Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that a fast growing economy like India needs greater investment in coal production and gasification projects. Globally, energy prices especially that of gas is going up. Launching the 6^th round of coal mine auction of the Ministry of Coal here today, the Finance Minister highlighted that India is at present the best investment destination in the world. The Minister pointed out that due to policy consistency and transparent process of the present Government, coal imports for power sector has come down by 41%. The finance minister said that twelve states are to benefit directly from today’s auctioning of 141 coal mines. Complementing the Coal Ministry for the recent initiatives to unlock the coal sector, Smt. Sitharaman said that mining sector reforms are providing the right fillip to our fast growing economy. Finance Ministry will be extending all help for coal gasification and incentives in commercial mining, she further added.

Addressing the function Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs minister Shri Pralhad Joshi said that Coal Ministry is exploring alternative methodology for enhanced use of coal.  Shri Joshi said that finance ministry has extended Rs. 6000 crore incentive for coal gasification and Rs. 250 crore for exploration process.   During the biggest auction undertaken so far, today 141 mines pertaining to eleven states have been auctioned. Shri Joshi said that previously auctioned mines have started production and hoped that 10 to 15 million ton coal will be produced from new mines by next year.  As per the review done the other day,   the Ministry of Coal is anticipating 900  million ton  coal production this year, Shri Joshi said.

Minister of State for Coal, Mines & Railways Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve, Coal Secretary Shri Amrit Lal Meena and Additional Secretary Shri M. Nagaraju addressed the function.

133 coal mines were put up for auction in the 6^th round of commercial auctions, out of which 71 are new coal mines and 62 coal mines are rolling over from earlier tranches of commercial auctions. Additionally, 8 coal mines under 2^nd attempt of 5^th round of commercial auctions were included for which single bids were received in the first attempt. With the launch of this auction tranche, the Ministry of Coal re-affirms its commitment to attain self-sufficiency in the area of thermal coal.

Mines falling under protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, critical habitats, having forest cover greater than 40%, heavily built-up area etc. have been excluded. The block boundaries of some of the coal mines where there was presence of dense habitation, high green cover or critical infrastructure etc. have been modified based on comments received during stakeholder consultations to enhance bidders’ interest and participation in these coal blocks.  The mines being auctioned are spread across coal/ lignite bearing states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Bihar.

Key features of the auction process include reduction in upfront amount and bid security amount, permission to relinquish part of the coal mine in case of partially explored coal mines, introduction of National Coal Index and National Lignite Index, ease of participation with no entry barriers, full flexibility in coal utilisation, optimized payment structures, incentives for early production, coal gasification and usage of clean coal technologies.

The commencement of sale of tender document shall start from November 03, 2022. Details of the mines, auction terms, timelines etc. can be accessed on MSTC auction platform. The auction shall be held online through a transparent two stage process, on the basis of Percentage Revenue Share.SBI Capital Markets Limited, the sole Transaction Advisor to Ministry of Coal for the commercial coal mine auctions, had devised the methodology and is assisting the Ministry of Coal in conducting the auction process.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal today said India needs to become a quality conscious nation, and adopt quality as an integral part of the process in preparing the foundation of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Until India becomes a leader in quality, it will not be able to become a developed economy. He was addressing the inaugural session of the Bureau of Indian Standards Seminar on emerging global trends in laboratories of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

To become a global manufacturing power, Shri Goyal said, India will have to do both- expand its manufacturing ecosystem and also implement high quality standards for goods and services that it offers. Shri Goyal added that BIS is a very important element in this entire ecosystem.  He also lauded BIS for playing a catalytic role in the success of Make in India program.

Referring to the agenda of Seminar, Shri Goyal said we are looking at how India can be at the forefront of the modern contemporary testing ecosystem which is a must for India to become a manufacturing power to take forward the ‘Make in India’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized that India is on the right track to make testing and laboratory systems an integral part of the world which have been drawn up for India to not only satisfy the aspirations of a billion plus people, but to also meet the needs of a world that is very demanding.

Emphasizing on the need for BIS to reassess its own processes and reorient itself to be in sync with modern requirements, Shri Goyal said all three pillars of BIS – standards creation, ensuring adequate lab testing facilities across the country, and certification of products and processes will have to become much more contemporary and technology driven.

Shri Goyal said that a mapping of India’s laboratory infrastructure has been done. This will help in assessing the critical gaps in the testing infrastructure across the country. He elaborated that these gaps could be in terms of long distances for particular industries to go and get their products either certified. There could be gaps in terms of technology that is in use in labs, or the type of equipment that is being used. He added that BIS is building up a roadmap to plug these gaps. To make India a quality conscious country, Shri Goyal said the Government will collectively engage with the private sector and extend support, and also explore investments into the laboratories to have adequate infrastructure. Technology will be at the fulcrum of all these efforts in order to minimize human interface, he added.

He suggested having quality control orders for more products in the country and noted that medium and large industries have no excuse not to accept high quality standards and quality control orders. Implementing it will lead to greater acceptance in the markets and also help in ensuring that low quality goods do not come to India.

He urged BIS to do a complete study of what quality standards the world is adopting, which are the areas that India needs to focus on and what can be done to build up the necessary infrastructure to meet those standards.He said we should have our own Indian standards on every product and also asked Industry to align with the world standards.

He suggested that Artificial intelligence can be used in laboratory certification. Elaborating on this, he said If any company is consistently adhering to high quality standards, they can be removed from repeated inspections or can be given licenses for longer duration. This will reduce the burden on our industry and encourage consistent performance. He also asked BIS to look into extending significant support to Women Entrepreneurs, young Startups, MSMEs in terms of Testing Charges.

Minister cited the example of Toys, where government efforts led to transformation results with domestically made Toys meeting standards of quality, sustainability and safety.

