Significant potential for boosting exports of fruits and vegetables from Vidarbha region: Nitin Gadkari

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There is a significant potential for boosting exports of fruits and vegetables from Vidarbha region of Maharastra, Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India said today.

“In order to achieve higher exports, farmers have to adopt latest technology in agriculture and they have to be open to new research findings and adopting innovative farming practices as has been done in the grape-growing areas of Nashik in Maharashtra,” Gadkari said at an outreach programme on “Export Potential for Agri Crops, Fruits & Vegetables” in Amravati, Maharashtra.

The programme for boosting exports of citrus fruits and vegetables was organized by APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) – an organization under Department of Commerce, in association with Agrovision.

Stating that GI tagged Nagpur orange is grown in more than 70,000 hectares in Amravati Region, Gadkari said there is huge potential for export of Nagpur Oranges and other citrus fruits from the Region. Since Nagpur Orange is a GI product, it can also be sold at a premium, he pointed out. However, he also urged the scientists that R&D needs to be done for this sector in terms of increasing the yield, varietal improvement and value addition.

Gadkari stated that while exports of Indian mandarin have doubled in the last two years, manifold increase in the exports can be achieved only through required R&D and value addition. The minister appreciated the efforts of APEDA in terms of capacity building of the stakeholders, required infrastructure development, quality up-gradation and promotions abroad.  He urged APEDA to organize more capacity building programmes for the stakeholders for getting the required information and knowledge.

Exports of citrus fruits from India in 2019-20 stood at Rs329.32 crore and reached Rs 590.4 crore in 2020-21. The main markets were Bangladesh, Nepal, UAE and Bhutan, among others.

Gadkari emphasized on the right selection of planting material for GI tagged Nagpur Orange when targeting the export market and called for concerted focus to grow organic produce. The minister also exhorted farmers and exporters to comply with the norms of importing countries in packaging and to increase farm the productivity without compromising on the quality parameters in food safety aspects so as to ensure better realization for their produce. He also mentioned that use of drone technology for spraying of agrochemicals can reduce farm losses up to 70% when compared to current agronomical practices. Similarly, use of good packaging material also helps to minimize the post-export handling issues, Gadkari noted.

APEDA signed an MoU with Agrovision, which will facilitate and become an extended arm of APEDA in conducting capacity building programmes for the entrepreneurs, FPCs, FPOs and other stakeholders.

The programme was attended by a large number of FPOs, FPCs, Entrepreneurs, Startups, Young Buddy Entrepreneurs, State Government Officials, NGOs, Cooperatives and Technical Scientists. In the Technical Session, information was shared on norms for quality improvement, importing country protocols, new technical development, etc.

PM has institutionalised the capacity building mechanism for civil servants: Dr Jitendra Singh

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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 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has institutionalised the capacity building mechanism for civil servants, who are the pivotal instruments of governance:
Launching the “National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions” at Capacity Building Commission (CBC) headquarters here, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India became the first country in the world to come out with a unique model to create standards for civil service training institutions at national level and expressed hope that soon India will be a global model in this regard.

Dr Jitendra Singh also inaugurated the web-portal and approach paper for the National standards, as a part of the launch event in presence of over 103 participants consisting of 25 Central Training Institutions, 33 State level Administrative Training Institutions and other civil service training institutions along with capacity building commission.

The National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions (NSCSTI) is developed by CBC to create a baseline for Central Training Institutes on their current capacity, for elevating their quality and capacity of training delivery and to harmonise standards for training. It will also set aspirations for training institutions to strive towards excellence. The country is having standards and accreditation in higher education, healthcare and environment, but for the first time it became applicable for training institutions also.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s address at Kevadia, Gujarat during the 2nd edition of ‘Aarambh’ in October, 2020, wherein Shri Narendra Modi referred to the importance of the training and its major role in developing the skill-set for achieving new goals, for adopting new approaches and new ways in the country, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Standards will equip Central Training Institutions (CTIs) to help civil servants tackle emerging challenges of 21st century.

The Minister said, Mission Karmayogi is aimed at building a future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills and knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India. He added that training is one of the most important tools for capacity building and we must ensure that our civil servants are trained based on their needs and have anytime-anywhere learning opportunities. The Minister emphasised that the Mission Karmayogi has been launched to achieve this objective of continuous improvement and the Capacity Building Commission has been entrusted with realising the goals of Mission Karmayogi.

