shri Rajnath Singh commended the Navy for being at the forefront of indigenisation and innovation through inductions of ships & submarines and development of niche technologies, in consonance with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision. On the commissioning of INS Vikrant, he stated that it further reinforced the belief that India’s Naval designing and development is at a promising stage and more progress will be made in the times to come.

The operational demonstrations witnessed by the Raksha Mantri included complex Aircraft Carrier and Fleet operations, weapon firings by ships & aircraft and Underway Replenishment at Sea. In addition, a demonstration of indigenous products, including spotter drone, fire-fighting bot was witnessed by the Raksha Mantri. The strides taken by the Indian Navy towards ‘pole-vaulting’ the technological curve, through indigenous sources in the domains of Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Laser technology and cryptography were also demonstrated.

A conference of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and its affiliated institutes, agricultural universities and industries was organized in New Delhi today. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of State Shri Kailash Chaudhary participated in this. Through the conference, ICAR aims to work with organizations from industry, research and academia, that are interested in ICAR’s technologies, so that while achieving mutual benefits, the tie ups can widely benefit the country including Agriculture sector in the long run. Agriculture Universities along with more than 100 institutes affiliated to ICAR have various agricultural facilities including well equipped research/development facilities, laboratories/infrastructure which can be mutually used for public good.

Addressing the conference, Union Minister Shri Tomar said that if feedback is received on how industries can apply the research done by ICAR, how to take it forward by complementing each other, what do the industries working at the grassroots level want, then the delivery will improve. The importance of our agricultural products has increased in the world. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the quality of our products is good. The shortcomings or gaps in this sector need to be filled, as well as how India can achieve excellence in the agriculture sector while facing the current international challenges, everyone from farmers to industry should work together in that direction. The importance of such discussions increases even more during the Amrit Kaal. Our thinking should be towards fulfilling the expectations of the world from India. To render India’s increasing importance on the political scene of the world and to strengthen it further and to fulfill the goal that India should stand as a developed country by the year 2047 (Amrit Kaal), towards this goal it is very necessary our discussion should be comprehensive and meaningful. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi himself thinks in this direction and it is his insistence that others should also move in this direction. In the global scenario, the opinion about India is changing rapidly, which needs to be changed and established faster, for this we all need to work together and move at a faster pace.

Shri Tomar said that India has made a lot of progress in the agriculture sector, but there are many challenges in the field of agriculture, identifying them and working towards their solution, so that the agriculture sector should play a bigger role in strengthening the country’s economy. There should be more discussion in the direction. There is a need to work in a planned manner, moving beyond traditional agriculture, as well as making full use of technology from lab to land. Scientists associated with ICAR have done a lot of remarkable research, which is useful for the country and the world today. There was a time when we wanted to learn from the world but today the world wants to learn from India in agriculture sector. There is a need to work faster in this direction so that the farmers get the benefit of good inputs and technology, production quality improves, post-harvest losses are reduced and private investment in the agriculture sector multiplies. Although the Government of India is working on all these at its own level, the results of which are evident before all of us, but we all know that the farmers, their produce, along with research & technology besides industries, if all of them come together then this will make the economy strong. We have to ensure the farmer gets a fair price for his produce, hence the contribution of Industry assumes significance.

MoS (Agriculture) Shri Kailash Choudhary; Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICAR; coordinator of the conference, Dr. Praveen Malik, CEO, Agrinovate India Ltd, – the commercial arm of ICAR; along with industry representatives Shri Hemendra Mathur and Shri Salil Singhal also spoke on the occasion.

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 today emphasized on technology-driven e-Governance for reaching last mile.

Addressing the Inaugural Session of the 2^nd Regional Conference on Good Governance in Bhopal, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Vision India@2047 on Governance is truly e-Vision India@2047 marked by saturation and benchmarking of high-quality e-services in tune with Prime Minister’s “Panch Pran” goal for the next 25 years elucidated in the Union Budget.

