The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra via video conferencing today. Established across 34 rural districts of Maharashtra, these Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth

The Prime Minister began his address by stating that it is the 5th day of Navratra when Skanda Mata is worshipped. Noting that every mother wishes for happiness and success for their children, the Prime Minister underlined that this can be made possible only with education and skill development. Speaking about the establishment of 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra, the Prime Minister underlined that today is a huge step for the skill development of millions of youth making this day a memorable one.

The Prime Minister said that the demand for skilled Indian youth is growing globally. Referring to the increasing age profile in the demography of many countries, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that says that 16 countries have planned to provide employment to about 40 lakh skilled youth.  “India is preparing skilled professionals for the world, not just for itself”, the Prime Minister said. He said that the Skill Centers in Maharashtra will prepare the local youth for global jobs and will skill them in construction, modern farming, media and entertainment, and electronics. The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to provide training in soft skills such as basic foreign language skills, using AI tools for language interpretation which will make them more attractive for the recruiters.

For long, the Prime Minister pointed out that the previous governments lacked farsightedness and seriousness towards skill development which resulted in fewer job opportunities for the lakhs of youth due to lack of skills. The Prime Minister underlined that the present government understood the need for skill development and created a separate ministry dedicated to it with its own budgetary allocation and multiple schemes. Under the Kaushal Vikas Scheme, the Prime Minister informed that more than 1 crore 30 lakh youth have been provided training under multiple traits, while more than hundreds of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras have been established all over the country.

The Prime Minister underlined the contribution of skill development initiatives in bolstering social justice. The Prime Minister mentioned the philosophy of Babasaheb Ambedkar that focussed on industrialization for the upliftment of dalits, backwards and tribals as their landholdings were meager. Due to a lack of skills in the past, these sections were deprived of the opportunity of getting quality jobs. He said that the most benefit from the Government’s skill development initiatives is being derived by the poor, dalit, backward and adivasi families.

Recalling the contributions of Savitri Bai Phule in breaking the shackles of society when it came to the education of women, the Prime Minister reiterated that only those with knowledge and skill can bring about a positive change in society. Shri Modi underlined that Savitri Bai Phule has been the inspiration behind the government’s emphasis on women’s education and training. He mentioned self-help groups or ‘Swayam Sahayata Samuh’ which impart training among women, and informed that specialized training has been provided to more than 3 crore women under the Women Empowerment programme. He also touched upon training women to encourage them to make use of drones in the agricultural fields and other sectors.

The Prime Minister referred to professions that are being carried forward over the generations in the villages. He talked about the PM Vishwakarma Yojana that has been started to help such professions as barber, carpenter, washerman, goldsmith or ironsmit. Under this, the Prime Minister informed that training, modern equipment and financial assistance are being provided. “Government is spending 13,000 crore rupees on this and in Maharashtra, 500 plus skill centers will take this forward in the state”, he said.

Amidst these efforts of skill development, the Prime Minister emphasized dwelling on areas of improvement for types of skills which will further strengthen the country. He underlined the need for good quality products or products with zero defects in India’s manufacturing industry and also touched upon Industry 4.0 which requires new skills. He said that governments will also have to emphasize new skills keeping in mind the service sector, knowledge economy and modern technology. The Prime Minister also stressed finding out the kind of products for manufacturing that will lead the nation towards self-reliance. We have to promote the skills required to manufacture such products.

Emphasizing the need for new skills for India’s agriculture sector, the Prime Minister pushed for natural farming to protect Mother Earth. He talked about the need for skills to assess balanced irrigation, agri-product processing, packaging, branding, and skilling people to get connected with the online world. “Various governments of the country will have to further expand their scope of skill development”, Prime Minister Modi added.

The Prime Minister assured the trainees that they have chosen the right path as through skills, they can contribute a lot towards their families and the nation. The Prime Minister narrated the experience of his visit to a skill development center in Singapore at the request of their Prime Minister. The Prime Minister recalled the Pride of the Singapore Prime Minister and how such activities of skill training gained social acceptance. The Prime Minister said that it is the duty of society to acknowledge the dignity of labour and recognize the importance of skilled work.

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Shri Ajit Pawar were present on the occasion among others.