Dr. Jitendra Singh underlined that the Civil Service Training Institutes are the most critical actors in the supply-side ecosystem as our civil service training institutes train 31 lakh employees of the Government of India. He talked about the importance of having a common baseline and a standard scale of measurement for the diverse training institutes in India, which is instrumental in enhancing the capacity of CTIs and supporting them in adopting an aspirational path to achieve their specific goals and parameters.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, standardisation in the training ecosystem will play a pivotal role in elevating capacities of a training institute. He congratulated the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) for developing ‘National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions’ (NSCSTI), which will act as a tool to drive standardising and harmonisation. The Minister also commended the whole-of-government approach taken by the Commission while ideating on the focus area of the standards.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that CBC consulted various Central Training Institutions (CTIs), academia, global standard setting bodies in the development of the standards. He added that studies conducted by CBC highlighted 8 focus areas such as Training Needs Assessment (TNA), Faculty Development, Collaboration with different institutes, digital readiness etc. which have the potential to significantly elevate civil service capacity building.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India’s Central Training Institutions (CTIs) must contribute to the lifelong learning of the officers and act as mentors throughout their careers. He said, the three Es of civil service learning: Empowered learning, Effective Learning, Exploratory Learning and Electronic Learning. He further elaborated that engaging CTIs through a process of self-assessment will instil ownership of their transformation. A one-stop platform has been developed for streamlining the accreditation process for our training institutions and this will highlight best practices and enable cross-sharing and collaborative learning among CTIs, the Minister added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the pandemic has changed a lot of things and it also made us realise how quickly change can happen. He said, in post-pandemic world by leveraging technology, the world is moving towards a phygital way of learning – a mix of physical and digital. He added that the Standards will usher a shift towards digital learning through iGOT.

In his concluding remarks, the Minister said that training of officers and personnel requires to be constantly reviewed and upgraded in view of the fast pace of evolution in all spheres of life. He said, best global practices should be incorporated in training modules along with some incentives for excellence. He said, there is a need to align individual and departmental priorities to our national aspirations and priorities.

Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of the Capacity Building Commission, Members of the Commission – Praveen Pardeshi, Member-Administration, Dr R. Balasubramaniam, Member-Human Resource and Hemang Jani, Secretary of the Commission were present at the event.

PM’s statement ahead of Monsoon session of Parliament, 2022

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Namaskar friends,

This session has a connection with weather. Now monsoon is fast approaching in Delhi too. Yet the temperature outside is not dropping and I am not sure if the heat inside the House will also subside or not. This period is extremely significant as we are celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. August 15 holds special significance; and after 25 years when the country celebrates the centenary of Indian Independence, we should plan on how our journey of 25 years should be like; how fast can we stride ahead and how can we reach newer heights? This period is about making such resolutions and giving a direction to the nation by being devoted to those resolutions. The House should lead the country. All the honourable members of the House should become instrumental in instilling new energy into the nation. Therefore, this session is also very important from that point of view.

This session is also crucial because elections to the posts of President and the Vice President are being held at the same time. Voting is also underway today. And in this period, the tenure of the new President and the new Vice-President will also begin.

We always consider the House as an efficient medium of communication, a pilgrimage centre where a dialogue and discussion can take place with an open mind. Debates, criticism and a detailed analysis of things also take place to make a very positive contribution to policies and decisions. I would urge all the respected MPs to make the House as much productive and fruitful as possible with deep thinking and a deep and detailed discussion. That’s why everyone should co-operate and democracy thrives only through everyone’s efforts. The House runs because of everyone’s efforts. It is with the efforts of everyone that the House takes the best decision. And therefore, while fulfilling our duties to enhance the dignity of the House, we should make the most use of this session in the national interest. And we should always remember that we need to fulfil the dreams of those who had dedicated their youth and their entire lives for freedom, and had spent their lives in jails and the sacrifices they had made. I just hope that keeping their dreams in mind, as 15th August is approaching, we should ensure that the House is used most positively in the best possible way.

Heartiest thanks to you all!

 

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s statement. Original statement was delivered in Hindi.

PM congratulates the citizens on crossing the figure of 200 crore vaccine doses

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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the people of India for showing remarkable faith in science and crossing the special figure of 200 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. He also appreciated the spirit and determination of doctors, nurses, frontline workers, scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs in the campaign.
The Prime Minister tweeted in response to the announcement by the Union Health Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya:
“India creates history again! Congrats to all Indians on crossing the special figure of 200 crore vaccine doses. Proud of those who contributed to making India’s vaccination drive unparalleled in scale and speed. This has strengthened the global fight against COVID-19.
Throughout the rollout of the vaccine, the people of India have shown remarkable faith in science. Our doctors, nurses, frontline workers, scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs have played a key role in ensuring a safer planet. I appreciate their spirit and determination.”

Under Amrit Mahotsav, NHAI Plants around 1.25 lakh Saplings in a Single Day

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Under the aegis of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, NHAI organized a nationwide plantation drive and planted around 1.25 lakh saplings in one day through simultaneous plantations at 114 identified locations. This day long initiative was launched at Nagpur by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways. NHAI’s aim is to achieve75 lakhplantations till 15th August 2022 to mark the Amrit Mahotsav,celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence.

