Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtra and Goa on 11th December, 2022.

At around 9:30 AM, Prime Minister will reach Nagpur Railway Station where he will flag off Vande Bharat Express.  At around 10 AM, Prime Minister will take a Metro ride from Freedom Park Metro station to Khapri Metro Station, where he will dedicate ‘Nagpur Metro Phase I’ to the nation.  During the programme, he will also lay the foundation stone of ‘Nagpur Metro phase- II’. At around 10:45 AM, Prime Minister will inaugurate Phase – I of Samruddhi Mahamarg connecting Nagpur and Shirdi and undertake a tour of the highway.  Prime Minister will dedicate AIIMS Nagpur to the nation at around 11:15 AM.

In a public function in Nagpur, at around 11:30 AM, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to nation rail projects worth more than 1500 crores. He will also lay the foundation stone of National Institute of One Health (NIO), Nagpur and Nag river pollution abatement project, Nagpur. During the programme, Prime Minister will also dedicate ‘Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Chandrapur’ to the nation and inaugurate ‘Centre for Research, Management and Control of Hemoglobinopathies, Chandrapur’.

In Goa, at around 3:15 PM, Prime Minister will address the valedictory function of 9th World Ayurveda Congress. He will also inaugurate three National Ayush Institutes during the programme. At around 5:15 PM, Prime Minister will inaugurate Mopa International Airport, Goa.

PM at Nagpur

Samruddhi Mahamarg

Prime Minister will inaugurate the Phase – I of Samruddhi Mahamarg, covering a distance of 520 Kms and connecting Nagpur and Shirdi.

Samruddhi Mahamarg or Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway project, is a major step towards realising Prime Minister’s vision of improved connectivity and infrastructure across the country. The 701 Km expressway – being built at an cost of about Rs 55,000 crore – is one of India’s longest expressways, passing through Maharashtra’s 10 districts and prominent urban regions of Amravati, Aurangabad and Nashik. The expressway will also help improve the connectivity of adjoining 14 other districts, thus helping in development of about 24 districts of the state including the regions of Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra.

Espousing Prime Minister’s vision of integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects  under PM Gati Shakti, the Samruddhi Mahamarg will connect to the Delhi Mumbai Expressway, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and tourist locations like Ajanta Ellora Caves, Shirdi, Verul, Lonar, etc.  Samruddhi Mahamarg will be a game-changer in providing a major boost to economic development of Maharashtra.

Nagpur Metro

In yet another step that will revolutionise urban mobility, Prime Minister will dedicate ‘Nagpur Metro Phase I’ to the nation. He will flag off two metro trains – from Khapri to Automotive Square (Orange Line) and from Prajapati Nagar to Lokmanya Nagar (Aqua line) – at Khapri Metro Station. The Phase I of the Nagpur Metro is developed at a cost of more than Rs 8650 crore. Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of Nagpur Metro Phase- II, which will be developed at a cost of more than Rs 6700 crore.

AIIMS Nagpur

Prime Minister’s commitment to strengthen health infrastructure across the country will be strengthened through the dedication of AIIMS Nagpur to the nation. The Hospital, whose foundational stone was also laid by the Prime Minister in July 2017, has been established under the Central sector scheme Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

AIIMS Nagpur, being developed at a cost of more than Rs 1575 crore, is a hospital with state-of-the-art facilities, with OPD, IPD, diagnostic services, Operation theatres and 38 departments covering all major speciality and superspeciality subjects of Medical Science. The hospital provides modern health care facilities to the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and is a boon to the surrounding tribal areas of Gadchiroli, Gondia and Melghat.

Rail projects

At Nagpur Railway station, Prime Minister will flag off Vande Bharat Express that will run between Nagpur and Bilaspur.

At the public function in Nagpur, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Nagpur Railway Station and Ajni Railway Station, to be redeveloped at a cost of about Rs 590 crore and Rs 360 crore respectively. Prime Minister will dedicate Government Maintenance Depot, Ajni (Nagpur) and Kohli-Narkher Section of Nagpur- Itarsi Third line project to the Nation.  These projects have been developed at a cost of about Rs 110 crore and about Rs 450 crore respectively.

National Institute of One Health, Nagpur

The laying of foundation stone for National Institute of One Health (NIO), Nagpur by the Prime Minister is a step towards building capacity and infrastructure in the country under the ‘One Health’ approach.

‘One Health’ approach recognises that the health of human beings is connected to the health of animals and the environment. This approach appreciates that most of the contagious diseases affecting humans are zoonotic (animal to human) in nature. The institute – to be established at a cost of more than Rs 110 crore – will collaborate and coordinate with all stakeholders and act as a catalyst to improve the research and capacity building in ‘One Health’ approach across the country.

Other projects

Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the project for pollution abatement of river Nag at Nagpur. The project – under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) – will be operationalised at a cost of more than Rs 1925 crore.

The prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease in the Vidarbha region, especially in the tribal population is comparatively high. The disease along with other haemoglobinopathies like thalassemia and HbE cause significant disease burden in the country. To address this issue, Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the ‘Centre for Research, Management and Control of Haemoglobinopathies, Chandrapur’, in February, 2019. Prime Minister will now dedicate to the nation the Centre, which is envisaged to become a Centre of Excellence for innovative research, technology development, human resource development, in the field of haemoglobinopathies, in the country.