Shri Goyal laid emphasis on the significance of generating awareness among consumers. He said this will have to be a collective effort and also sought support of the media in this effort. To make India a testing hub and a country conscious of high quality, there is no better way than to become a demanding consumer. He added that demanding Quality will act as a driving force for our manufacturers and the whole ecosystem and help Leapfrog India into a vibrant, modern, contemporary, technologically enabled testing, inspection and certification story.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that the country is moving towards positive changes. The current scenario of India has changed, within the country and at the world level. Today we have the capability of making our nation strong in every respect. Shri Tomar said this at India Chem-2022 (12th Biennial International Conference and Exhibition, Vision-2030 – Role of Chemicals and Petrochemicals in Building India), organized by the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and FICCI, here today.

The Minister further said that with coordination we can achieve our goals in a given period in all areas. Government, farmers, and industry all have the same aim that our work should bring positive results. This will help the country to move forward. He said that the big economies of the world have not yet recovered from the impact of Covid, but still our country’s economy is strong. The reason for this is the timely steps taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The central government made many efforts one after the other for other industries including MSMEs and also for agriculture and the common poor man. Work was done to make vaccines on time, injecting the economy with schemes like PLI. Shri Tomar said with reference to the primacy of agriculture in India that the nature of any person and the country never changes. If we want to move forward, then we have to move forward according to our basic instinct. Agriculture and the agricultural economy is the strength of India. Agriculture should be profitable, production-productivity should increase, chemical-fertilizer should be used properly, awareness about soil health should increase, all this is necessary for the holistic development of agriculture. There was a time when only the availability of fertilizers and seeds or the creation of irrigation facilities was considered necessary for agriculture. Seed sellers used to think of seeds, Fertilizers seller used to see their own benefits but now when we think about the agriculture sector, then there is a need to think holistically. When this happens, everyone benefits from it. Farmers will be benefitted and the country will also get more employment opportunities. The Government of India has been working in this direction for the last eight years under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

Union Minister Shri Tomar said that the problems regarding the registration of pesticides were rectified after deliberation and review. The government is constantly trying to remove all such obstacles and problems. We all know that Prime Minister Shri Modi give emphasis on Ease of Doing. We will try our best to resolve all the hurdles faced by the industry, and the conclusions that will come in the deliberations of this conference. Shri Tomar said that all should join together, cooperate with each other, and move forward so that when India celebrates 100 years of independence, then we should get the pride of being citizens of a developed India. A strong and capable India should be handed over to the next generation. If we discharge the role that we all have, then we will definitely achieve this goal.

Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Bhagwant Khuba and Secretary Shri Arun Baroka, Agriculture Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja and representatives of various industries also expressed their views in the conference.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated 3024 newly constructed EWS flats at Kalkaji, Delhi built for rehabilitating slum dwellers under the ‘In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project’ and handed over keys to eligible beneficiaries at Bhoomiheen Camp in a programme at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today is a big day for hundreds of families of Delhi as it is a new beginning for many jhuggi dwelling poor families. The Prime Minister informed that more than 3000 homes have already been prepared in the first phase of Kalkaji Extension alone. Very soon, other families living in the area will get the opportunity to enter their new homes. “I am sure that these efforts of the central government will play a big role in making Delhi an ideal city”, he said. Remarking on the development that is witnessed and the dreams that are realised in big cities like Delhi, the Prime Minister said that the foundation of such developments and dreams is made up of the hard work and efforts of the poor. “Paradoxically”, he said, “these poor people have been made to live in deplorable conditions. When there is such an imbalance in one single city, who can we think of holistic development? In the Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, we have to fill this huge gap. That is why, the country is moving on the path of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas for everyone’s upliftment”

The Prime Minister pointed out that for decades, the system of governance in the country was plagued with the mentality that poverty is a poor people’s issue but the government of today belongs to the poor and it is not in its nature to leave them be. He highlighted that the poor remain central to policy formation and decision-making systems and that the government is treating the issues of the urban poor with equal importance”, Shri Modi added.

The Prime Minister said that there were 50 lakh people in Delhi, who did not even have a bank account. That deprived them of any benefit of the banking system. “They were in Delhi but Delhi was very far from them”, he said. This situation was changed by the government and a campaign for financial inclusion via opening accounts was undertaken. This resulted in direct benefits to the poor people of Delhi, including street vendors. He also commented on the ubiquitous penetration of UPI. More than 50 thousand street vendors received financial assistance under the SVANidhi scheme.

The Prime Minister said, “We are ensuring ‘Ease of Living’ for the poor in Delhi through ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’.” This proved hugely beneficial for poor segments during the pandemic. Lakhs of eligible vulnerable people are receiving free ration from the central government for the last two years. In Delhi only, more than 2.5 thousand crore Rupees were spent on this, he informed. The Prime Minister continued and informed that more than 40 lakh poor people in Delhi got the security of insurance. Medical expenses were brought down through Jan Aushadhi Schemes. “When there is this security in life, the poor work hard with all their might without rest. He works to lift himself out of poverty.”, he added. The Prime Minister said that all this is done without much fanfare and expansive advertisements. This is because “we live to bring change in your lives”, he said.

Speaking on the topic of unauthorised colonies in Delhi the Prime Minister acknowledged the constant worry of the people about the status of their houses. “The central government has also done the work of reducing this concern of the people of Delhi. Work is going on to regularise the houses built in unauthorised colonies of Delhi through the PM-UDAY scheme. Till now thousands of people have taken advantage of this scheme”, he said. He also mentioned that 700 crore rupees have been spent in providing interest subsidies to poor and middle-class families for constructing their own houses.

“Our government is leaving no stone unturned to fulfil the aspirations of citizens in Delhi. The aim of the central government is to turn Delhi into a grand city complete with all amenities in accordance with its status as the capital of the country. Referring to his talk of ‘aspirational society’ from the ramparts of Red Fort, the Prime Minister said Delhi’s poor and middle class is both aspirational and talented.