In his address Shri Gadkari said that the ministry has been focusing on plantation and transplantation of trees. A lot of emphasis is also on geotagging of these saplings so that the progress and growth of these plants can be monitored. He also called upon people to come forward and participate in this program to have a sustainable and long lasting impact of the plantation drive.

Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation Gen. (Retd) Dr. V.K. Singh and NHAI Chairperson also planted saplings at a function organized inDasna, Ghaziabad. In his address, Shri Singh said that as per the vision of the  PrimeMinister we have been working tocreate a viable and sustainable ecosystem and this plantation drive will go a long way in enhancing the environment.

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NHAI Chairperson Smt. Alka Upadhyaya said that NHAI has been working diligently to not only create a world class National Highway network but is also put a lot of effort in sustaining the environment. The Chairperson also said that under the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ there has been a lot of impetus on afforestation and on creation of‘Amrit Sarovars’ across India to recharge and rejuvenate the water bodies along the National Highways.

Spreading the message of environment sustainability, the drivesawactive participation from public representatives, local people of civil society, NGOs, college students and women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in different states.

Under ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’NHAI has takenmany initiatives that include plantation drives and creation of Ponds or ‘Amrit Sarovars’ near the National Highways that helps to rejuvenate water bodies and ground water.

India achieves major landmark of ‘200 Crore’ COVID-19 Vaccinations

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In a historic achievement, India’s cumulative COVID19 vaccination drive has surpassed the 200-Crore milestone today. As per provisional reports till 1 pm today, a total of 2,00,00,15,631 doses have been administered across the country. This has been achieved through 2,63,26,111 sessions.

Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya also congratulated the country on achieving this landmark in only 18 months. He stated that “this extraordinary achievement will be etched in history”.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar also thanked the healthcare workers for their hard work, vision and innovation in setting a new record in the service of humanity.

India’s nation-wide COVID19 vaccination program was launched by Hon’ble PM on 16th January, 2021. Under his proactive and visionary leadership, India supported the research, development and manufacturing of COVID19 vaccines under the “Make-in-India” and “Make-for-World” Strategy, embarked on the use of cutting-edge technologies like CoWIN for evaluating geographical coverage, tracking AEFI for vaccines, promoting inclusivity and for providing a single reference point for citizens to follow their vaccination schedule, and prioritized vaccine administration based on scientific evidence and global best practices.

Several systematic interventions were also carried out in ensuring capacity building for carrying out this nationwide exercise. Existing supply chain for storage and transport of COVID19 vaccines was leveraged and strengthened and effective monitoring of vaccine distribution and assured availability and efficient utilization of vaccines and syringes was ensured at all times.

India’s free and voluntary nationwide COVID19 vaccination exercise is also being carried out in a citizen friendly approach through initiatives like Har Ghar Dastak, Workplace CVC, School based vaccination, vaccination of persons with no identity documents, Near-to-Home CVC and Mobile Vaccination Teams. With 71% of CVCs located in rural areas and over 51% of vaccine doses administered to women, India’s National COVID19 Vaccination Programme also ensured geographical and gender equity.

Despite the decline in COVID cases across the country, consistent efforts were ongoing to vaccinate all eligible citizens. This is exemplified by the fact that it took almost 9 months to reach the 100 Cr mark and another 9 months to reach the 200 Cr vaccination mark since the start of the vaccination drive on 16 Jan’ 2021, with the highest single day vaccination record of 2.5 Cr doses achieved on 17 Sept 2021.

On 15th July 2022, the Union Government launched a 75 day long ‘COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsav’ to provide free precaution dose to all eligible adult population at Government COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs). This special drive, part of the celebration for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, is being implemented in a ‘mission mode’ to increase uptake of precaution dose of COVID vaccine.

India also laid out a well-organized communication strategy of providing correct information and customized guidelines on COVID vaccination. It helped address vaccine hesitancy and promoted vaccine eagerness and COVID appropriate behaviour among the masses.

The Union Government is committed to further accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country.

Dr Jitendra Singh reminds young IAS officers their destined role in 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of independence

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Addressing the young IAS officers of 2020 batch, undergoing three months’ stint as Assistant Secretaries in Central government before going to their respective State cadres, 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 reminded them of their destined role in 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of independence. With age on their side, only they have will have that opportunity and privilege, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, in order to make the Government citizen centric, it is important that we use technology to bring in meaningful exchanges and definite improvements in national governance. He said, today’s citizen aspires to have a voice in the processes of policy formulation and policy implementation.