Dr Jitendra Singh underlined that this conference comes at a crucial time, when India is taking Multi-Sectoral Stand on key issues concerning several Central Ministries as the President of the G20 Working Group Meetings and Sideline Events ahead of the Main Summit. The Minister said, it is also an occasion to showcase India’s achievements in many fields apart from its globally recognized Soft Power. He said, India is gearing up fast for achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047 with speed and scale facilitated by digital transformations in e-Governance.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is taking several strides in the field of IT and new age technologies for better delivery of governance to citizens. He said, Digital innovation will play an important part in the next decade for governance to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, we drew inspiration from the words of Prime Minister who stressed on the role of technology in making governance and justice delivery systems reach the poorest of the poor, the marginalized and women living in the hinterland. He said, the Government of India has preempted the need of Information Technology and inculcated the same in each and every aspect of governance and has committed to augment inclusive growth across different sectors. The vision of Prime Minister of India’s Techade can be realized through a vigorous and all-pervasive digital governance push, the Minister added.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that as India celebrates its 75th year of Independence as Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister has given a clarion call for adoption of Next Generation Reforms by bridging the gap between government and citizens and this vision of Next Generation administrative reforms of the PM has been diligently translated into reality by DARPG. Secretariat Reforms, Swachhta Campaigns, Benchmarking of Governance and Services, Redressal of Public Grievances & Improving Service Delivery, recognizing meritocracy and replication of good governance practices form the core of India’s good governance model.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Regional Conference on Good Governance Practices is an effort to bring the Government and Citizens closer through various administrative reforms at the Centre, State and District level. It is being factored by use of digital technology pursuing next generation reforms and innovations with policy objective of “Maximum governance, Minimum Government”, the Minister added.

Secretary, DARPG, Shri V Srinivas said, the DARPG is pursuing integration of State and District Portals with CPGRAMS through web API’s so that grievances can be redressed in a seamless manner. He said, this is in accordance with the Government’s policy for One Nation-One Portal and considerable amount of work has been completed in this regard. The CPGRAMS has grown in size and quality, integration with multiple grievance redressal platforms functioning in India can provide timely and quality grievance redressal to citizens. Intelligent Grievance Management Dashboard leveraging AI/ML technology has been developed, and a Data Strategy Unit has been set up for analytical insight enabling strategic decision making and policy reforms. This will enable significant improvements in quality of grievance redressal. Besides, Feedback Call Centre for CPGRAMS has been established to collect feedback directly from the citizens.

Digital Transformation of Institutions is enabled by adoption of office automation – e-Office, delayering, delegation of financial powers, digital central registration units and adoption of desk officer system. Fully Digital Central Secretariat, Digital State Secretariats, Digital District Collectorates represent the Digital Transformation of Institutions. There is a need to constantly upgrade e-Office versions and equip them with data analytics to ensure increased efficiency in decision making.

e-Office was initiated with the objective of improving the Government functioning by inculcating more efficient, effective, transparent and standard office procedures. Thus increasing the accountability and responsibility in the Inter-Government and Intra-Government transactions leading to an efficient Government administration and public delivery system. It is a complete digital work place solution for Government offices and is based on Central Secretariat Manual of e-Office Procedure (CSMeOP), formulated by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG). eOffice-eFile application (eFile v7.0) was conceptualized, re-architected, developed and launched by National Informatics Centre (NIC) in June 2020, by adopting the latest tools and technologies.

Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) had constituted the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) in 2019 as part of its mandate to boost the e-government endeavors and drive digital government excellence. The biennial study assesses States, Union Territories (UTs), and focus Central Ministries on the effectiveness of e-Governance service delivery. NeSDA helps the respective governments improve their delivery of citizen centric services and shares best practices across the country for all States, UTs and Central Ministries to emulate.

The Special Campaign 2.0 on Swachata and reducing pendency in Government offices was organized from 2nd -31st October, 2022 in all Central Ministries/Departments and their attached/subordinate offices/ PSUs/ autonomous organizations. DARPG issued the guidelines and coordinated the campaign across the Central Ministries and their offices through real-time monitoring on a dedicated portal www.pgportal.gov.in/scdpm22.

To encourage replication of good governance practices, DARPG is conducting a series of 13 National Good Governance Webinars, one Webinar a month, over the year 2022-23, commencing from on 28^th April, 2022.

One of the functions of DARPG is to showcase the select PM award and e- Governance award winning initiatives to present their innovation to all the central ministries, state and union governments and academicians for dissemination of good governance practices with a view to sharing of experience with each other and replication elsewhere.

The changes in Government of India towards improved quality of governance have to be reflected in States and Districts. The aim is to provide governance which is transparent and in adherence to established rules and procedures. This alone will make the march to New India successful.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed a Post Budget Webinar on the subject of ‘Infrastructure and Investment: Improving logistic efficiency with PM Gatishakti National Master Plan’. It is the eighth of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organized by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effectively implementing the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed happiness that hundreds of stakeholders are taking part in today’s webinar along with more than 700 CEOs and MDs by recognising its importance. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that all the sector experts and various stakeholders will make this webinar successful and effective.