Emphasising the development in the Delhi NCR region, the Prime Minister informed about the expansion of metro routes from 190 km to 400 km after 2014. He further noted that in the last 8 years, 135 new metro stations have been added to the network which ended up saving time and money. The Prime Minister also informed that the Government of India with an investment of Rs. 50 thousand crores is widening roads to provide relief to Delhi from traffic congestion. The Prime Minister gave examples of Dwarka Expressway, Urban Extension Road, Akshardham to Baghpat 6-lane Access Control Highway and elevated corridor in the form of Gurugram-Sohna Road.

The Prime Minister informed that services like Rapid Rail for Delhi NCR are going to begin in the near future. He noted the grand construction of the New Delhi Railway Station that is going to take place and expressed delight at the construction of Bharat Vandana Park on 80 hectares of land in Dwarka which is now moving towards completion in the next few months. “I am told that over 700 big parks in Delhi are maintained by the DDA. Various parks are being developed by DDA on the 22 km stretch between Wazirabad barrage to Okhla barrage”, he informed.

The Prime Minister asked the beneficiaries of the new houses to use LED bulbs only to save electricity, to make sure no water gets wasted and most importantly to keep the entire colony clean and beautiful. He noted that today the government of India is building houses for crores of poor people, supplying water through taps, providing electricity connections, Ujjwala cylinders, and so we have to break the age-old misconception that slums are associated with filth. “I am sure everyone will continue to play a leading role in the development of Delhi and the country. With the contribution of every citizen, the journey of Delhi and India’s development will reach new heights”, the Prime Minister concluded.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Kaushal Kishore, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi and Members of Parliament were those present on occasion.

Background

In line with the vision of the Prime Minister to provide housing for all, in-situ slum rehabilitation in 376 Jhuggi Jhopri clusters is being undertaken by Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The objective of the rehabilitation project is to provide a better and healthy living environment to the residents of Jhuggi Jhopri clusters, with proper amenities and facilities.

DDA has undertaken three such projects at Kalkaji Extension, Jailorwala Bagh and Kathputli Colony. Under the Kalkaji Extension Project, in-situ Slum Rehabilitation of three slum clusters namely Bhoomiheen Camp, Navjeevan camp and Jawahar camp located at Kalkaji is being taken up in a phased manner. Under Phase I, 3024 EWS flats at the nearby vacant commercial centre site have been constructed. The Jhuggi Jhopri site at Bhoomiheen Camp will be vacated by rehabilitating eligible households of Bhoomiheen camp to the newly constructed  EWS flats. Post vacation of Bhoomiheen Campsite, this vacated site will be utilised for rehabilitation of Navjeevan Camp and Jawahar Camp in Phase II.

Phase I of the Project has been completed and 3024 flats are ready to move in. These flats have been constructed at the cost of about Rs. 345 crores and are equipped with all civic amenities including finishing having been done with vitrified floor tiles, ceramics tiles, Udaipur green marble counter in the kitchen, etc. Public amenities like community parks, electric substations, sewage treatment plants, dual water pipelines, lifts, underground reservoirs for hygienic water supply etc. have also been provided. The allotment of flats will provide ownership title and a sense of security to the residents.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural function of Invest Karnataka 2022, the Global Investors Meet of the state today via video conferencing.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister greeted the people of Karnataka for their Rajyotsava, which was observed yesterday. The Prime Minister remarked that Karnataka is an amalgamation of tradition and technology, nature and culture, wonderful architecture and vibrant startups. “Brand Bengaluru comes foremost to the mind when it comes to talent or technology. This name is well established not only in India but the entire world”, Shri Modi said.

The Prime Minister expressed delight at the organisation of the investors’ meeting in Karnataka and remarked that it is a perfect example of competitive and cooperative federalism. He noted that manufacturing and production are majorly dependent on the policies and control of the state government. “Through this Global Investors’ Meet, states can target specific sectors and forge a partnership with other countries”, he added and expressed happiness that thousands of crores of partnerships are planned at this meet which will result in boosting employment for the youth of the nation.

The Prime Minister said that in the 21st century, from its current position, India has only to move forward. India received a record foreign investment of 84 billion dollars last year. Referring to the sense of global optimism towards India, the Prime Minister said, “These are uncertain times, still most of the nations are convinced about the fundamentals of the Indian Economy. In this period of fragmentation, India is moving with the world and giving emphasis on working with the world. India could assure the world about the supply of medicines and vaccines in the period of the disrupted supply chain, he said. Despite a climate of market saturation, our domestic markets are strong due to the aspirations of our citizens. The Prime Minister highlighted that even in times of a global crisis, experts, analysts and economists have hailed India as a bright spot. “We are continuously working towards cementing our fundamentals to further strengthen India’s economy with each passing day”, Shri Modi said. The Prime Minister stressed the need to understand the trajectory of the Indian economy. He explained the change of approach from 9-10 years ago when the country was grappling with policy and implementation-related issues. He underlined that “instead of trapping the investors in the red tape, we created an environment of the red carpet for investment, and instead of making new complicated laws, we rationalised them.”

The Prime Minister said “Building a New India is possible only with bold reforms, massive infrastructure and the best of talent. Today bold reforms are carried out in every sphere of the government.” He mentioned GST, IBC, Banking reforms, UPI, abolition of 1500 outdated laws and 40 thousand unnecessary compliances. He also said that steps like decriminalisation of many company law provisions, faceless assessment, new avenues for FDI, liberalisation of drone rules, geospatial and space sector and defence sector are bringing unprecedented energy. The Prime Minister said that the number of operational airports has doubled in the last 8 years and Metro has expanded in more than 20 cities.