Prime Minister will dedicate Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Chandrapur to the Nation. The institute aims to develop skilled human resources to meet requirements of the polymer & allied industries.

PM in Goa

Mopa International Airport, Goa

It has been the constant endeavour of the Prime Minister to provide world class infrastructure and transport facilities across the country. In yet another step towards this, Prime Minister will inaugurate the Mopa International Airport, Goa. The foundation stone of the airport was laid by the Prime Minister in November 2016.

Developed at a cost of around Rs 2,870 crores, the airport has been built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure and has solar power plant, green buildings, LED lights on the runway, rain water harvesting, state of the art sewage treatment plant with recycling facilities, among other such facilities. It has adopted some of the best-in-class technologies like 3-D Monolithic Precast buildings, StabilRoad, Robomatic Hollow precast walls, 5G compatible IT infrastructure. Some of the features of the airport include runway capable of handling world’s largest aircrafts, 14 parking bays along with night parking facility for aircrafts, self-baggage drop facilities, state of the art and independent air navigation infrastructure, among others.

Initially, phase I of the Airport will cater to around 4.4 million passengers per annum (MPPA), which can be expanded to a saturation capacity of 33 MPPA. The airport will boost socio-economic development of the State and serve the needs of the tourism industry. It has the potential of serving as a key logistics hub, directly connecting many domestic and international destinations. It is also planned for the airport to have multi-modal connectivity.

While being a world-class airport, the airport will also provide visitors a feel and experience of Goa. The airport has extensively used Azulejos tiles, which are native to Goa. The food court also recreates the charm of a typical Goan café. It will also have a designated area for a curated flea market where local artisans and craftsmen will be encouraged to display and market their wares.

9th World Ayurveda Congress and National Ayush Institutes

Prime Minister will also inaugurate three National Ayush Institutes  and address the valedictory function of 9th World Ayurveda Congress. The three institutes – All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa, National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad and National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH), Delhi – will further strengthen research and international collaborations and will also facilitate affordable Ayush services for people. Developed at a total cost of about Rs 970 crores, they will together increase the intake of students by around 400 along with addition of about 500 hospital beds.

The 9th edition of World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) & Arogya Expo is witnessing active participation of more than 400 overseas delegates representing over 50 countries, international students and various other stakeholders of Ayurveda. The theme of the 9th edition of WAC is “Ayurveda for One Health”.

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 called for making various stakeholders aware of the new technologies relevant to them and said, this is possible through an optimum synergy between research and industry.

Speaking at a programme of Central Electronics Limited (CEL), a PSU under Department of Scientific Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, the Minister lamented that sometimes best of the R&D institutes tend to follow a downhill course because there are not enough takers for the technologies developed by them. He noted with satisfaction that for the first time in history, CEL is giving a dividend of Rs 7.26 crore to the Government of India.

Dr Jitendra Singh called upon the scientists and officers of CEL to strengthen and upgrade the four main Business Verticals of Railways Safety & Signalling Systems, Strategic Electronics for Defence Applications, SolarPhotovoltaics and Security and Surveillance Systems to the global standards. The Minister said, CEL has been commissioning solar plants since last 25 years and has the distinction in installation of India’s First Solar Power Plant in 1992. But, only in the recent past Solar has emerged as a key source of renewable energy option for the world, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh CEL remained underrated and unattended organization by the previous governments, but it was Prime Minister Modi, who gave a positive push to scientific endeavors since 2014 through higher budgetary allocations and by taking pathbreaking policy decisions.

Dr Jitendra Singh took pride that CEL is providing indigenously manufactured Phase Control Modules (PCMs) for Missile and Radar programmes in strategic Defence sector and till date 4.8 Lakh PCMs supplied for more than 80 defense radar systems deployed at different locations. The Minister said,CEL is the only production agency in the country for PCMs and the impoort cost is 4 times higher, thus saving forex worth Rs 2000 Crore.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, CEL is excelling in providing products and solutions in Defense, Railways, Clean Energy, ICT, Security and Surveillance sectors by anticipating opportunities in technology in a sustainable way. Also, their foray in Ceramic Radome and Drishti Transmisso meter system is praise worthy.CEL is significantly contributing in Railway sector in the area of Digital Axle counter which are essential for safety & signaling systems of Indian Railways, the Minister added.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that CEL had successfully commissioned 500 KWP Solar Power Plant in Palli Panchayat of Samba district in the record time of 18 days which was appreciated by Prime Minister Modi for making Palli village as country`s first Carbon Neutral Panchayat during his visit to Jammu on April 24 to mark the Panchayati Raj Day celebrations. Three hundred forty houses in Palli Panchayat are getting the gift of solar energy by this initiative.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, CEL is doing very well in all of its business verticals and is providing security, surveillance & Smart solutions to government sectors and also entering into manufacturing of smart boards, which is in line with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Dr Jitendra Singh congratulated officers and employees of CEL for achieving maximum profit in the last financial year which enabled it to clear the wage arrears of Rs 19 Crore to CEL Employees and ex-employees. He said, as part of its CSR activities, CEL’s contribution to Government Hospitals of the area is also a noble thought for citizens and society.