Dr Jitendra Singh noted that the initiative of mandatory stint of Assistant Secretaries with the central Ministries / Departments was a huge experiment introduced at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 has paid off extremely well to the benefit of the Government of India. He said, the Assistant Secretaries are expected to give their inputs for improvement in various Flagship Programmes in different Ministries/Departments of Government of India. This not only gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their skill and talent but also an opportunity to make a presentation before the Prime Minister of India, which is an opportunity that might have eluded their senior batches.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, he was informed that this batch of 175 officers has 108officers with engineering background and many officers with background in medicine, management, law and Arts have also joined. He emphasised that it would be very much admirable if they utilise their educational background to showcase how the Ministries/Departments can innovate, use new ideas and deliver high quality outputs directly to citizen with complete elimination of middlemen and leakages. The Minister also hoped that the technocrats will be able to do justice to the flagship programmes of the government in sectors like Health, Agriculture, Sanitation, Education, Skills and Mobility to name a few, which are technology based and technology driven.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, as the expectations and aspirations of citizens from the administration and governance are on the rise, information technology, internet, mobile technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning etc. can bring dramatic changes in the lives of the people and they can help the administration to establish a direct contact with the people. He said, the required improvement in citizen services and speedy resolution of grievances related to them can be brought about by utilising technology in an effective manner.

Dr Jitendra Singh exhorted the young bureaucrats to remain grounded and added that their attitude to the common citizen who comes to the doorstep of the Government is going to be one of the most important factors in shaping citizen’s satisfaction from Government Services. Once the attitude is supportive and full of empathy, the attitude of those who are working with civil servants is bound to change and therefore they should strive for being the role model in this Attitude Changing Mission, the Minister added.

Dr Jitendra Singh also advised the young officers to adopt a very respectful attitude towards public representatives and listen to them patiently and promptly examine their suggestions in the light of policy framework. He said, wherever feasible or desirable, we may have to seek approvals from the higher ups to serve the cause of citizens. He said, the public representatives be it an MLA or MP or Ward Councillor or Members of Panchayat Societies are elected by people and can provide the officers a lot of insights into what citizens require and how can Government provide effective doorstep services to citizens. The Minister emphasised that young officers in charge of Districts or Tehsils or any Department must ensure that no citizen who needs your intervention or support is turned away from your office empty handed.

Dr Jitendra Singh summed that like other years, the officers posted as Assistant Secretaries for the 2020 batch are being given the opportunity to contribute to the major programmes of the Government of India and they are getting posted to different Ministries and are being allocated work relating to the flagship programme. He said, the officers will be required to give suggestions and ideas to improve the delivery of these programmes both qualitatively and quantitatively. During this period, your special focus should be on the States and Districts where implementation of these programmes is slow to take off, the Minister added.

Dr Jitendra Singh urged the officers to examine the status of the programmes, ideas and suggestions that were initiated by the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 batches of Assistant Secretaries and ensure that their ideas and suggestions are also taken to the logical conclusion. He said, through this programme, officers are getting an awesome opportunity to gain insight into Policy making with the senior most and most experienced officers at the beginning of the career, which is going to be very useful, relevant and enlightening for all of the officers. It will also help one to understand how policy review and analysis takes place at the highest levels and how decisions are taken before you join the field postings, the Minister concluded.

PM congratulates P V Sindhu on winning her first ever Singapore Open title

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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated P V Sindhu on winning her first ever Singapore Open title. Shri Modi has also said that It is a proud moment for the country and will also give inspiration to upcoming players.
In a reply to a tweet by Union Sports Minister, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, the Prime Minister said;
“I congratulate @Pvsindhu1 on winning her first ever Singapore Open title. She has yet again demonstrated her exceptional sporting talent and achieved success. It is a proud moment for the country and will also give inspiration to upcoming players.”

PM visits UP and inaugurates Bundelkhand Expressway

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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today inaugurated Bundelkhand Expressway at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, State Ministers, People’s representatives were among those present on the occasion

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister recalled the glorious traditon of hard-work, valor and cultural richness of Bundelkhand region. He said “the land that produced countless warriors, where the devotion for India flows in blood, the prowess and hard work of local sons and daughters have always brightened the name of the country.”

Talking about the difference that will be brought about by the new expressway, the Prime Minister said “the distance from Chitrakoot to Delhi has been reduced by 3-4 hours by the Bundelkhand Expressway, but its benefit is much more than that. This expressway will not only give speed to vehicles here, but it will accelerate the industrial progress of entire Bundelkhand.”

The Prime Minister emphasized that gone are the days when such great infrastructure and facilities were limited to large cities and selected areas of the countries. now , under the spirit of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, even the remote and neglected areas are witnessing unprecedented connectivity. He continued that because of the expressway, the region will see many opportunities of development, employment and self employment. He said that connectivity projects in Uttar Pradesh are connecting many areas which have been ignored in the past. For example, Bundelkhand Expressway passes through seven districts, viz. Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah. Similarly, other Expressways are connecting every nook and corner of the state, leading to a situation where, “every corner of Uttar Pradesh is ready to move forward with new dreams and new resolutions”. The Double-Engine Government is working in that direction with renewed viogour, he said.

Regarding improving air connectivity in the state, the Prime Minister said that new airports terminals came up in Prayagraj. Kushinagar got new airport and work is going on in Jewar, NOIDA for a new airport and many more cities are being connected with air travel facilities. This will give a push to tourism and other development opportunities, he said.