Highlighting the aim of the PM-GatiShakti National Master Plan, the Prime Minister remarked that it is aimed at integrated infrastructure development. He explained that a road map is prepared not just for developing infrastructure but also for existing infrastructure while the most efficient route is discussed in implementing the plan. Shri Modi stressed the emphasis on last-mile connectivity and ways to improve the product or service by making it world-class. The Prime Minister highlighted the strides made by the youth in this journey and said every sector in India is being propelled by the energy of Youth Power.

The Prime Minister emphasised “Goals of development can be achieved only by focusing on investment and human capital. Moving forward on this thinking, we promoted investments in the Health and Education sector. Our aim is also to increase productivity as well as to improve Human Capital.” The Prime Minister elaborated by mentioning simultaneous push on things like manufacturing incentives along with health assurance schemes; ease of doing business as well as health and wellness centres; highways network as well as provision of toilets and clean drinking water; futuristic infrastructure as well as smart schools. On the environment-friendly growth of the country, the Prime Minister said “Our initiatives towards green growth and sustainable energy have attracted more and more investors. Those who want to return their cost and also want to fulfil their responsibility towards this earth, they are looking towards India with hope.”

Reflecting on the power of the double-engine government in Karnataka, the Prime Minister said that it is one of the reasons for the faster development of many sectors in the state. Giving examples, the Prime Minister stated that Karnataka continues to maintain its place among the top rankers in the Ease of Doing Business and credited this to its inclusion in the list of top states in terms of FDI. He underlined, “400 of the Fortune 500 companies are here and out of 100 plus unicorns of India, more than 40 are in Karnataka” he added. The Prime Minister mentioned that Karnataka is being counted as the largest technology cluster in the world today which is home to industry, information technology, fintech, biotech, startups as well as sustainable energy. “A new story of development is being written in every field”, he continued. He further added that several development parameters of Karnataka are challenging not only other states of India but also some countries. Highlighting that India is entering a new phase of the manufacturing domain, the Prime Minister mentioned the National Semiconductor Mission and pointed out that the tech ecosystem here will take chip design and manufacturing to new heights.

Drawing an analogy between the vision of India with that of an investor, the Prime Minister pointed out that as an investor moves forward with a medium and long-term vision, India also has an inspirational long-term. He gave examples of nano urea, hydrogen energy, green ammonia, coal gasification and space satellites and underlined that today India is moving ahead with the mantra of development of the world. “This is the Amrit Kaal of India, and in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the people of the country are taking a pledge to build a new India.”, he remarked. The Prime Minister concluded his address by stating that India has set a target of becoming a developed nation by 2047 and for it is very important that the investment and India’s inspiration should come together as the development of inclusive, democratic and strong India will accelerate the development of the world. “Investing in India means investing in inclusion, investing in Democracy, investing for the world, and investing for a better, cleaner and a safer planet”, the Prime Minister concluded.

Background

The meeting aims to attract prospective investors and set up a development plan for the next decade. The three-day programme, being held from 2nd to 4th November in Bengaluru would witness more than 80 speaker sessions. The speakers include some of the top industry leaders such as Kumar Mangalam Birla, Sajjan Jindal and Vikram Kirloskar among others. Along with this, a number of business exhibitions with more than three hundred exhibitors and country sessions would run parallelly. The country sessions would each be hosted by the partner countries – France, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, and Australia – which would be bringing in high-level ministerial and industrial delegations from their respective countries. The global scale of the event will give Karnataka an opportunity to showcase its culture to the world as well.

As part of ongoing Naval Commanders’ Conference, the Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh interacted with the senior hierarchy of the Indian Navy on 02 Nov 22. The RM and other senior dignitaries of MoD also witnessed a technology demonstration put up by Naval Headquarters and Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE), the R&D arm of the Navy, showcasing ongoing and planned indigenous projects utilising niche technologies in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Tactical Communications, Combat Management Systems, Cyber Security, Periscopes and Combat Platform Integration. This reaffirms Indian Navy’s commitment of spearheading indigenous efforts in all spheres of Naval Operations.

Hon’ble RM, during the interaction, commended the Navy for maintaining a high Operational tempo towards ensuring secure seas for national security and prosperity. He congratulated the Navy for successful commissioning of INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously designed and constructed Aircraft Carrier and adoption of a new Naval Ensign, shedding vestigial linkages to our colonial past.

He appreciated the Navy for evolving into a ‘Combat-ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof’ force of the country. He also emphasized the importance of ‘Whole of Nation’ approach towards overcoming the nation’s security challenges. The Hon’ble RM appreciated the Navy for the efforts towards indigenisation and innovation in the recent years, while urging the Naval Commanders to maintain focus on futuristic capability development for effectively overcoming emerging challenge in the Maritime Domain.

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 said, India has entered into an era of ‘Steel” roads, by moving on from concrete to steel slag. He said, in a first of its kind initiative taken in the World by CSIR-CRRI, TATA Steel and Border Roads Organization, processed steel slag aggregates is going to be utilised in construction of steel slag road stretch in strategic areas.

The Minister was speaking after flagging off virtually the dispatch of 1600 metric ton of processed Steel Slag Aggregates railway rack from Tata Steel Jamshedpur to Border Road Organization Project Arunank, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