Background

The Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth. Each Kendra will train about 100 youngsters in at least two vocational courses. The training will be provided by empanelled industry partners and agencies under the National Skill Development Council. The establishment of these Kendras will help the region attain significant strides towards developing a more competent and skilled manpower.

Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today addressed the special session with seafarers on the second day of the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS), 2023 organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. As one of the biggest maritime summits in the world, it recorded a major investment of ₹2.37 lakh crore on the second day of the three-day summit held in Mumbai.

While addressing the event, Shri Pradhan commended the services rendered by the seafarers who support the maritime industry. They are the unsung heroes of the global economy, he commented. He highlighted that they support the global supply chain, are instrumental in facilitating trade, supporting tourism, safeguarding the nation’s water, and contributing to national development.

Shri Pradhan mentioned that India is a bright spot in the global economy and is supported by pillars like democracy, demography and diversity. India ranks fifth globally in the seafarers’ supply with nearly 2.5 lakh seafarers, consisting of 12% of its global community, he added. He also said the aim is to take it to 20%.

He emphasized that this is the first-ever techno-economic summit in which issues of human resource and capacity development are dealt with. He highlighted the decade-long effort of the Government in standardizing maritime training, increasing on-board training, improving examination and certification, and facilitating ease of doing business.

Shri Pradhan reminded how Odisha, since ancient times, remained an epicentre of glorious maritime traditions. While it is important to cherish the maritime heritage, it is also important to build on our maritime strength in laying the foundation of a new India, he emphasized.

He stated how the state had thriving maritime traditions, ship-building science and technology etc. that is depicted through the glorious tradition of Bali Jatra, which was also mentioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, during the previous G20 Summit in Indonesia.

He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for providing leadership in developing a robust skill-centric and industry-ready ecosystem. He mentioned the importance of NEP 2020 in bringing a massive transformation in the knowledge ecosystem by providing high-quality education and skills to all. Diverse challenges faced by the youth of the country will be skilled with the help of it that has introduced skills seamlessly in the transformative education system, he added. NEP 2020 will guide in skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling of the seafarers and make them future and industry-ready, he mentioned.

Shri Pradhan mentioned, equipping seafarers with future skills, standardisation and equivalence of skills and policy support to facilitate engagement of more Indian female seafarers is a priority of the government, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

He recognized the efforts of the Summit in serving as a platform to collaborate and create a better working environment as well as promote welfare, rights and recognition of seafarers, the backbone of shipping industry.

As many as 70 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were signed in the various industries of the maritime sector such as Port Development and modernisation, green hydrogen & ammonia, port-led development, business & commerce, shipbuilding, knowledge sharing and port connectivity during the day.

Earlier, on day one of the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for 21 projects worth ₹18,800 crores. Thirty-four MoUs worth ₹3.24 lakh crore were inked during the Inaugural session. This included Green Projects having a share of ₹1.8 lakh crore and Projects of Port Development and Modernisation worth ₹1.1 lakh crore. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also launched Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 – a roadmap for maritime sector development for the next 25 years, the Amrit Kaal, to make India Atmanirbhar by 2047. At the roundtable on Global Economic Corridors, as many as 60 representatives from various countries attended, which included CEOs from 33 international companies and 17 Indian companies. The inaugural session also witnessed 10 ministers from different countries join the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on the dais at the event. Twenty-one ministers from 10 countries participated in various sessions at the GMIS, in 2023.

The Summit’s focus is on key areas of the maritime sector with sessions and discussions around ports of the future; decarbonisation; coastal shipping & IWT; shipbuilding; repair and recycling; finance, insurance & arbitration; maritime clusters; innovation & technology; maritime safety and security; and maritime tourism, among others.

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that financing, insurance and arbitration and creation of more diverse options is required to boost the country’s ship-building capacity. The Finance Minister was addressing in a session on ‘Maritime Financing, Insurance and Arbitration’ in the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023, in Mumbai today.

Speaking about the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “We are looking at reaching Europe, Central Asia through maritime plus land route, thus cutting out on logistics costs”.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that GMIS 2023 is important because it is being held at a time when globally there is a lot of challenge – in security of supply, in disruption of supply, in value chains being broken. Shipments of major commodities are at risk sometimes, and food insecurity and energy insecurity all creep in because of this and add to inflation. Economies which are coming out of COVID are facing this challenge, she added.