The Prime Minister said that this year’s Budget will give new energy to infrastructure. The Prime Minister noted the praise for the Budget and its strategic decisions by the experts and major media houses. He informed that India’s Capex has increased 5 times compared to 2013-14 and the government is moving with a target of investing 110 lakh crore rupees under the National Infrastructure Pipeline. “This is a time of new responsibilities, new possibilities and bold decisions for every stakeholder”. The Prime Minister emphasized.

“Infrastructure has a significant role to play in the sustainable development of any country along with development while keeping the needs of the future in mind”,  the  Prime Minister remarked. He underlined that those who have knowledge of history related to infrastructure are well-versed with this fact. He cited the construction of Uttarapath by Chandragupta Maurya which was carried forward by Ashoka and later upgraded by Sher Shah Suri. He informed that it was the Britishers who turned it into G T Road. “The importance of highways has been acknowledged for centuries in India”, the Prime Minister said. Referring to riverfronts and waterways, the Prime Minister gave the example of the Ghats of Banaras which were directly connected to Kolkata via waterways. The Prime Minister also gave the example of the still operational, 2 thousand-year-old Kallanai dam of Tamil Nadu.

Noting the obstacles that came in the way of investments in the infrastructural development of the country by previous governments, the Prime Minister highlighted the prevailing mentality that poverty is a virtue. He underlined that the present government has not only been successful in eliminating this mentality but also in making record investments in modern infrastructure.

The Prime Minister elaborated on the improvement in this situation and said that the average construction of  National Highways has nearly doubled compared to what it was before 2014. Similarly, only 600 route km of railway track was electrified per year before 2014 which is now reaching 4000 km per year. He further added that the number of airports and seaport capacity has doubled as well.

“Infrastructure development is the driving force of the country’s economy”, the Prime Minister remarked as he pointed out that India will achieve the target of becoming a developed nation by 2047 by following this very path. “Now we have to improve our speed and move in top gear”, he said. Noting that PM Gati Shakti Master Plan is a critical tool that integrates economic and infrastructural planning with development, the Prime Minister said, “Gati Shakti National Master Plan is going to change the face of India’s infrastructure and its multimodal logistics.”

The Prime Minister noted that the results of the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan are becoming visible. “We have identified the gaps that were impacting the logistics efficiency. That is why, in this year’s Budget, 100, critical projects have been prioritized and 75,000 crore rupees have been allocated. “With quality and multimodal infrastructure, our logistic cost is going to reduce further in the days to come. This will have a positive impact on the goods made in India, on the competence of our products. Along with the logistics sector, there will be a lot of improvement in ease of living and ease of doing business”, he added, inviting the participation of the private sector in the sector.

Elaborating on the role of the states, the Prime Minister informed about the one-year extension of interest-free loans up to 50 years loans and Budgetary expenditure for this has been increased to the tune of 30 per cent.

The Prime Minister asked the participants to find ways to develop a mechanism for an advanced forecast of the needs of their sectors as various materials are needed for infrastructure development. “We need an integrated approach so that the roadmap for the future remains clear. PM Gati-Shakti National Master Plan has a big role in this”, he said emphasizing the need to integrate the concept of circular economy with the sector.

The Prime Minister recalled his experience after the earthquake in Kutch and explained how an entirely new approach to developing Kutch was adopted after the rescue work. He said that infrastructure-led development of the region, instead of politically expedient quick fixes, turned  it into a vibrant hub of economic activity.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the robustness of India’s physical infrastructure is equally important for the strengthening of the country’s social infrastructure. He underlined that a strong social infrastructure will lead to more talented and skilled youth who will come forward to serve the nation. The  Prime Minister stressed the need for skill development, project management, financial skills and entrepreneurship to accomplish this goal. He also addressed the need to develop a mechanism for skill forecasting that will help small and big industries from different sectors while also benefiting the human resource pool of the country. He also urged various ministries in the governments to work at a fast pace in this direction.

Noting the significance of the suggestions of every stakeholder in this webinar, the Prime Minister elaborated that they are not just contributing to the development of the nation but also providing momentum to the growth engine of India. He highlighted that infrastructural development is not limited to rail, road, ports, and airports anymore but as part of this year’s Budget, the Prime Minister said that huge projects have been taken up for storing the produce of the farmers in villages. He also gave examples of wellness centers being developed in the cities and villages, new railway stations, and pucca houses being delivered to every family.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the views, suggestions and experiences of all stakeholders will help in the fast and effective implementation of this year’s Budget.