This is the first of its kind initiative in the world by CSIR-CRRI, TATA Steel and Border Roads Organization, wherein processed steel slag aggregates is going to be utilised in construction of steel slag road stretch in strategic areas.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, to meet the demand of Border Roads, India’s second largest and oldest Steel Company, TATA Steel has come forward under the collaborative R&D alliance with CSIR- Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to supply processed BOF steel slag aggregates developed at TATA Steel Jamshedpur plant under CRRI technological guidance.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, as per Prime Minister Modi’s vision for “Waste to Wealth” and NITI Aayog instructions, CSIR CRRI has developed this technology under the sponsored research project of the Ministry of Steel. He said, one third of 37 labs of CSIR in the country are working for developing suitable technologies for creating Waste to Wealth.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, today’s event is yet another demonstration of application of science for “Ease of Living” and it also underlines the Integration and Whole of Government Approach, as 4 prominent entities TATA Steel, CSIR, Border Roads Organization and Ministry of Steel came together to take “Waste to Wealth” concept to a new level.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is worth mentioning that construction cost of this road is 30% less than the conventional road constructed with Natural aggregates, while it has 3 to 4 times higher strength. India has a vast road network and under the national highway development program, Bharatmala Project, massive Road construction is happening. The Minister hoped that the success of this technology would not only address the problem of the availability of natural aggregates for road construction but also be helpful in restraining the unsustainable quarrying of land resources.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, after learning through the success story of Steel Slag Road and its novel technological features on durability front, Border Roads Organization approached CSIR-CRRI to implement steel slag road technology in Arunachal Pradesh where they are facing acute shortage of good quality natural aggregates to construct durable all-weather road. He said, the conversion of steel slag into road-making aggregates will not only mitigate the problem of steel slag waste management for steel industries, but will also provide a long lasting, durable and viable alternative of natural aggregates for road construction.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is currently the world’s 2nd largest producer of crude steel, producing over 118 million tonnes (MT) crude steel of which around 20 percent steel slag is generated as solid waste and its disposal is a big challenge to the steel industries. He said, to address this challenge, CSIR- CRRI came up with technological innovation and guided build India’s First Steel Slag Road at Surat, Gujarat. He said, around 1 lakh tonne processed steel slag aggregates are developed under CSIR-CRRI technological guidance at Arcellor Mittal Nippon Steel Plant Hazira and successfully utilised as substitutes of natural aggregates in road construction.

Dr Jitendra Singh complimented CSIR for coming out with unique innovations like Purple Revolution in J&K for lavender cultivation, Heliborne technology for water assessment for Jal Shakti Ministry, Drone technology for use in agricultural applications, Drugs for Health Ministry and ICMR and use of cooked oil for making alternative fuel by CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun.

Dr. V.K.Saraswat, Member Niti Aayog emphasised the urgent need of utilisation of waste steel slag in Roads, Railways and Runways and informed that the CSIR-CRRI is also exploring utilisation of steel slag as substitute of railway ballast for Indian Railways.

On this occasion Director General CSIR and Secretary DSIR, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi spoke that the CSIR-CRRI under the R&D study with Ministry of Steel and four major leading steel industries TATA Steel, JSW Steel, AMNS India and RINL has successfully explored the potential utilisation of 195 lakh tonne of steel slag as road making aggregates, which set a good example of translational research under Waste to Wealth.

Director General Border Roads Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary, PVSM has informed that the BRO is looking forward to implement the steel slag road technology at Arunachal Pradesh for long lasting durable infrastructure and inducted Shri Satish Pandey, Principal Scientist CSIR-CRRI as officer on board in BRO for implementation at Arunachal Pradesh.

Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Director CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, in his welcome address at TATA Nagar Railway Station, highlighted the advantages of steel slag road technology such as high strength and long-term durability, thickness reduction and environmental benefits.

Uttam Singh, Vice President, Tata Steel, informed that around 1.6 million tonne steel slag is generated annually in TATA Steel, Jamshedpur plant. By supplying a value added industrial by product for road construction in the form of steel slag aggregates, TATA Steel has reiterated its commitment to building a more sustainable steel sector by adopting the principle of circular economy and has pioneered in a nation building initiative.

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful maiden flight-test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor AD-1 missile with large kill altitude bracket from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on November 02, 2022. The flight-test was carried out with participation of all BMD weapon system elements located at different geographical locations.

The AD-1 is a long-range interceptor missile designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interception of long-range ballistic missiles as well as aircraft. It is propelled by a two-stage solid motor and equipped with indigenously-developed advanced control system, navigation and guidance algorithm to precisely guide the vehicle to the target.

During the flight-test, all the sub-systems performed as per expectations and were validated by the data captured by a number of range sensors including Radar, Telemetry and Electro Optical Tracking stations deployed to capture the flight data.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and other teams associated with successful flight trial of AD-1. He termed it as a unique type of interceptor with advanced technologies available with a very few nations in the world. He exuded confidence that it will further strengthen the country’s BMD capability to the next level.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat congratulated his team on the successful trial, stating that this interceptor will provide great operational flexibility to the users and having capability to engage many different types of targets.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs. 860 crores in Jambughoda, Panchmahal in Gujarat today.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today is a momentous day for the Adivasi and tribal communities of Gujarat. The Prime Minister recalled visiting Mangarh earlier in the day and paying his tributes to Govind Guru and thousands of tribal freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom.

Recalling his long association with the area, the Prime Minister expressed great pride in being present at Jambughoda which has been a witness to the great sacrifice of the tribal community of India. “Today we are all full of pride as we salute the immortal fighters like Shaheed Joriya Parmeshwar, Roop Singh Nayak, Galaliya Nayak, Ravjida Nayak and Babariya Galma Nayak”, the Prime Minister said.

Today, the Prime Minister said,  hundreds of crores worth of projects related to health, education and skill development of the entire region are being inaugurated and the foundation stone is being laid. Referring to the new administrative campus of Govind Guru University and  Kendriya Vidyalaya, the Prime Minister said that these projects will help our tribal children a lot.

Comparing Jambughoda to a holy place, the Prime Minister recalled its glorious history of tribal bravery and fight for freedom. He talked of the Naikda movement that gave impetus to the revolution of 1857. Parmeshwar Joriya expanded the movement and Roop Singh Nayak also joined him. He fought together with Tatya Tope, who played a leading role in the revolt of 1857, the Prime Minister recalled. The Prime Minister recalled the occasion when he got the opportunity to bow before the tree where these bravehearts were hanged by the Britishers. A book too was released there in 2012.