The Prime Minister asked the Chief Minister to develop a tourism circuit around the many forts in the region. He also asked the Chief Minister to organise fort related events and competitions.

The Prime Minister remarked that in the UP in which the Saryu canal project took 40 years to complete, in the UP where the Gorakhpur Fertilizer Plant was closed for 30 years, in the UP where the Arjun Dam project took 12 years to complete, in the UP where Amethi rifle factory was lying with only one name board, in the UP where Rae Bareli Rail Coach Factory was running only by painting the coaches, in that UP, now the infrastructure work is being done so seriously that it has even outperformed good states. UP’s identity is changing across the country.

Shri Modi remarked about the change of pace and said that doubling of railway line increased to 200 Km from 50 km per year. Similarly number of Common Service Centers in Uttar Pradesh increased from 11,000 in 2014 to 1 lakh 30 thousand Common Service Centers, today. From 12 Medical Colleges, UP, today has 35 medical colleges and work on 14 more is underway, he added.

The Prime Minister noted that the stream of development on which the country is moving today has two aspects at its core. One is intention and the other is decorum (Irada and Maryada). We are not only creating new facilities for the present of the country but are also building the future of the country. Projects completed in Uttar Pradesh fully honour the ‘maryada’, limit of deadlines, he said. Projects like upgradion of facilities and renovation at Baba Vishwanath Dham, Gorakhpur AIIMS, Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Bundelkhand Expressway are the examples of this as it was the present government which both laid the foundation and dedicated these projects to the nation. By delivering the projects before time, we are respecting people’s mandate and their confidence, he said. He exhorted the people to organize many events in the run up to upcoming Independence Day. We should remember our freedom fighters and create an atmosphere of new resolution in next one month, he said.

The Prime Minister said the larger thinking behind taking a decision and making a policy should be for further accelerating the development of the country. Everything that harms the country, affects the development of the country, have to be kept away. He said that ‘Amrit Kaal’ is a rare opportunity and we should not miss this opportunity to ensure the development of the country.

The Prime Minister brought attention to the issue of culture of seeking votes by distributing freebies in our country. He warned that this freebies culture is very dangerous for the development of the country. People of the country have to be very careful with this freebies culture (‘Rewri’ Culture). Those with freebies culture will never build new expressways, new airports or defense corridors for you. The people of freebies culture feel that they can buy the votes by distributing freebies to the common man. He gave a call to defeat this thinking collectively and remove freebies culture from the politics of the country. He said that now the government is working on solid projects of providing amenities like pucca houses, railway lines, roads and infrastructure, irrigation, electricity projects away from this ‘rewri’ culture. “Double-engine governments are not adopting the short-cut of freebies and delivering through hard work”, he said.

Speaking about the balanced development, the Prime Minister said that as development reaches ignored and small cities, it leads to realization of social justice. As modern infrastructure reaches much ignored Easter India and Bundelkhand, this amounts to social justice. Backward districts that were left to fend for themselves are now witnessing development, this too is social justice. Toilets for the poor, connecting villages with roads and tap water too is social justice, he said. The Prime Minister informed that the government is working continuously to ameliorate another challenge of Bundelkhand. He elaborated that the Government is working on Jal Jeevan Mission to provide piped water to every household.

The Prime Minister listed Ratauli Dam, Bhavani Dam, Majhgaon-Chilli sprinkler irrigation project as effort to take water of Bundelkhand rivers to maximum numboer of the local people. Ken-Betwa link project will change the lives of people of the region, he said.

The Prime Minister reiterated his request for contribution by the people of Bundelkhand in the campaign for 75 Amrit Sarovers in every district.

Referring to the role of Make In India Campaign in strengthening the small and cottage industry the Prime Minister underlined the success of the toy industry. He said due to the efforts of the government, artisans, industry and the citizens there has been a drastic cut in the import of toys. This will benefit poor, deprived, backward, tribals, dalits and women, he pointed out.

The Prime MInister also highlighted the contribution of Bundelkhand in the field of sports. He said that the highest sporting honour is named after the local son Major Dhyanchand. He also mentioned Shaili Singh, International athlet from the region who brought laurels in under-20 world athletics championship.

Bundelkhand Expressway

The government has been committed to enhancing connectivity across the country, a key feature of which has been the work towards improvement in road infrastructure. A significant endeavour towards this was the laying of foundation stone for the construction of Bundelkhand Expressway by the Prime Minister on 29 February, 2020. The work on the Expressway has been completed within 28 months, an indication of the work culture of New India where projects are delivered on time.

The 296 Km, four-lane expressway has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crores, under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), and can later be expanded up to six lanes as well. It extends from NH-35 at Gonda village near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district to near Kudrail village in Etawah district, where it merges with the Agra-Lucknow expressway. It passes through seven districts, viz. Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.