The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed that a “Marine Cargo Pool” was created with the support of IRDAI and domestic insurance companies’ insurers together with General Insurance Corporation of India Limited (GIC Re) in the aftermath of COVID to support maritime trade. FM also said that the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has approved a series of modifications in the reinsurance sector to support growth avenues in India’s Blue economy services with maritime reinsurance, and bringing in a greater number of reinsurers to set up their operations in India.

Speaking about arbitration, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed that India has passed an arbitration bill, has got an arbitration centre and is improving its  strength in arbitration. FM said that a need has been felt to have a full-fledged Indian-owned and India-based Protection and Indemnity (P&I) entity in order to: 1) Reduce India’s vulnerability to international sanctions and pressures and to provide greater strategic flexibility in shipping operations. 2) Provide protection of liabilities to the ships operating in coastal waters as well as inland waters during their operation. 3) Provide India a foothold into the specialized segment of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) business, which is currently dominated by very few players internationally where presently India does not have any presence and 4) Indian Protection and Indemnity (P&I) services can also help in encouraging and increasing Maritime arbitration in India.

Finance Minister stated that an expert committee has also been constituted to relook at the Harmonized Master List (HML) and to streamline the understanding of infrastructure among all financing/regulatory institutions. The framework being developed by this committee would be instrumental in updating HML from time to time to categorize relevant sectors as infrastructure.

Finance Minister said that 31 projects have been identified in 9 major ports for monetisation under the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) launched in 2022 with total estimated capex of Rs 14,483 crore for FY 2022-25.

The Finance Minister also informed about the establishment of ‘SAROD-Ports’ (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes – Ports) which provides an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism.

Finance Minister also stated that India has risen in the Global Ranking in International Shipments category from 44th rank in 2014 to 22nd in 2023. She mentioned that the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index report 2023, the “Turn Around Time” of Indian ports is now 0.9 days, which is less than countries like Singapore (1 day), UAE (1.1 days), Germany (1.3 days), USA (1.5 days), Australia (1.7 days), Russia (1.8 days) and South Africa (2.8 days).

FM Nirmala Sitharaman also spoke about the IFSCA located in GIFT City which notified ‘ship lease’ as a financial product, and provided a framework for enabling ship finance and operating leases through the ‘Framework for Ship Leasing’. Various tax incentives and exemptions are offered for ship-leasing entities in the IFSC, including tax holiday for 10 years, no capital gains during tax holding, stamp duty exemption for five years, etc. Additional exemptions have been granted on income generated by way of royalty or interest paid on account of lease of ship to foreign entities and ‘no Capital Gains tax’ on transfer of ship by a IFSC Unit enjoying 100% tax exemption. The Government of India, in the Union Budget 2022, provided for the establishment of an International Arbitration Centre (IAC) in GIFT City to provide a faster dispute resolution process, informed the Finance Minister.

Speaking on how the Union Government has prioritized port-led development in the last nine years, FM highlighted various maritime-related policies and financial support given by the Centre, like:

• 75% of the FDI received in the sea transport sector between 2000 and 2023 happened in the last 9 years – The sea transport sector has received FDI inflows of more than USD 4.2 billion over the last 9 years
• Total cargo handling capacity of Indian ports has almost doubled – from nearly 1,400 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) in 2014 to more than 2,600 MTPA.
• Cargo volumes have more than doubled – from 74 MTPA in 2014-15 to 151 MTPA in 2022-23.

In a bid to enhance the employability and skills of the youth of Tripura, a project named “Heartland Tripura” was launched today, in partnership with Deloitte India and the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Agartala. Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated the ceremony in Agartala where Deloitte India and NIELIT – Agartala signed an agreement.

This project is poised to open new career and personal development opportunities for undergraduate students in both engineering and non-engineering fields. It is backed by the Government of India and the State Government of Tripura.

The “Heartland Tripura” project will deliver a specific set of skill development certification courses through NIELIT – Agartala for the state. Further, it will provide internship opportunities to select professionals, ultimately paving the way for promising job prospects upon successful completion of certification and internship requirements. In the pilot phase of this project around 350 graduates are expected to receive training and employment opportunities, subject to fulfilling laid out assessment criteria. This will potentially create job opportunities for 50 engineering and non-engineering students by January 2024 and further job placements for up to 300 engineering and non-engineering students from March to June 2024.