The Prime Minister recalled a tradition started long ago in Gujarat of naming schools after martyrs. Primary schools of Vadek and Dandiyapura were named after Sant Joriya Parmeshwar and Roop Singh Nayak. Today, the Prime Minister informed, these schools have acquired a completely new look. A grand statue of both tribal heroes has been inaugurated in these schools that have now become important centres of both education and the contribution of tribal society to the freedom struggle, he said.

The Prime Minister recalled the development gap created by the earlier government that he inherited when he was given the chance to serve Gujarat two decades ago. There was a great lack of basic facilities for education, nutrition and water in the tribal areas. “To deal with this situation, we worked in the spirit of Sabka Prayas”, he said, “Our tribal brothers and sisters took charge of the change and the government, being a friend to them, extended all possible help.” The Prime Minister pointed out that the change is not a result of a single day’s work but it is the round-the-clock efforts of lakhs of tribal families. The Prime Minister gave examples of 10 thousand new schools from primary to secondary levels that began in the tribal belt, dozens of Eklavya Model Schools, special residential schools for daughters, and ashram shalas. The Prime Minister also noted the facilities of free travel on buses provided to the daughters and the availability of nutritious food in schools.

Recalling the Kanya Shiksha Rath, the Prime Minister highlighted the efforts of the government to persuade people to send their daughters to school. He also pointed out the absence of scientific education in school as another challenge that marred the tribal belt and informed that in the last two decades, 11 science colleges, 11 commerce colleges, 23 arts colleges and hundreds of hostels were opened in tribal districts.

The Prime Minister also threw light on the severe shortage of schools in tribal areas 20-25 years ago. “Today there are 2 tribal universities, Govind Guru University in Godhra and Birsa Munda University in Narmada that make for the finest institutions of higher education” he added. The Prime Minister further elaborated that the facilities at Govind Guru University will be further expanded after the inauguration of the new campus. He also mentioned that the new campus of the Skill University of Ahmedabad will also benefit the youth of all tribal areas including Panchmahal. “This is the first university in the country which has got the recognition to grant a Drone Pilot Licence”, Shri Modi underlined.

Throwing light on the huge role that Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana has played in the all-round development of tribal districts in the last decades, the Prime Minister said that in the last 14-15 years, more than Rs 1 lakh crore has been spent under this scheme in tribal areas. He also informed that the Gujarat government has decided to further spend Rs 1 lakh crore in the coming years.

Giving insights into the overall development of the region the Prime Minister gave examples of piped water facilities, micro-irrigation, and the emphasis on the dairy sector in tribal areas. He also informed that Sakhi Mandals were formed to empower tribal sisters and increase their income. Underlining that the tribal youth should get the benefits of rapid industrialization in Gujarat, the Prime Minister mentioned the opening up of many modern training centres such as Vocational Centres, ITIs and Kisan Vikas Kendras that have helped around 18 lakh tribal youth acquire training and get placement.

Highlighting the menace of sickle cell disease 20-25 years ago, the Prime Minister pointed out that the tribal districts lacked dispensaries and had negligible facilities for large hospitals and medical colleges. “Today”, he said, “the double-engine government has established hundreds of small hospitals at the village level and opened up more than 1400 health and wellness centres in the tribal areas. He noted that the work on the new building of Godhra Medical College will reduce the burden on medical colleges built in Dahod, Banaskantha, and Valsad.

“Due to Sabka Prayas, good roads have reached every village in the tribal districts with 24 hours electricity.” He informed that the tribal district of Dang was the first district in Gujarat to have 24 hours electricity which resulted in the expansion of industries in tribal areas. “Along with the Golden Corridor of Gujarat, twin cities are being developed. Industrial development is happening rapidly in Halol-Kalol”, he informed.

Highlighting the efforts of the central government in the upliftment of tribal societies in India, the Prime Minister informed that it was the BJP government that created a separate ministry for the tribal society for the first time and implemented a successful scheme like Van Dhan. Furthering his point, the Prime Minister gave examples of the government abolishing the law banning the cultivation and sale of bamboo that had been going on since the British era, ending the continuous neglect of forest produce, giving the benefit of MSP to the tribals on more than 80 different forest produces, and working towards increasing the pride of the tribals while making their life easier. “For the first time, the tribal society has a feeling of increased participation in development and policy-making”, the Prime Minister said. He informed of the government’s decision to celebrate the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.

The Prime Minister also underlined the continuous effort of the double-engine government towards the poor, downtrodden, backward, and tribal communities. The Prime Minister gave examples of the free ration scheme, free covid vaccines, treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for the poor, assisting pregnant women so that they get nutritious food, and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi  Yojna for small farmers to avail loans for fertilisers, seeds, electricity bills etc. “Be it direct help or facilities like pucca houses, toilets, gas connections, and water connections, the biggest beneficiaries of these are tribals, dalits, and backward families”, Shri Modi stated.

Throwing light on the history of tribal heroes who played a huge role in saving India’s culture and faith, the Prime Minister gave examples of  Champaner, Pavagadh, Somnath, and Haldighati. He remarked, “Now the Pavagadh temple has been renovated and the flag is hoisted in full glory. Similarly, be it Ambaji Mata’s Dham and Devmogra Maa’s temple, continuous efforts are also being made for their development.”

The Prime Minister recognised the crucial role played by tourism to boost employment. He mentioned places like Panchmahal which is very rich from the point of view of tourism, Champaner-Pavagadh which is famous for ancient architecture, wildlife in Jambughoda, Hathni Mata Waterfall, eco-tourism sites in Dhanpuri, Kada Dam, Dhaneshwari Mata Temple, and Jand Hanuman Ji.and underlined that in the days to come, these places will be developed as a tourism circuit and will create new employment opportunities. “The development of places of pride for tribals and places of faith will give a lot of impetus to tourism”, he added.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister praised the wide scope of development of the double-engine government and mentioned that the benefits of development reach everyone. “Our intention is clear, to bring change on the ground with hard work and dedication. Together we will build a developed Gujarat, and a developed India”, he concluded.