Along with improving connectivity in the region, the Bundelkhand Expressway will also give a major boost to economic development, resulting in the creation of thousands of jobs for the local people. Work on the creation of industrial corridor in Banda and Jalaun districts, next to the Expressway, has already been started.

Union Cooperation Minister attended the National Conference of ARDBs as the Chief Guest

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The Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Shri Amit Shah attended the National Conference of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) as the Chief Guest, in New Delhi today. On this occasion, the Union Minister of State for Cooperation and North Eastern Affairs Shri B.L. Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation,  President of NCUI and Chairman of IFFCO Shri Dileep Sanghani, President of International Cooperative Alliance – Asia-Pacific Region and Chairman of KRIBHCO Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav and many other dignitaries were present.

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On this occasion, the country’s first Union Minister of Cooperation said the dimension of cooperatives is very important for agricultural development and without this we cannot fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling farmers’ income. The history of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks in India is almost nine decades old. Agricultural credit has two pillars, short term and long term. Before 1920, the agricultural sector was completely based on aerial farming, when rains came, there was a good harvest. In the 1920s, the introduction of long-term loans to the farmer began, which led to the realization of the farmer’s dream of creating infrastructure for agriculture in his farm. Only and only the Agriculture and Rural Development Banks worked to change the country’s agriculture from being luck  based to becoming labour based. At that time, this dimension of the cooperative sector made a major start in the direction of making the farmer self-reliant. Shri Shah said that if we look at this journey of the last 90 years, then we see that  we have not been able to reach the bottom most level of the agriculture and farming system. He said there are many obstacles but unless and until long-term financing is not increased, agricultural development is not possible according to the vision of the Prime Minister. There are many large States where banks have collapsed and this aspect also needs to be considered. Diverting surplus funds towards non-agricultural use does not serve the purpose. The objectives of NABARD are fulfilled only when all available money is spent on rural development and agriculture. But this is not possible unless we promote long term finance, infrastructure and micro-irrigation in agriculture.

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Shri Amit Shah said the job of agriculture and rural development banks is not just to finance, but to expand activities. Whatever obstacles are there in expansion of work, we have to find ways and then only will we be able to achieve the goal of agricultural development. He said that we should not only run banks but also try to work towards the fulfilment of the objectives of banking. Co-operatives were set up to achieve the objective of long term finance. By creating new cooperative societies, medium and long term loans have to be provided to farmers.

The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said speedy loans will also have to be provided as well as   recovery of loans. Services will also have to be expanded, dialogue will have to be undertaken to increase the percentage of irrigated land, yield, production, make farmers prosperous and bring awareness amongst farmers. He said that it is not enough just to hold a postion in an institution in cooperatives, but it is necessary to worry about what one can do during ones tenure, to achieve the purpose for which these services have been started since 1924. He said these banks have financed more than three lakh tractors, but there are more than 8 crore tractors in the country. We have given medium and long term finance to about 5.2 lakh farmers out of 13 crore farmers. Many new reforms have been undertaken by banks which are welcome but reforms must not be bank specific, they should be for the entire sector. If a bank does a good job, then it is the job of the federation to inform all banks about this and take it forward. Bank specific reforms cannot change the sector, but if reforms take place in the sector, then the sector will automatically change and if the sector changes, then the cooperative will become very strong. Many areas like wells, pump sets, tractors, land development, horticulture, poultry, fisheries are included in the work cooperatives undertake, but it is our responsibility to expand them and we have to move them forward, then the purpose with which a cooperative unit was established for will be achieved. Members of all banks who are attending this conference today, should also discuss best practices of the sector, if any reforms or changes are needed to bring in  new diversification within the banking sector, the doors of the Ministry of Cooperation are open for you 24×7.

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Shri Amit Shah said that especially in agriculture finance, whether short-term or long-term, the country has become paralyzed in a way. In many places the activity goes on very well, but in many States it is very scattered. We have to revive it and the helpless farmer who has become the victim of inadequacy has to be taken on the path of economic development through proper handholding by the cooperative sector. There is no dearth of capital but our financing system and our infrastructure have collapsed, they have to be revived and every state bank will have to identify such areas in their State. He said that I would like that NABARD should also form a wing of extension and expansion in this direction, so that farmers who want medium and long term finance can get such finance. The need of the hour is to make institutional coverage adequate. He said long term finance should always be more than short term finance; only then will the sector develop. The higher the long term finance, the better the system will be and the short term finance will automatically increase. 25 years back we had 50 percent of long term finance and after 25 years this share has come down to 25 percent, we should worry about this development. In Assam, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, the entire infrastructure has collapsed. At present, only 13 States have agricultural and rural development banks running relatively in line with the expectations of the government.