Dr Jitendra Singh also flagged off two ambulances donated by CEL to MMG District Hospital, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

The Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat chaired the 10^th meeting of the Empowered Task Force (ETF) of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) including central ministries, departments and state governments on 8^th December 2022. The Union Minister reviewed the progress of various components under Namami Gange Programme as central ministries and States provided an update on the recent developments that have taken place and mapped out their future plans. The Union Minister directed the States and central ministries/departments to expedite the work being done for the holistic rejuvenation of River Ganga. The Minister urged the States and the central ministries to achieve targets in a time-bound manner.

Shri G. Asok Kumar gave a presentation on the thrust areas under Arth Ganga and the activities that have been undertaken in the past few months in the six verticals of Arth Ganga including:

a) Zero Budget Natural Farming that includes chemical-free farming generating “more Net income, per drop”, ‘Gobar Dhan’ for farmers,

b) Monetization and Reuse of Sludge & Wastewater that envisages reuse of treated water for irrigation and industrial purposes and revenue generation for ULBs,

c) Livelihood Generation Opportunities such as ‘Ghat Mein Haat’, promotion of local products, Ayurveda, medicinal plants, capacity building of volunteers like Ganga Praharis, Ganga Doots,

d) Public Participation to ensure increased synergies between stakeholders,

e) Cultural Heritage & Tourism that looks to introduce boat tourism through community jettis, promotion of yoga, adventure tourism etc.

f) Institutional Building by enhancing the local capacities for better decentralized water governance.

Shri Asok Kumar informed that following the MoU with Sahakar Bharati, exposure workshops and visits have been organised for several farmers in Shirdi, Bulandshahar, Sonipat, Haridwar and Meerut. The farmers are being nudged and sensitized to shift to Natural Farming and 75 ‘Sahakar Ganga Grams’ will be developed. Ghat Mein Haat initiative has also been launched under Arth Ganga in the Ganga Basin among other activities. Jalaj Livelihood Model has been launched at 26 locations and 15 more will be launched by 31^st December.

Among the central ministries, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare informed that various steps are being taken to build organic farming and natural farming corridors along River Ganga and eco-agriculture is being promoted besides efforts to improve water-use efficiency in Ganga villages.

The Ministry of Tourism informed that comprehensive plan is being worked out for development of tourism circuits along Ganga in line with Arth Ganga. Also, exhibitions and fairs across 75 towns along Ganga are being planned as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Ministry of Culture, on the other hand, are planning Sanskriti Yatras along with dedicated Ganga galleries in Museums.

The Ministry of Power are taking steps in the direction of reuse of treated wastewater of thermal power plants by adopting cluster approach whereas the Ministry of Rural Development is actively looking for convergence of activities under MGNREGA for rejuvenation of small rivers and protection of traditional water bodies.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests informed that they are mulling scaling up of afforestation activities in the Ganga belt and a detailed plan to take ‘Project Dolphin’ forward is also underway. A comprehensive list of wetlands is also being developed among other efforts. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs informed that focus is on mapping of urban drains and management of sloid and liquid waste in Ganga towns under SBM 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 besides operationalizing of planning framework for River Cities.

In the States, the focus in the transition from Namami Gange Mission I to Namami Gange Mission II will be on expeditious completion of projects, preparation of bankable DPRs for projects in Ganga tributary towns, cutting down delays. The States informed that a lot of focus is being given on revival of small rivers and wetlands. For future, each Ganga district is to develop scientific plan and health card for at least 10 wetlands and adopt policies for reuse of treated water and other by products.

The States/ministries were urged to implement activities on Arth Ganga as per the six verticals in coordination with each other. It was also informed that a total 139 District Ganga Committees have been constituted out of which 52 are on the main stem of the River and 87 are on tributaries. Regular, monitored, mandated, monthly and minuted meetings of DGCs are being held now.

Shri Bishweswar Tudu, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Pankaj Kumar, Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Smt. Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Amir Subhani, Chief Secretary, Bihar, Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga and other senior officials from NMCG, central ministries and States also attended the meeting.

Union Minister for Jal Shakti Sh. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Chairing 10th ETF Meeting of NMCG along with MoS, Sh. Bishweswar Tudu & DG, NMCG Sh. G. Asok Kumar

The Ninth Meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States was represented by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Law & Justice today  along with Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State in the Ministry of Law & Justice.

Earlier, Shri Rajveer Singh Verma, Additional Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice represented the third meeting of the Experts Working Group on 7^th December, 2022 along with senior officers of the Government.

The meetings were conducted through Video Conferencing mode.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Law & Justice of the Republic of India, Kiren Rijiju, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mukanova Alma Kairatovna, Minister of Justice of the People’s Republic of China, Tan Yijun, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, Baktiyar Saipidinovich Orozov, Minister of Law and Justice of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, First Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, Evgeny Leonidovich Zabarchuk, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ashurien Muzaffar Kurbonmukhammad and Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent Akbar Dzhurabayevich. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Secretary General of the SCO Ashimov Erik Sarsebekovich.