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Members of Parliament, and Ministers of Gujarat Government were those present on occasion.

Background

The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs. 860 crores in Jambughoda, Panchmahal. He dedicated the new campus of Shri Govind Guru University, Godhara, Sant Joriya Parameshwar Primary School and Memorial located at Vadek village and Raja Rup Singh Nayak Primary School and Memorial located in Dandiyapura village.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the building of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Godhra. He also laid the foundation stone for the development of Godhra Medical College and the expansion of Kaushalya – The Skill University, worth over Rs. 680 crores.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired a meeting in Morbi, Gujarat to review the situation in the wake of the unfortunate bridge mishap there.

Prime Minister said that the authorities must stay in touch with the affected families and ensure that they receive all possible help in this tragic hour.

Officials briefed the Prime Minister on the rescue ops and the assistance provided to those affected.

Prime Minister said the need of the hour is to conduct a detailed and extensive inquiry which will identify all aspects relating to this mishap. He also added that the key learnings from the inquiry must be implemented at the earliest.

Those present at the meeting were CM Bhupendrabhai Patel, MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi, Minister in the Gujarat Government Brijesh Merja, Chief Secretary of Gujarat, State DGP, local Collector, SP,  Inspector General of Police, MLAs and MPs and other officials.

Earlier, upon reaching Morbi, the Prime Minister visited the site of the bridge mishap. He went to the local hospital where the injured are recovering. He also interacted with those involved in rescue and relief work and lauded their fortitude.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi attended a public programme ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ today and paid homage to the sacrifices of unsung tribal heroes and martyrs of the freedom struggle. After arriving at the venue, the Prime Minister performed Dhuni Darshan and paid floral tributes to the statue of Govind Guru.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that it is always inspiring to be in the holy land of Mangarh which is a symbol of tapasya, sacrifice, bravery and sacrifice of our tribal bravehearts. “Mangarh is a shared heritage of the people of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat”, he said. The Prime Minister paid tributes to Govind Guru whose death Anniversary fell on 30th October.

As the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the Prime Minister recalled serving the region of Mangarh which is part of Gujarat and informed that Govind Guru spent the last years of his life here, and his energy and knowledge can still be felt in the soil of this land. The Prime Minister remembered that the entire area which was a barren land earlier got transformed with greenery after he urged everyone via the platform of Van Mahotsav. The Prime Minister thanked the Tribal Community for selflessly working for the campaign.

The Prime Minister said that the development not only resulted in an improvement of the life quality of the local people but also led to the propagation of the teachings of Govind Guru. “Great freedom fighters like Govind Guru were the representative of India’s tradition and ideals”, the Prime Minister continued “Govind Guru lost his family but never lost his heart and made every tribal person his family.” If Govind Guru fought against Britishers for the rights of the tribal community, the Prime Minister pointed out, he also campaigned against the ills of his own community as he was a social reformer, spiritual leader, a saint and a leader. His intellectual and philosophical aspect was as vibrant as his courage and social activism, the Prime Minister said.

Remembering the massacre of 17th November 1913 in Mangarh, the Prime Minister remarked that it was an example of extreme cruelty by British rule in India. Shri Modi said,  “On one hand we had the innocent tribals who were seeking independence while on the other hand, it was the British colonial rulers who after surrounding the hills of Mangarh, massacred more than one thousand five hundred innocent men, women, elderly and children in broad daylight.” The Prime Minister interjected that due to unfortunate circumstances, such a significant and impactful event of the freedom struggle could not find its place in the history books. The Prime Minister exclaimed, “In this Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, India is filling this void and correcting the mistakes that were made decades ago.”

The Prime Minister emphasised that “India’s past, history, present and India’s future will never be complete without the tribal community. Every page of the story of our freedom struggle is filled with tribal valour.” The Prime Minister recalled glorious struggles that date back to as early as the 1780s when Santhal Sangram was fought under the leadership of Tilka Manjhi. He mentioned 1830-32 when the country witnessed Larka Andolan under the leadership of Budhu Bhagat. In 1855 Sidhu-Kanhu Kranti energised the nation. Bhagwan Birsa Munda inspired everyone with his energy and patriotism. “You will not find any patch of time starting from the beginning of slavery centuries ago, till the 20th century when the flame of Azadi was not kept ablaze by the tribal community”, the Prime Minister said. He mentioned Alluri Sitarama Raju in Andhra Pradesh. In Rajasthan, even before that, the Adivasi Samaj stood with Maharana Pratap. “We are indebted to the tribal community and their sacrifice. This samaj has preserved India’s character in nature, environment, culture and traditions. Today is the time for the nation to thank them by serving them”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister informed that on 15th November, the country is going to celebrate Janjatiya  Gaurav Diwas on the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. “The Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is an endeavour to educate the masses about the history of tribals in the freedom struggle”, he said. Shri Modi noted that special museums dedicated to tribal freedom fighters are being built across the country to take the history of tribal society to the masses. He further added that this grand legacy will now become a part of the thought process and provide inspiration for the younger generations.

The Prime Minister expressed the need to work with a dedicated spirit to extend the role of tribal society in the country. He highlighted that the country is working with clear policies to serve the diverse tribal society in all parts of the country ranging from Rajasthan and Gujarat to Northeast and Orissa. The Prime Minister highlighted that the tribal population is being provided water and electricity connections, education and health services, and employment opportunities through Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana. “Today, forest cover is also increasing in the country and resources are being protected” he continued, “At the same time, tribal areas are also being connected with Digital India.” The Prime Minister also mentioned Eklavya residential schools that provide opportunities for modern education to tribal youth along with traditional skills. The Prime Minister also informed that he will be heading to Jambughoda to inaugurate the grand administrative campus of the university named after Govind Guru Ji.