The certification courses offered under “Heartland Tripura” will cover a wide range of new age technical and professional development skills such as cyber security, internal audit, analytics, and softer skills around business communication, executive presence, and grooming amongst others.

The initiative will also support the planning and delivery of placement season at colleges. Some of the educational institutions included in the project are, NIT College, Tripura Institute of Technology, Maharaja Bir Bikram College, Women’s College in Agartala and TECE. Deloitte will curate a curriculum for industry readiness, drive NCVET-based certification, provide trainer access through its professionals, and guide colleges in the state to organize placement fairs. The project also aims to identify target organizations for placements and build an advocacy network for private firms to hire from select colleges in Tripura.

While interacting with the media, Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that Global majors like Deloitte are helping create skilling programs that are enabling the youth of Tripura to get future-ready and industry-ready skills.

He said, “Since 2014, an important goal for PM Modi has been addressing the skilling issue. Back then, out of the 42 crore people in the workforce, close to 31 crore were unskilled, lacking any formal education or skills. Since India’s independence, 3 out of every 4 Indians were forced to work without any formal education or skilling. From 2016 onwards, we initiated the process of correcting this, successfully completing one phase of this transformation. Now, in the post-Covid era, we started the second phase of skilling, referred to by the PM as Industry-ready, future-ready skilling. This involves collaborating closely with companies that will hire individuals. Skill development programs are being developed in partnership with the industry.”

During the address at the inauguration, the Minister said that, “We are trying to fulfill the goals set by PM Modi. I would like to thank Deloitte for making all the efforts to explore the potential of the youth in Tripura, believing and investing in their capabilities, and agreeing to partner with the Government. The reason why the Northeast region of India is currently poised for rapid growth is because physical connectivity is no longer a challenge. Companies like Deloitte, IBM, and Microsoft are actively involved in this phase of skilling. NIELIT will be partnering with these companies for digital skilling programs. In the coming weeks, we will also introduce programs for farm processing, agriculture, and food processing.”

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah interacts with 200 tribal youth under the Tribal Youth Exchange Program (TYEP) in New Delhi, today.

During his interaction with the tribal youth, the Union Home Minister said that today, a lot of opportunities are available for people of tribal community. He said that it is a matter of pride that a tribal woman, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, is the President of India. Shri Shah said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has decided to build 10 tribal museums across the country at a cost of Rs 200 crore in the memory of the tribal freedom fighters who sacrificed everything in the country’s freedom struggle.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Left Wing Extremists and their ideology are against the country’s development and bright future. He said that those who do not want mobile towers, roads and other essential facilities in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, are creating hurdles in the way of a bright future of the youth. Shri Shah said that violence cannot provide jobs and that it is necessary to join the mainstream of society for development and creation of basic infrastructure. He added that tribal youth should play an important role in eradicating the idea of Left Wing Extremism from the country. The Home Minister says that it is the responsibility of the tribal youth to neither tread on the wrong path nor allow others to do so.

Shri Amit Shah said that the tribal youth should tell everyone back home that today, the country is progressing in every field and there are ample opportunities for the tribals in every field. He said that birthplace is not important, but the work a person has done in life is important. He said that wealth, knowledge and respect can only be achieved through hard work.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been running the Tribal Youth Exchange Programme (TYEP) for the last 15 years. The programme is being run through Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Under this programme, young men and women of the tribal community from the interior areas most affected by Left Wing Extremism are taken on a tour to major cities and metros across the country. The main objectives of this programme are:

1. Promoting the aspirations of the youth in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism.
2. Countering the propaganda against the government being spread by CPI Maoists.
3. Informing the youth of tribal areas about the development activities and industrial progress and to sensitize them about the rich cultural heritage of India.
4. Deepening the confidence in democratic system in these areas.
5. Spreading awareness about major development and welfare schemes among the youth of the tribal community.
6. Developing an emotional bonding between youth belonging to the tribal community and their peer groups in other parts of the country.