Addressing the eminent gathering of Ministers of Justice from SCO Member States, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Hon’ble Minister of Law & Justice, emphasized that this Session was of special significance as SCO had completed 21 years of its creation since 15 June 2001 and India was also celebrating “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” an initiative of the Government of India to commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. It commensurates with the spirit of SCO, as it had been established with the aim of strengthening mutual trust and respect among the Member States. SCO pursues its internal policy based on the principles of mutual trust and benefit, equal rights, consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and aspiration towards common development.

He mentioned the e-Courts Project, conceptualized as a Mission Mode Project of the Government of India, as a part of the National e-Governance Plan based on the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary”, established after long-standing efforts on the parts of our government during the difficult times of Covid 19 Pandemic and helped the courts to perform all the task of Justice Delivery in virtual mode. The project is under implementation since 2007 under the joint partnership of Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India and the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India. It is aimed at transforming the judicial system of the country by ICT enablement of courts and enhance the judicial productivity, both qualitatively and quantitatively for making the justice delivery system accessible, cost effective, transparent, accountable, efficient and time bound. The services under the project cater to all key stakeholders including the judiciary, High Courts, The District & Subordinate Courts and the citizens/litigants/lawyers/advocates.

He also highlighted Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, which offer a faster, transparent and accessible option to the citizens of the country. In fact, they were one of the major factors to achieve “Ease of Doing Business” by improving dispute resolution with regard to contract enforcement among the national or global stakeholders. Another very important ADR mechanism is Mediation. Mediation is a voluntary dispute resolution process. To have a consolidated law on mediation, the Government of India has introduced the Mediation Bill, 2021 in the Parliament. He apprised the gathering of the high priority, the Government has accorded to resolving disputes through ADR; framing business facilitating laws and rules, including Commercial Courts Act and Arbitration Laws with a view to make India a preferred destination for investment and businesses.

As part of activities of Justice Ministers’ Forum, the Minister congratulated all  Ministers of the SCO Member States for their efforts towards achieving the goals of the SCO and assured India’s full cooperation in the future as well. Also, in this emerging era of digitization and new possibilities, He called upon all the SCO partners to commit to promote technology in all fields and adopting, developing new mechanisms like ADRs in the Legal System of all the SCO Member States. Earlier, the Experts Working Group discussed issues related to the provision of legal services to individuals and/or legal entities, and stressed on the need of the development of information technologies in the provision of services.

Emphasizing the mutual understanding reached on the development of the legal systems of the SCO Member States, taking into account the agreements and tasks provided for in the SCO Development Strategy until 2025, the Ministers of (Law and) Justice of the SCO Member States declare the following:

1. To carry out interaction between the Ministries of (Law and) Justice of the SCO Member States, contributing to the preservation and expansion of mutual trust, good-neighborliness and friendship between the SCO Member States.

2. To continue work on the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement between the Ministries of Law and Justice of the SCO Member States, signed in Dushanbe on August 18, 2015.

3. To continue strengthening cooperation between the Ministries of (Law and) Justice of the SCO member States in order to promote the development of legal systems.

4. To organize mutual visits of representatives of the Ministries (Law and) Justice of the SCO Member States, hold SCO regional conferences, bilateral symposiums, seminars, workshops and joint courses on topical legal issues and exchange experience in this field.

5. To continue the activities of Expert Working Groups on forensic expertise and legal services.

The Ministers of (Law and ) Justice and senior officials / experts from the Ministries of Law & Justice of India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the three days’ deliberations. The next Meeting of the Ministers of Justice of the SCO Member States will be held in 2023 in the People’s Republic of China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) karyakartas at the party headquarters in New Delhi today after the party’s landslide victory in the general assembly elections and by-poll elections. PM Modi thanked the people and the BJP Karyakartas for their wholehearted support and said that the vote share is a clear indication of the days to come.

Talking about the Himachal Pradesh general assembly elections, PM Modi said that BJP has trailed behind by a just 1% vote share, which is something that has been unheard of. PM Modi further said that BJP, despite trailing behind by 1%, will remain 100% committed to the development of the state.

PM Modi iterated on the BJP gaining the confidence of the people because of its policies, He said, “People voted for the BJP because the BJP can take tough decisions in the interest of the country. The increasing public support of the BJP shows that the country is in anger against familyism and corruption”.

Talking about the BJP’s humongous victory in the state of Gujarat, PM Modi said, “By giving the biggest mandate in the history of Gujarat to the BJP, the people of Gujarat have created a new history”. He further said that about 1 crore voters of Gujarat had not experienced the misrule during the Congress regime and gave their vote to the BJP only on the basis of the development they saw in the state.

The Prime Minister talked about how the BJP is emerging as the top choice for the people of the country. PM Modi said, “The results of Gujarat have proved how strong is the desire of the common man for a developed India. When there is a challenge before the country, the people of the country have faith in the BJP. When there is a crisis in the country, the people of the country have faith in the BJP… Even when the aspirations of the country are at their peak, the people of the country have faith only on the BJP to fulfil them”.

Hitting out at the opposition, PM Modi called out the political parties that are promising false benefits for the sake of elections. PM Modi further added, “India’s future will become bright not by increasing Fault Lines, but by demolishing Fault Lines”. PM Modi also called for increased unity in the nation and to further the spirit of “India First”.