The Prime MInister, Shri Narendra Modi met Mr Bill Gates on Friday in New Delhi.

In response to a tweet by Mr Gates, where he shared his ‘Note’ on his recent visit to India, the Prime Minister tweeted:

“Delighted to meet @BillGates and have extensive discussions on key issues. His humility and passion to create a better as well as more sustainable planet are clearly visible.”

In his ‘dispatch’, Mr Gates said “I’ve been in India this week, learning about the innovative work going on here in health, climate change, and other crucial areas. At a time when the world has so many challenges, it’s inspiring to visit a dynamic and creative place like India.”

Terming his meeting with the Prime Minister the highlight of his visit, Mr Gates said “Prime Minister Modi and I have stayed in touch, especially about developing COVID-19 vaccines and investing in India’s health systems. India has an amazing ability to manufacture lots of safe, effective, and affordable vaccines, some of them supported by the Gates Foundation. Vaccines produced in India have saved millions of lives during the pandemic and prevented other diseases around the world.”

He dwelled on India’s handling of the pandemic and said  “in addition to producing new life saving tools, India also excels at delivering them—its public health system has delivered more than 2.2 billion doses of COVID vaccines. They created an open-source platform called Co-WIN, which allowed people to schedule billions of vaccine appointments and delivered digital certifications for those who were vaccinated. This platform is now being expanded to support India’s universal immunization program. Prime Minister Modi believes that Co-WIN is a model for the world, and I agree.”

Bill Gates praised India’s stride in digital payments and said “India was also able to transfer emergency digital payments to 300 million people, including 200 million women, during the pandemic. This was only possible because India has made financial inclusion a priority, investing in a digital ID system (called Aadhaar) and creating innovative platforms for digital banking. It’s a reminder that financial inclusion is a fantastic investment.”

Mr Gates ‘dispatch’ also talks about India’s achievements such as  PM Gatishakti Masterplan, G20 presidency, education, innovation, fighting diseases and push to Millets.

Mr Gates concluded “My conversation with the Prime Minister left me more optimistic than ever about the progress that India is making in health, development, and climate. The country is showing what’s possible when we invest in innovation. I hope India will continue this progress and share its innovations with the world.”

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the interest of farmers is paramount for the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. In this direction, to ensure the availability of good quality seeds to our farmers, the Modi Government will soon launch the Seed Traceability System. This will curb the pilferage in the seed trade sector. Union Minister Shri Tomar said this as the chief guest during the two-day Indian Seed Congress organized by the National Seed Association of India in New Delhi today.

Shri Tomar said that suggestions have been taken from the concerned parties on the Seed Traceability System. Farmers will benefit with its launch, as well as all it will help the people doing good work in the seeds sector and ensure that the seed sector works properly. Whatever obstacles come in the way of smooth functioning of the seeds sector, the government is very serious in this regard. He said that this is the first ever government which has abolished the obsolete laws which had become irrelevant in the 75 years of India’s Independence. Taking this issue very seriously, Prime Minister Shri Modi has given strict instructions and abolished about 1,500 such laws, so that they cannot be misused against any institution or individual. It is necessary that the trade & industry sector in the country should be able to function properly, without any fear, and the Modi government has shown it by doing so. For the first time, the Modi government has complimented the taxpayers of the country, as well as by carrying out legal reforms in the interest of all sections, the Government has enabled an atmosphere of trust among all sections of the country. This shows the vision of the government. If we want to make our country a developed nation in the coming time, then this environment of mutual trust will not only have to be improved, but we will also have to strengthen it. Government will appreciate the sentiments of the Industry and the Industry gives its seal of approval that Government has faith in the Industry, then surely we too will not do any wrong thing.

Shri Tomar said that our Agriculture sector is prosperous and it is the backbone of the economy. India is in the leading position in Agriculture, yet in some areas like oilseeds and cotton we are yet to be self-sufficient, stakeholders of the seeds sector should also contribute to make the country AatmaNirbhar by reducing imports. In this direction, the seeds Industry needs to prepare a roadmap and implement it. Shri Tomar said that coming times are a very lucky mascot for India. Everyone has seen the political scenario of the world, India’s credibility and our importance is visible today on the political forums of the world as indelible as never before. Today, a large part of the world expects India to fulfill their needs. Due to the efficient and strong leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi and everyone’s contribution in the progress of the country, this position of strength has manifested.