In the Tribal Youth Exchange Programme 25,880 youngsters from the tribal community have participated from 2006-07 to 2022-23. Out of these, 20,700 youth have participated in the last 9 years from 2014-15 to 2022-23, and 10,200 youth participated in the last 4 years from 2019-20 to 2022-23. This year 5000 young men and women are participating in TYEP. Earlier, 2000 participants were taking art in this programme every year, which was increased to 4000 in August 2019 and further to 5000 participants per year in 2022.

In this programme, constitutional authorities, senior government officials, outstanding achievers in sports, industry, arts etc., and other role models are invited to interact with the youth. Apart from this, industry exposure trips, activities under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, speech competitions, skill development, career guidance, exposure to sports events, visits to the camps of security forces, and cultural programs, etc. are also organised. Further, when these youngsters return to their native places, a programme is organized whereby they share their experiences with other youth and residents of their area.

Under TYEP, this year youth are being taken on a tour to major cities and metros across the country in 25 groups. Each group will have 200 young men and women from the interior areas most affected by Left Wing Extremism.

Three groups are visiting the national capital New Delhi this year. The first group is visiting Delhi from 15^th – 21^st October and includes 140 participants from Bijapur, Sukma, Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon of Chhattisgarh and 60 participants from Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25.

Government has increased the MSP of Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25, to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce. The absolute highest increase in MSP has been approved for lentil (masur) at Rs.425 per quintal followed by rapeseed & mustard at Rs.200 per quintal. For wheat and safflower, an increase of Rs.150 per quintal each has been approved. For barley and gram an increase of Rs.115 per quintal and Rs.105 per quintal respectively, has been approved.

Minimum Support Prices for all Rabi crops for Marketing Season 2024-25

(Rs.per quintal)

*Refers to cost which includes all paid out costs such as those incurred on account of hired human labour, bullock labour/machine labour, rent paid for leased in land, expenses incurred on use of material inputs like seeds, fertilizers, manures, irrigation charges, depreciation on implements and farm buildings, interest on working capital, diesel/electricity for operation of pump sets etc., miscellaneous expenses and imputed value of family labour.

The increase in MSP for mandated Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production.  The expected margin over All-India weighted average Cost of Production is 102 percent for wheat, followed by 98 percent for rapeseed & mustard; 89 per cent for lentil; 60 per cent for gram; 60 percent for barley; and 52 percent for safflower. This increased MSP of rabi crops will ensure remunerative prices to the farmers and incentivise crop diversification.

The Government is promoting crop diversification towards oilseeds, pulses and shree anna/millets to enhance food security, increase farmers’ income, and reduce dependence on imports. Besides the Price Policy, the Government has undertaken various initiatives such as the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), and the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) with the objective to provide financial support, quality seeds to encourage farmers to cultivate oilseeds and pulses.

Moreover, to extend the benefits of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme to every farmer across the nation, Government has launched the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP), KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyaan, and Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS) with the aim to provide timely and accurate weather information to empower farmers in making timely decisions regarding their crops. These initiatives aim to revolutionize agriculture, enhance financial inclusion, optimize data utilization, and improve the lives of farmers across the nation.

India stands for international Space collaborations for the larger benefit of mankind. It is our solemn commitment that the Outer Space is used only for peaceful purposes and kept free of conflict.

This was stated today by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh while delivering the keynote address at the 2-day Conference on ‘Space – The final frontier for China in its quest for global leadership’, organised by the Centre for Contemporary China Studies, MEA, at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi.

The Minister said, “We have consistently adhered to the  principles of transparency, accountability and peaceful uses of Space. And therefore we urge upon every other nation including China to engage in open dialogue with others so that we share each other’s missions, ventures without being secretive or suspicious and also ensure that we preserve a secure, safe and stable environment,” he said.

Underlining that India’s Space programme is not only globally competitive but also excelling, Dr Jitendra Singh reiterated that India’s Space programme is entirely peaceful and that ISRO is collaborating with world’s leading Space agencies to bring ‘Ease of Living’ for the common citizen.

“Even though the USA and the then Soviet Union had started their Space journey long before us and America also landed a human being on the surface of Moon in 1969, it was nevertheless our Chandrayaan that brought home the evidence of water on the surface of Moon,” he said, adding that the NASA has offered a Joint Space Mission to the International Space Station during the historic visit to PM Modi to the United States this year.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India’s space missions are designed to be cost effective, building upon human resources and skills.