PM Modi finally addressed the people about why women of the country trust the BJP. PM Modi said, “For the first time since independence, today there is such a government in the country, which is working by understanding the problems of women, their challenges, their needs and aspirations”.

Namaskar friends,

Today is the first day of the Winter Session (of Parliament). This session is important because we met before 15^th August. On 15^th August, 75 years of independence were completed and now we are moving forward in the journey of ‘Amrit Kaal’. We are meeting today at a time when India has got the opportunity to preside over the G-20. The manner in which India has made a space in the global community, the manner in which expectations with India have increased and the manner in which India is increasing its participation on global platforms, it is a huge opportunity to host the G20 Presidency at such a time.

This G-20 Summit is not just a diplomatic event, but this G-20 summit is an opportunity to display India’s capability before the world in a holistic manner. Such a large country, mother of democracy, so many diversities, so much potential, and therefore, this is a big opportunity for the world to know India and for India to show its potential to the whole world.

Recently, I had discussions with all the party leaders in a very congenial atmosphere. Its reflection will definitely be seen in the House as well. The same spirit will be visible from the House as well which will be useful for presenting India’s potential in the world. In this session, efforts will be made to take important decisions while keeping in mind taking the country to new heights of development and new opportunities to take the country forward amid the current global situation.  I am sure that all political parties will add more value to the discussion, give new strength to the decisions with their views and help in highlighting the direction more clearly. For the remaining period of this term of the Parliament, I would like to urge all the party leaders and floor leaders to give more opportunities to those who have come to the House for the first time, the new MPs, the young MPs, and increase their participation in discussions for their bright future and prepare the future generation of democracy.

In the past, whenever I have had informal meetings with MPs of almost all political parties, all the MPs say one thing that they suffer a lot due to uproar in the House and frequent adjournments of the House. Young MPs say that Parliament is a big university of democracy and they are devoid of learning and understanding due to non-functioning of the session and in the absence of discussions. They say that they are not getting opportunities and therefore the functioning of the House is very important. This voice emerges especially from the young parliamentarians of all the parties.

MPs from the opposition parties also say that they do not get the opportunity to speak in the debates. They say that they suffer a lot due to frequent disruptions and adjournments of the House. I urge all floor leaders and party leaders to understand the pain of these MPs.  It is very important for democracy that the country should get the benefit of their enthusiasm and zeal to add their potential to the development of the county and to the decision-making processes. I request all the parties and the parliamentarians to make a collective effort towards making this session more productive.

There is another good fortune that today for the first time our Vice-President will start his term as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and this will be his first session and the first day. The manner in which our President Droupadi Murmu ji has played an important role in making India proud with the great heritage of India and our tribal traditions, similarly, a farmer’s son will make India proud as the Vice-President and chairman of the Rajya Sabha and will inspire and encourage the MPs. On my behalf, I also wish him many best wishes.

Thanks a lot, friends.

Namaskar!

PM addresses Rajya Sabha at the start of Winter Session of Parliament

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha at the start of the Winter Session of the Parliament and welcomed the Vice President to the Upper House today.

The Prime Minister began his address by congratulating Shri Jagdeep Dhankar, Vice President of India & Chairman of Rajya Sabha on behalf of all members of the parliament as well as all the citizens of the country. Throwing light on the prestigious position of the Vice President of the country, the Prime Minister remarked that the seat in itself is a source of inspiration for millions.

Addressing the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister expressed delight that today coincides with Armed Forces Flag Day and saluted the armed forces on behalf of all members of the house. Referring to Jhunjhunu which is the birthplace of the Vice President, the Prime Minister acknowledged the contributions of numerous families of Jhunjhunu that have played an advanced role towards the service of the nation. He highlighted the close association of the Vice President with Jawans and Kisans and said, “Our Vice President is a Kisan Putra and he studied at a Sainik school. Thus, he is closely associated with Jawans and Kisans.”

The Prime Minister highlighted that the esteemed upper house of the Parliament is welcoming the Vice President at a time when India has witnessed two monumental events. Shri Modi pointed out that India has entered into the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal and also got the prestigious opportunity to host and preside over the G-20 Summit. He further added that India will play a key role in determining the direction of the world in the days to come other than marking a new era of development for New India. “Our democracy, our Parliament and our parliamentary system will have a critical role in this journey”, he added.

Underlining that today marks the formal beginning of the Vice President’s term as the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister remarked that the responsibility enshrined upon the shoulders of the Upper House is associated with the concerns of the common man. “India understands its responsibilities during this period, and adheres to it”, he added. The Prime Minister also pointed out that the prestigious tribal society of India in the form of the President, Smt Draupadi Murmu is guiding the nation at this important juncture.  He also threw light upon ex-President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind who reached the pinnacle position of the country after hailing from a marginalised community.