The Union Cooperation Minister said the country is seventh in the world in the availability of agricultural land and in terms of agricultural activity we are second only to America. That is why  NABARD was established. If we make 39.4 crore acres of land completely irrigated, then the Indian farmer will be able eradicate hunger not only in the country, but  also in the world. But if it has to be irrigated and there is a shortage of water, then we have to go towards the micro irrigation system and if holdings have become small, then we have to irrigate them by taking help of cooperative societies. He request that banks should be revived and the government, NABARD and the Federation should work on this. In the coming days, I am also going to convene a joint meeting of NABARD, the Federation and the  Department of Cooperation on how to create a strong system of long term finance in each State. For this the federation will also have to play its role.

Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Cooperation Department has taken many steps. A very big step has just been taken that all PACS will be computerized at a cost of  Rs. 2,500 crore. PACS, District Cooperative Banks, State Cooperative Banks and NABARD will go online for accounting and this will help in running PACS with transparency. It will be of great benefit. We have also taken an in-principle decision to set up a cooperative university in terms of training as well. At present, all units with a turnover of more than Rs. 100 crore will be able to buy on the GEM platform. With this our procurement will also be cheap, there will be transparency and corruption will  be stopped. There is no cooperative database in the country and unless there is a database, one cannot think of expansion. We do not have any database of how many coastal States do not have fishermen’s cooperative societies. We do not have any database on how many cooperatives are working in the country. There is also no database of how many villages are deprived of the benefits of PACS. We have also started the work of creating this database and it is going to be a huge benefit. Expansion can happen only when one knows where expansion is to be done. Basic work has also been started by the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India. The government has sent model bye laws of PACS and I request all the activists associated with the cooperative movement that you must send us  your suggestions with your practical experience for the preparation of the model bye laws of PACS. We want to make PACS multi-functional. They can take the work of  gas distribution, storage, can take shops for cheaper grains, can also take petrol pumps, can also become FPOs, can also become communication centres, can also distribute water from taps. When computerized, then a system will also be created to include all these dimensions. But if it has to be made multi-dimensional, multipurpose, then the model bye laws made 70-80 years ago will have to be changed. We do not have to reduce the element of cooperatives in them, but we have worked to add the new activities that can be added to PACS.

The Union Cooperation Minister said Amul is also doing primary work for marketing of natural farming products. We have also thought of forming a multi-state cooperatives for marketing of handicrafts. IFFCO and KRIBHCO have been given responsibility for seed reform, a multistate cooperative export house will also be established for export and the Government of India is taking an initiative and before August 15, we will work to take it to the ground. Shri Narendra Modi has also approved a large increase in the budgetary allocation of the Cooperation Ministry.

Shri Amit Shah said the government led by ShribNarendra Modi has done a lot of work in agriculture. Out of these, I definitely want to speak about MSP. Paddy procurement has increased by about 8 percent, earlier in 2013-14, 475 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured, today 896 lakh metric tonnes of paddy is procured and  beneficiary farmers have increased from 76 lakhs to 1.31 crore. Wheat procurement has increased by 72 percent, earlier used to buy 251 lakh metric tonnes and today it is 433 lakh metric tonnes.  Kisan Credit Card, promotion of organic farming, promotion of natural farming, export of agriculture has crossed US $ 50 billion for the first time, 64 lakh hectares of land has been increased in just 8 years under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana compared to the earlier 64 lakh hectare in last 70 years. As the government’s investment in agriculture infrastructure increases, so does the potential of  cooperatives, especially  cooperatives in agriculture finance. Mechanization of agriculture has also started, a budget of about Rs. 6,800 crore has been spent on 10,000 FPOs and digital transactions have also increased to a large extent in mandis.

The Union Cooperation Minister said the government cannot expand the cooperative sector, but only cooperatives can expand the sector. The government can provide facilities, but to revive the spirit of cooperatives and keep this spirit growing into the future, it is our responsibility to establish this type of cooperative sector. No matter how much money government puts in, cooperatives will not grow, but if we revive the spirit of cooperation and remain dedicated to the goals, make efforts to achieve the goals, then surely  cooperatives will have a bigger role in the realization of Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a US $ 5 trillion economy. He said if there is any sector which can make 70 crore poor of the country a partner in the process of inclusive development, then it is the cooperative sector.

Tele-Law service is being made free of cost for citizens from this year : Kiren Rijiju

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“From this year, Tele-Law service is being made free of cost for citizens in the country,” announced Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Law and Justice at the 18th All India Legal Services Meet at Jaipur today. Tele–Law mainstreams legal aid to the marginalized seeking legal help by connecting them with the Panel Lawyers through the tele/video-conferencing infrastructure available at Common Service Centers (CSCs) across 1 lakh Gram Panchayats. For easy and direct access Tele- Law Mobile Application (both Android and IoS) has also been launched in 2021 and it is presently available in 22 scheduled languages. Benefitting from this digital revolution, Tele-Law has widened the outreach of legal services to 20 Lakh + beneficiaries in just five years.