“The Russian moon mission, that was unsuccessful, cost Rs.16,000 crore, and our (Chandrayaan-3) mission cost just around Rs.600 crore,” he said.

Referring to applications of Space Technology to different sectors like SVAMITVA, PM Gati Shakti, Infrastructure such as Railways, Highways & Smart Cities, Agriculture, Water Mapping, Telemedicine and Robotic Surgery, Dr Jitendra Singh said this ‘Whole of Nation’ approach has brought about ‘Ease of Living’ for the common man.

Dr Jitendra Singh gave full credit to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for enabling India’s Space scientists to vindicate the dream of their founding father Vikram Sarabhai by “unlocking” India’s Space sector and providing an enabling milieu in which India’s huge potential and talent could find an outlet and prove itself to the rest of the world.

“Prime Minister Modi has broken taboos of the past. Starting from just 4 Space Startups in 2014, within just 3-4 years we have more than 150 Startups,” he said.

Stating that the “Anusandhan National Research Foundation” will pave the way for a greater Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in scientific research, Dr Jitendra Singh said the NRF will catapult us to the league of handful of developed nations pioneering new research in new frontiers.

Dr Jitendra Singh said ISRO has launched more than 380 foreign satellites, earning more than 220 Million Euros and over 170 Million US Dollars by launching American satellites.

“India’s Space economy today stands at about $8 billion, which I agree is not a very relaxing figure, but our own projection is that by 2040 we will be $40 billion. But more interesting is that according to some international observers, for example a few weeks back the ADL (Arthur D Little) Report mentions that we could have the potential of $100 Billion by 2040,” he said.

The Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS), 2023, one of the biggest maritime summits in the world, recorded major investment of ₹2.37 lakh crores on the second day of the three day summit held here. As many as 70 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed in the various industries of maritime sector such as Port Development and modernisation, green hydrogen & ammonia, port led development, business & commerce, ship building, knowledge sharing & Port connectivity during the day. Today’s MoUs with focus sustainable development were signed in presence of the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shripad Naik and the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shantanu Thakur.

Post MoU signing ceremony, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “Today, at the Global Maritime India Summit, 2023 has ushered a new age in sustainable development of the country with a record number of 70 MoUs with an investment of ₹2.37 lakh crores. The maritime sector is playing an instrumental role as it has paved the way for India set sail towards Green Sustainability Transportation. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India has experienced a historic growth in the last 9 years. Maritime sector is no exception as we are giving major thrust to the future growth multipliers. Under Modi ji’s inspired leadership, India has scaled new heights to become fifth largest economy in the world. Now, Modi ji has given us another target to further scale the growth story of India. To achieve, GMIS plays a pivotal role and I am happy to share the mammoth of exchange of ideas as well as understandings with clear vision to make India a developed country by 2047.”

The Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also held Ministerial level bilateral meetings with Ministers from Italy, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. The first meeting was with the Deputy Minister, Infrastructure and Transport (Minister of Ports), Italy, Edoardo Rixi. The meeting was also attended by the Secretary of Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, TK Ramachandran.  Both the ministers agreed to enhance maritime cooperation on identified industries in order to build on the robust maritime relationship between the two countries. During the second meeting, the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal met the Minister of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Suleiman Masoud Madame. In the third meeting, the Minister of Ports, Shipping & Aviation, Sri Lanka, Siripala De Silva met with the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal where the two discussed multiple issues to further strengthen and deepen the maritime relationship between the two countries.

The second day of the GMIS featured a series of insightful sessions, each addressing critical aspects of the maritime industry ranging from green shipping and ports to the latest trends in shipping and maritime logistics. The first session chaired by Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India initiated the discussion around the role of the shipping sector in aligning with the goals set by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for a sustainable and environmentally responsible future. This was followed by sessions related to the latest trends in shipping & maritime logistics and dredging chaired by Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India.  Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, Nitin Gadkari deliberated virtually on developing inland waterways as an integrated element of multimodal economic corridors and Strategies and roadmap to promote coastal shipping as preferred mode of transport were discussed.

Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Tourism, Government of India highlighted the various measures and initiatives to promote cruise tourism during his session.