Looking up to the chair with reverence, the Prime Minister said, “Your life is proof that one cannot accomplish anything only by resourceful means but by practice and realisations.” Shining the spotlight on the Vice President’s experience as a senior lawyer for more than three decades, the Prime Minister on a lighter note said that he will not miss the court in the House because there are a large number of people in the Rajya Sabha who used to meet him in the Supreme Court. He continued, “You have also worked in the role from MLA to MP, Union Minister and Governor.” He further added that the common factor among all these roles is his devotion to the development of the country and democratic values. The Prime Minister also recalled the 75% vote share that the Vice President had gathered in the Vice Presidential Elections which was proof of everyone’s affinity towards him. The Prime Minister remarked, “Taking the lead is the real definition of leadership and it becomes more important in the context of Rajya Sabha because the House has the responsibility of taking forward democratic decisions in a more refined manner.”

Referring to the responsibilities enshrined upon its members to uphold and enhance the dignity of this House, the Prime Minister said that the house has been a conductor of the country’s great democratic heritage and has also been its strength. He further highlighted that many former Prime Ministers served as Rajya Sabha members at some point in time. The Prime Minister assured the members that under the guidance of the Vice President, this House will take forward its legacy and dignity. “Serious democratic discussions in the House will give more strength to our pride as the mother of democracy”, he added.

In concluding the address, the Prime Minister recalled the last session where the phraseology and rhymes of the former Vice President and former Chairman were a source of happiness and laughter for the members. “I am sure that your quick-witted nature will never let that shortcoming slip away and you will continue to give that benefit to the House”, the Prime Minister concluded.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has saluted the valour and sacrifices of armed forces on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;

“Today, on Armed Forces Flag Day, we salute the valour and sacrifices of our armed forces. Since decades, they are at the forefront of protecting our nation and contributing to a stronger India. I also urge you all to contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund.”

Today, on Armed Forces Flag Day, we salute the valour and sacrifices of our armed forces. Since decades, they are at the forefront of protecting our nation and contributing to a stronger India. I also urge you all to contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. pic.twitter.com/8iryakJdJZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 7, 2022

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) Annual Seminar 2022(Fertilizer Sector by 2030) at New Delhi today. Shri Arun Singhal, Secretary Department of Fertilizers, Shri Arvind Chaudhary, DG FAI, Shri KS Raju, Chairman FAI and representatives of Industries and other senior officials of the Ministry were also present on the occasion.

While addressing the occasion, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated that one of the important components for ensuring food security is fertilizers. He said that during the last three years, there has been a huge increase in fertilizers and raw materials prices. The Minister informed “our government has brought various reforms and ensured that fertilizers are made available at affordable prices to Indian farmers. We have done this by increasing the amount of fertilizer subsidy from US dollars 10 Billion for the pre-pandemic year 2019-20 to almost US dollars 27 Billion in the current year.

The Minister further said “The world today faces severe challenges in the rising costs and availability of fertilizers. There is a dire need for our global partners to have reasonable and transparent mechanisms and take long-term views in dealing with issues of fertilizers in the larger interest of global food security”. He added that the world is still dealing with three shocks conflict in Ukraine, the consequences of Covid 19 and climatic disturbances. Together these factors make a powerful case to grow our supply chains and strengthen self-reliance to meet food and health security goals.

Dr. Mandaviya said that “long-term Agreements and MoUs will have an important role to play in making steady progress in this direction. Our government has facilitated various such agreements and MoUs between Indian Fertilizer companies and foreign suppliers to ensure stability in fertilizer supplies to our farmers”.

He said that “India’s economic recovery is propelled by reforms in various areas including manufacturing, labour, agriculture, education, and of course, improving the ease of doing business. Towards this direction, concrete steps are taken to promote `Make in India’ in the fertilizer sector by reviving 5 closed urea plants. By 2025, India will become self-sufficient in urea. One of the recently introduced schemes of our government is “One Nation One Fertilizer” under which Urea, MOP, DAP and NPK will be sold under the uniform Bharat brand to bring uniformity in the quality and brands”.

The Minister also informed another initiative introduced is the concept of “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras” to convert all retail fertilizer outlets of about 3 lakhs into single window service centres for the farmers.

The Chemical and Fertilizers Minister strongly urged the industry to look at developing new farm solutions for improving nutrient use efficiency as it positively impacts the entire value chain and will significantly help in achieving sustainable goals. He also said that the industry must drive research efforts towards alternative fertilizers and new-age smart solutions. Nano fertilizers are an excellent example towards optimizing efficiency, economy and ecology.

On this occasion, Union Minister also released three FAI publications and FAI Data portal. This portal will create a uniform data base and avoid manual input of data by FAI.

This year FAI Annual Seminar is devoted to the theme ‘Fertilizer Sector by 2030’ and there will be presentation on technologies for green fertilizers, worldwide developments in sustainability area, sustainable agriculture, green financing and optimizing cost of logistics. The presentations and discussion in the Seminar will result in some useful recommendations which will be useful for policy makers and for all those concerned with farm and fertilizer sectors.

Under the Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT) Policy, it has been targeted to develop 100 GCTs in three years i.e. 2022-23, 2023-24 & 2024-25. 22 GCTs have already been commissioned. 125 applications for development of Cargo Terminals under the GCT Policy have been received and 79 In-Principle Approvals have been granted.

For GCTs to be developed on non-Railway land, the GCT Operators will identify the location and will construct the terminal after obtaining necessary approval. For GCTs to be developed either fully or partially on Railway land, the land parcels will be identified by Railways, and the GCT Operator for construction and operation of Terminal will be selected through open tendering process.