The Union Minister said that India has taken rapid steps through ‘Make in India’, while the PM Gati Shakti program is going to strengthen the foundation of a developed India in the coming times. It is the responsibility of all of us who are working in the field of agriculture to be ready to meet the expected needs of the country and the world, keeping in mind the increasing population by the year 2050, as well as facing the challenges of climate change and bringing the country to the leading position while solving problems, this should also be included in our roadmap. Appreciating the contribution of the seed sector in the continuous progress of the agriculture sector, Shri Tomar said that the Seed is the Nature, the development of the Seed leads to the development of the Nature. Irrespective of the field, the seed is important, the quality of the seed is definitely of utmost importance for any field. In the field of agriculture, the quality of seeds, its development, increasing numerically; its use by the farmers and human consumption is a long journey, the people who are participants in this journey are doing their business but at the same time, their responsibility towards mankind is also very important, which should be assumed seriously by all. Shri Tomar also appreciated the contribution of scientists of all the institutes affiliated to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in developing climate friendly and biofortified varieties as well as other superior varieties of seeds. On this occasion, Shri Tomar unveiled the ‘Seeds for Global Unity’ Wall. The office bearers of the association, – Shri M. Prabhakar Rao, Shri Dinesh Patel, Shri Vaibhav Kashikar, Dr. B.B. Patnaik & Shri R.K. Trivedi were also present.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya released the book ‘India’s Vaccine Growth Story – From Cowpox to Vaccine Maitri’ authored by Shri Sajjan Singh Yadav, Additional Secretary, Govt of India at the World Book fair 2023, at Pragati Maidan, here today. The book elaborates on India’s impressive achievement in developing, producing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines. Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

Praising the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s faith in the Indian scientific community and the stellar healthcare professionals across country, Dr. Mandaviya said this combination led India to conquer unsurmountable challenges to achieve a feat no country has before, catering not just to its own nation, but supplying life-saving vaccines worldwide, all in due time. Lauding the unwavering dedication of healthcare professionals, Dr. Mandaviya stated that “India administered 2.2 billion doses as a part of the world’s largest COVID vaccination drive without any shortages across the nation resulted in saving 3.4 million lives.” The Minister also highlighted that when other countries were struggling with vaccine hesitancy, India set an exemplary pro-vaccination Covid management model.

Dr. Mandaviya stated “It gives me immense pleasure to see research, manufacturing and vaccine drive has been portrayed in comprehensive fashion that recounts not just the pandemic crisis but also delves into vaccine history, that can be traced 2500 years back.” The Health Minister urged writers to come to fore stating that “Research-based documentation is a medium that can bring to light India’s heritage, illustrating to the world possibilities and solutions, as India’s Covid-19 trajectory has done, leaning on our traditional roots and heritage”. He further elaborated “our heritage reflects our knowledge and science that have stood the test of time, and proven exemplary in times of crisis”. Citing the example of our traditional greeting ‘Namaste’, that became a global way of greeting through the pandemic crisis, the Health Minister stated that “our people must search within our heritage, they will find a deep repository of traditions based on scientific processes that have held India in good stead, and widely acknowledged by the world.”

The Health Minister encouraged writers to inculcate research-based documentation that would lend a voice to India’s treasure of traditions and heritage that lay dormant and forgotten, and bring them to light.

Shri Rajesh Bhushan, the Health Secretary further added that there are 12 kinds of diseases that can be prevented with vaccines known as vaccine-preventable diseases are a part of India’s universal vaccination group, and the government of India provides these vaccines free of cost to expecting mothers, young and neonates.

The book entitled “India’s Vaccine Growth Story- From Cowpox to Vaccine Maitri presents World’s largest vaccination drive for COVID-19 conducted by India is elaborately. Tough and multifaceted challenges overcome in the process like vaccine hesitancy, eagerness, availability, transportation, equitable access, effective communication and expectation management, cold chain dynamics, vaccine centers logistics have been explained too. The author has also delved upon future challenges that may emerge for vaccinology and new vistas for the growth of Indian vaccine industry in a candid manner. It also digs deep into India’s impressive achievement in developing, producing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines.

Shri Lok Ranjan, Additional Secretary, senior government officials and Shri Govind Prasad Sharma, Chairman of National Book Trust were also present.