The Prime Minister recalled that only last evening he flagged off a train on Ahmedabad-Udaipur broad gauge line. He underlined the importance of the 300 km line for the people of Rajasthan as it will connect many tribal areas of Gujarat with the tribal areas of Rajasthan and will give a push to the industrial development and employment in these regions.

Throwing light on the discussion about the total development of Mangarh Dham, the Prime Minister expressed a strong desire for the grand expansion of Mangarh Dham. The Prime Minister requested the four state governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to work together and have a detailed discussion about preparing a roadmap so that this memorial site of Govind Guru Ji finds a place on the world map. “I am sure that the development of Mangarh Dham will make this area a place of inspiration for the new generation”, the Prime Minister concluded.

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mangubhai Patel, Union Minister of State for Culture, Shri Arjun Ram Meghawal, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, Members of Parliament, MLAs were those present on occasion among others

Background

As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the government has initiated several steps to celebrate unsung tribal heroes of the freedom struggle. These include declaring 15th November (birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda) as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’, setting up tribal museums across the country etc to recognise the contribution of tribal people to society and increase awareness about their sacrifices in the freedom struggle. In yet another step in this direction, the Prime Minister attended a public programme – ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ at Mangarh Hill, Banswara, Rajasthan, to pay homage to the sacrifices of the unsung tribal heroes and martyrs of the freedom struggle. During the programme, the Prime Minister paid homage to Bhil freedom fighter Shri Govind Guru and also addressed a gathering of Bhil Adivasis and other tribal populations of the region.

Mangarh Hill holds special importance for the Bhil community and other tribes of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. During the freedom struggle where Bhils and other tribes engaged in a long stand-off with the British, more than 1.5 lakh Bhils rallied at Mangarh Hill on 17th November 1913 under the leadership of Shri Govind Guru. Britishers opened fire at this gathering, leading to Mangarh Massacre where approximately 1500 tribals were martyred.

Union Minister for Labour & Employment, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the 70th Foundation Day of EPFO held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi today. He congratulated everyone on the occasion and emphasized the role of EPFO in nation-building and being an important part of nationwide Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

On this occasion the Union Minister inaugurated an exhibition named “EPFO @70 – The journey “, displaying the 70 years of EPFO history. A documentary film on the 70 years of existence of the organization titled EPFO @70 was also played on the occasion highlighting the organization’s achievements over the decades.  A special cover commemorating 70 years of organization was released by the Union Minister in collaboration with the Department of Post. The Union Minister also launched the document EPFO Vision @ 2047 and a booklet on the Chintan Shivir organized to layout the roadmap for EPFO for the next 25 years.

Marking this event, the Shri Yadav launched the Welcome Kit for Employers and Employees which included guidelines and suggestions for extending the benefits to the stakeholders. This kit was also released in 21 Vernacular languages apart from Hindi and English for the benefit of a larger subscriber base in the far-flung areas of the country.

The Minister laid the foundation stone of the Regional Office building, Pune in virtual mode. The Bhoomi Poojan was locally done by Shri Mahesh Landge, MLA, Bhosari. He also inaugurated the Regional Office building in Ranchi in virtual mode. The building was unveiled by Shri Sanjay Seth, MP, Ranchi and Shri Navin Jaiswal, Hon’ble MLA, Hatia at a local function at Ranchi.

The function also marked the distribution of awards to various offices and establishments: –

• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Performing Regional Office (Large):- Salem
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Performing Regional Office (Small):- Uduppi
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Performing District Office:- Jamnagar
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Performing Remote Office:- Regional Office, Jammu
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Performing Zonal Office:- Punjab & Himachal
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Innovative Practice Adopted by Field Office:- Guwahati
• Bhavishya Nidhi  Swachhata Award-2022:- Noida
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Regional Office in Grievance Redressal – Gurugram East
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best IT Team – MIS team headed by Shri R S Manoj Deputy Director, IS
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Employer for e-nomination – M/S SJ & SP Family Trust, Nizamabad, Telangana
• Bhavishya Nidhi Award-2022 for Best Performing Exempted Trust – M/s Tata Power Company Ltd, Nariman Point, Bandra

The Union Minister expressed happiness over the way EPFO has grown in the years gone by and the way it is managing its huge corpus of savings of the members. He further stressed the part to be played by EPFO in achieving the vision of Shramev Jayate of the Prime Minister. The five objectives of Chintan Shivir namely Mission 10 crore, Ease of compliance, EPFO Karmayogi, Satisfied members and Preparing for the future have been identified as mission areas for work to be taken up by EPFO in the future.

Shri Yadav also emphasized the importance of the four labour codes in which 29 labour laws have been subsumed. This rationalization and simplification of laws will minimize litigations and bring in ease of doing business. The whole of the government approach of the Prime Minister is being implemented to bring about policy intervention so that the benefit is delivered to the last man standing in the queue.

Shri Rameswar Teli, Minister of State for Labour & Employment welcomed and congratulated everyone on the occasion of 70^th Foundation Day of EPFO. He praised the concept of awarding the best performers and congratulated the winners. He expressed that the implementation of issues identified in the EPFO vision @2047 will help the organization fulfil the vision of universalization of social security in the country

Ms. Arti Ahuja, Secretary, Labour & Employment, Govt. of India expressed her happiness on the occasion and congratulated the winners of the awards. She expressed that this is an occasion to look back on what EPFO have achieved in the decades gone by and from here on how EPFO would innovate and deliver on the rising expectation of the members.

Ms. Dagmar Walter, Director, ILO Decent Work congratulated EPFO on this momentous occasion. She praised the good work done by the organization during the Pandemic and its efforts towards providing Nirbaad services to its members. As the Indian population ages, the importance and role of the organization in providing social security is going to increase in the years to come.

Mrs. Neelam Shami Rao, Central Provident Fund Commissioner, EPFO welcomed all the dignitaries who attended the 70th Foundation Day of EPFO and congratulated everyone on the historic occasion.