This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Shri R.K Singh, Union Minister for Power and NRE launched the plan “Transmission System for Integration of over 500 GW RE Capacity by 2030″ here today.

Hon’ble Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri @RajKSinghIndia today launched a plan to develop a transmission system for integration of over 500 GW RE capacity by 2030, a key step towards India’s commitment to achieve 50% non-fossil fuel capacity. #EnergyTransition pic.twitter.com/AIaagSx3YU

— Office of R.K. Singh (@OfficeOfRKSingh) December 7, 2022

Ministry of Power had constituted a high-level committee under Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority with representatives from Solar Energy Corporation of India, Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd, National Institute of Solar Energy, and National Institute of Wind Energy for planning the transmission system required for having 500 GW of non-fossil fuel based installed capacity by 2030.

The Committee prepared a detailed Plan titled “Transmission System for Integration of over 500 GW RE Capacity by 2030″ in consultation with States and other stakeholders. The Plan is a major step towards achievement of the goal of integrating 500 GW of non-fossil fuel based capacity by 2030 by providing broad plan of required transmission system for having 537 GW of Renewable Energy capacity by the year 2030.

The planned additional transmission systems required for having 500 GW of non-fossil fuel include 8120 ckm of High Voltage Direct Current Transmission corridors (+800 kV and +350 kV), 25,960 ckm of 765 kV ac lines, 15,758 ckm of 400 kV lines and 1052 ckm of 220 kV cable at an estimated cost of 2.44 lakh crore.

The transmission plan also includes transmission system required for evacuation of 10 GW off-shore wind located in Gujarat and Tamilnadu at an estimated cost of Rs. 0.28 lakh crore. With the planned transmission system, the inter-regional capacity will increase to about 1.50 lakh MW by 2030 from 1.12 lakh MW at present.

Considering the availability of Renewable Energy based generation for a limited period during day, the Plan also envisages installation of Battery Energy Storage Capacity of the order of 51.5 GW by 2030 to provide Round the Clock power to end-consumers.

The Plan has identified major upcoming non-fossil fuel based generation centres in the country, which include Fatehgarh, Bhadla, Bikaner in Rajasthan, Khavda in Gujarat, Anantapur, Kurnool RE Zones in Andhra Pradesh, offshore wind potentials in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, RE park in Ladakh etc. and based on these potential generation centres, transmission systems have been planned.

The planned transmission system projected will provide a visibility to the Renewable Energy Developers about the potential generation sites and scale of investment opportunity. Further, it will also provide the Transmission Service Providers the vision of growth opportunity available in the transmission sector along with investment opportunity of about 2.44 lakh crore.

With the above transmission plan for having 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, along with transparent bidding system, an open market, an expeditious dispute resolution system, India will continue to be one of the most attractive destinations for investment in Renewable Energy.

India has emerged as one of the world leaders in energy transition with the fastest rate of growth of renewable energy capacities in the world. India has huge ambitions in energy transition and plans to have 500 GW of non-fossil fuel based electricity installed capacity by 2030, so that cleaner fuel comprises of 50% of the installed capacity mix by 2030.

The installed electricity generating capacity in the country at present is 409 GW comprising of 173 GW from non-fossil fuel sources, which is about 42% of the total installed electricity generating capacity. For evacuation of power from the planned Renewable capacity by 2030, a robust transmission system needs to be in place in advance as the gestation period of wind and solar based generation projects is much less than that of associated transmission system. A comprehensive plan has been finalized to meet this objective.

A Major Step Towards Energy Transition!

Hon’ble Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R K Singh launched the “Transmission System for Integration of over 500 GW RE Capacity by 2030″ Plan in New Delhi today. @PMOIndia@OfficeOfRKSingh @KPGBJP @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/vdG2RZKEoa

— Ministry of Power (@MinOfPower) December 7, 2022

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi conveyed his message at the opening ceremony of the International Year of Millets at the headquarters of the Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome, Italy today. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ms Shobha Karandlaje represented India at the opening ceremony in Rome and read out the Prime Minister’s message to the august gathering. It is the Prime Minister’s vision and initiative that led to the United Nations General Assembly declaring the year 2023 ‘International Year of Millets’ with support from more than 70 nations across the globe. It will help in creating awareness throughout the world about the significant role of millets in sustainable agriculture and its benefits as a smart and superfood.

The Prime Minister congratulated the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation for the launch of the International Year of Millets 2023 and expressed appreciation to member nations for their support in marking the International Year of Millets.

Informing that millets are among the earliest crops grown by humans and have been an important source of nutrients, the Prime Minister emphasized making it a food choice for the future. Highlighting the challenges of food security, the Prime Minister mentioned the once-in-a-century pandemic and the arising conflicts around the world. He also touched upon how climate change is affecting food availability.

Marking that a global movement related to millets is an important step in the direction of food security, the Prime Minister informed that millets are easy to grow, climate resilient and drought resistant. He further added that millets are a rich source of balanced nutrition, compatible with natural ways of farming and need less water. The Prime Minister remarked, “Millets are good for the consumer, cultivator and climate.”