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During the event, Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice and National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) exchanged Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Integrated Delivery of Legal Services. The Union Minister said that the MoU is symbolic of our joint commitment to advance the cause of Justice for All and establish the Rule of Law as the greatest unifying factor among the citizens. Under the provision of the MoU, NALSA would provide the services of 700 lawyers, in each district exclusively for the Tele-Law program. These empanelled lawyers would now also act as referral lawyers and also assist in strengthening the mechanism for dispute avoidance and dispute resolution at the pre-litigation stage. Shri Kiren Rijiju expressed his confidence that the association will help in reaching out to 1 crore beneficiaries in no time.

Addressing the event, Shri Kiren Rijiju, underscored the need of decongestion of jails through release of undertrials. NALSA through its SLSAs and DLSAs is already working in this regard through Under Trial Review Committee (UTRCs) by making available free legal aid/legal counsel to the undertrials. During last year a total of 21,148 meetings of UTRCs were held resulting in release of 31,605 undertrial inmates.

The Minister appealed the State Legal Services Authorities to further intensify their efforts to provide legal counsel/aid to the under-trial prisoners so that in co-ordination with the Under Trial review Committee maximum number of undertrial prisoners are released. He further appealed the High Courts to ensure during this period regular meetings of UTRC headed by the concerned District Judge so that maximum number of undertrial prisoners languishing in our jails are recommended for release before 15th August 2022. He said that the release of undertrial prisoners may be seen in the context that as part of the celebration of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” Government of India has already decided to grant Special Remission to prisoners for which the guidelines have already been issued by Ministry of Home affairs.

In his concluding remarks, Shri Kiren Rijiju said that access to justice has been recognized as an integral part of our legal framework prescribed under the Constitution of India. And to achieve, realize this vision and build on the work accomplished so far, there needs to be greater collaboration between legal services authorities and various departments and agencies of the government.

Dr Jitendra Singh chairs the 5th joint meeting of 6 Science Ministries and departments

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Continuing with the trend initiated by him of holding joint meetings of different scientific streams in order to break the silos and evolve a synergistic integrated approach, 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 chaired the 5th joint meeting of six Science Ministries and departments, including Science & Technology, Biotechnology, CSIR, Earth Sciences, Space and Atomic Energy, wherein the Minister emphasised integrated Start-Ups and integrated R&D.

During the meeting that lasted over two hours, the Minister was informed that 214 areas requiring science/technology intervention were identified and mapped from 40 odd Line Ministries for Scientific Applications and Technological Solutions by all the six science departments including Space and Atomic energy.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the ever increasing requests from Line Ministries for scientific applications and solutions have vindicated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of involving Science Ministries and Departments to solve the technical and complex issues of General Ministries and Departments. He also called for evolving a holistic framework of budget sharing, while delivering scientific solutions and inputs to Line Ministries.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that in 2015, on the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an extensive brainstorming exercise was held in Delhi where representatives from different ministries and departments engaged in an intense interaction with scientists from ISRO and the Department of Space to work out as to how best the Space technology could be utilised as a modern tool for supplementing, improving and expediting infrastructural development as well as implementation of various welfare schemes.

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The Minister informed that 32 Ministries and Departments approached for ‘problem statements’. CSIR will lead 20 challenge areas and participate in 46 challenge areas posed by Line Ministries as the entire exercise is being coordinated by CSIR. He also referred to different scientific applications for sectors like agriculture, food, education, skill, railways, roads, Jal Shakti, power and coal to name a few that have worked out since the launch of the initiative in September last year. Apart from other Science Departments, DBT and ISRO have also submitted their preference for leading in solution development/deployment for few challenges.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, on the lines of Central Ministries/Departments, 172 major issues have been identified by 36 States/UTs and 163 technology problems have been posed by States seeking solutions from 24 Central ministries / departments. He expressed satisfaction that within six months’ time, STI (Science Technology & Innovation) mapping exercise for all the 28 States and 8 UTs have been completed. He added that mapping of States, including NE was done in terms of innovation ranking, startup ranking, number of S&T Organizations, R&D labs, universities, Incubators, Start Ups, MSMEs, industries, Clusters, Grassroots Innovations, etc.

Dr Jitendra Singh asked all the Science Ministries and Departments to prepare in advance the agenda and themes of the breakaway sessions for the State S&T Ministers Conference to be held this year. He said, state-specific discussions could be included in the in the first ever National Science Conclave involving states, industry representatives and other stakeholders.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, before the proposed Science and Technology Communication Centre (STCC) comes into force, the success stories of all the departments must be compiled and disseminated to common people to create general awareness about India’s Scientific Prowess. He also directed that workshops on success stories must be organized at regular intervals.

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The meeting was attended by Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Secretary, DST, Secretary D/o Space, Secretary, M/o Earth Sciences, Secretary, D/o Biotechnology, Secretary, DAE, Secretary, Capacity Building Commission and representatives and senior officials of other science departments.