Stressing the need for diversity on the land and at the dining table, the Prime Minister informed that our health is impacted if agriculture becomes monoculture and pointed out that millets are a good way to increase agricultural and dietary diversity. While concluding his message, the Prime Minister touched upon raising awareness to create ‘Millet Mindfulness’ and highlighted the tremendous role that institutions and individuals can play. He added that while institutional mechanisms can encourage the production of millets and make it profitable via policy initiatives, individuals can make health-conscious and planet-friendly choices by making millets a part of their diet.

The Prime Minister’s message on the occasion can be found below:

“I would like to congratulate the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation for the launch of the International Year of Millets 2023.

I also express my appreciation to the different member nations who supported our proposal to mark the International Year of Millets.

Millets have a glorious history of being among the earliest crops grown by humans. They have been an important food source in the past. But the need of the hour is to make them a food choice for the future!

A once-in-a-century pandemic followed by a conflict situation has shown that food security is still a concern for the planet. Climate change can also impact food availability.

At such a time, a global movement related to millets is an important step, since they are easy to grow, climate resilient and drought resistant.

Millets are good for the consumer, cultivator and climate. They are a rich source of balanced nutrition for consumers. They benefit cultivators and our environment since they need lesser water and are compatible with natural ways of farming.

There is a need for diversity on the land and on our tables. If agriculture becomes monoculture, it impacts our health and the health of our lands. Millets are a good way to increase agricultural and dietary diversity.

Raising awareness to create ‘Millet Mindfulness’ is an important part of this movement. Both institutions and individuals can make a tremendous impact.

While institutional mechanisms can encourage production of millets and make it profitable via policy initiatives, individuals can make health-conscious and planet-friendly choices by making millets a part of their diet.

I am positive that the International Year of Millets 2023 will start a mass movement towards a secure, sustainable and healthy future.”

Background

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 ‘International Year of Millets’. It is the Prime Minister’s vision and initiative that led to this United Nations Resolution being adopted with support from more than 70 nations across the globe. It will help in creating awareness throughout the world about the significant role of millets in sustainable agriculture and its benefits as a smart and superfood. India is poised to become the global hub for millets with a production of more than 170 lakh tonnes which makes for more than 80 % of the millets produced in Asia. The earliest evidence for these grains has been found in the Indus civilization and was one of the first plants to be domesticated for food. It is grown in about 131 countries and is the traditional food for around 60 crore people in Asia & Africa.

The Government of India has declared to celebrate IYOM, 2023 to make it a people’s movement so that the Indian millets, recipes, and value-added products are accepted globally. The ‘International Year of Millets’ stands to provide a unique opportunity to increase global production, ensure efficient processing and consumption, promote better utilization of crop rotations and encourage better connectivity throughout food systems to promote millets as a key component of the food basket.

The FAO in a brief message said that the Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 hosted by the FAO aims to raise awareness and create momentum for the IYM 2023 by engaging FAO Members and other relevant stakeholders and highlighting the benefits of promoting the sustainable cultivation and consumption of millets.

 

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 said, global challenges need to be fought through global collaboration, regardless of our respective ideologies or individual leanings.

Attending the Ministerial Plenary in Abu Dhabi on the ‘Role of Foreign Policy in Enabling Space Diplomacy and International Cooperation’ along with the MoS Foreign Affairs of the UAE, Foreign Minister of Bahrain and Minister of Advanced Technologies of Israel, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Space Debate has brought all of us together to think about the wellbeing of the Earth.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, right from the beginning, India has envisaged for itself and pledged that our space and atomic energy programmes are dedicated to peaceful purposes and the same was said even when we started our atomic programme soon after independence in the immediate backdrop of atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings during 2^nd world war, when the world hated anything which carried the name atomic with it. The Minister pointed out that

India’s founding scientists like Homi Bhabha had declared to the world about India’s peaceful nuclear pursuits and we have walked the talk and vindicated the same in the case of our Space programme as well.

Dr Jitendra Singh also told the august gathering that India distinguishes itself as it has successfully used Space technology for bringing in ease of living for the common citizens by working in different sectors like railways, smart cities, roads and buildings, highways, digital health, telemedicine.

Dr Jitendra Said, in the last 2-3 years, with the very path-breaking indulgence of Prime Minister Modi, a decision was taken to open it up to the non-government entities for private participation. And, within a span of 2-3 years, we have more than 100 start-ups and two of the start-ups have launched private satellites to grace the sky.

Calling for greater collaboration with UAE in the Space sector, Dr Jitendra Singh said, development of the Space sector is one of the priority areas for the leaders of both India and the UAE. He said, the indigenously developed Space sector of India and the fast-growing Space sector of the UAE have a lot of complementariness that can be harnessed for greater good.

Earlier, Dr Jitendra Singh appreciated the thrust of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate for building the role of Governments in empowering space business and technology. He said, the list of discussions in ADSD on the role of the space sector to solve the climate issues, bringing accountability to environmental commitments, threats to and from space to the political discourse and making the presence of private sector and space innovation people driven that serve humankind; are very relevant to our time and are eye-opening topics, setting apart this initiative from any other such gathering in Space sector in the past.