The day 2 of the GMIS 2023 concluded with a roundtable on Chabahar Post and its role in enhancing regional connectivity and its inclusion in INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor) co-chaired by Sarbananda  Sonowal and Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs & State for Culture, Government of India.

In a boost to amp up maritime trade and commerce via National Waterways 2 (Brahmaputra), a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) and A to Z Exit here today. The memorandum has set the framework to explore the possibility of transportation of various cargo between various destinations of the Northeast region of India and Bangladesh. This endeavour will provide support by facilitating with adequate volume of trade that needs to be shipped or imported into Bhutan from India, Bangladesh and any other countries using the ports operated in India.

Earlier, on day one of the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for 21 projects worth ₹18,800 crores with 34 MoUs worth ₹3.24 lakh crore was inked during the Inaugural session. This included Green Projects having share of ₹1.8 lakh crore and Projects of Port Development and Modernisation worth ₹1.1 lakh crore. PM Modi also launched Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 – a roadmap for maritime sector development for the next 25 years, the Amrit Kaal to make India Atmanirbhar by 2047. At the roundtable on Global Economic Corridors, as many as 60 representatives from various countries attended, which included CEOs from 33 international companies and 17 Indian companies. The inaugural session also witnessed 10 ministers from different countries joined the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on the dais at the event. 21 ministers from 10 countries participated in various sessions at the GMIS, 2023.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the third edition of Global Maritime India Summit 2023 in Mumbai via video conferencing today. The Prime Minister also unveiled ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’, a blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy. In line with this futuristic plan, the Prime Minister inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone for projects worth more than Rs 23,000 crores that are aligned with the ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ for the Indian maritime blue economy. The summit provides an excellent platform for attracting investment in the country’s maritime sector.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed everyone to the 3rd edition of the Global Maritime India Summit 2023. He recalled how the entire world was marred by the uncertainties of the Covid pandemic when the Summit took place in 2021, and emphasized that a new world order is taking shape today. In the changing world order, the Prime Minister underlined that the world is looking towards India with new aspirations. He stated that India’s economy is constantly strengthening in a world dealing with economic crisis, and the day is not far when India will become one of the top 3 economies in the world. Underscoring the role of sea routes in global trade, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for a reliable global supply chain in the post-Corona world.

The Prime Minister said that history bears testimony that India’s maritime capabilities have always benefited the world. The Prime Minister listed the systematic steps undertaken to strengthen the sector in the last few years. He underlined the transformative impact of the historic G20 consensus on the  proposed India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor. He said that as the Silk Route of the past changed the economy of many countries, this corridor too will transform the picture of global trade.  He said that Next Generation Mega Port, International Container Trans-shipment port, island development, inland waterways, and multi-modal hub will be undertaken under this leading to a reduction in business cost and environmental degradation will improve logistical efficiency and create jobs. The Prime Minister reiterated that investors have a great opportunity to become part of this campaign and join India.

Prime Minister Modi reiterated that the India of today is working to fulfill the resolve of becoming a developed nation in the next 25 years. He underlined that the government is bringing about revolutionary changes in every sector and mentioned the work done to strengthen the maritime sector of India. In the last decade, the Prime Minister informed that the capacity of major ports in India has doubled, and turnaround time for big vessels has come down to less than 24 hours as compared to 42 hours in 2014. He also mentioned the construction of new roads to increase port connectivity and touched upon the SagarMala Project to strengthen the coastal infrastructure. These efforts, the Prime Minister said, are increasing employment opportunities and Ease of Living manifold.

“Government’s vision of ‘Ports for Prosperity and Ports for Progress’ is bringing transformational changes at the ground level”, the Prime Minister said as he noted that the mantra of ‘Ports for Productivity’ is also being encouraged. Shri Modi informed that the government is taking major steps to enhance economic productivity by making the logistics sector more efficient and effective. He underlined that Coastal Shipping Modes are also being modernized in India and informed that the coastal cargo traffic has doubled in the last decade, thereby providing a cost-effective logistic option for the people. Regarding the development of inland waterways in India, the Prime Minister informed that cargo handling of national waterways grew by four times. He also mentioned India’s improvement in the Logistics Performance Index in the last 9 years.

The Prime Minister talked about the government’s focus on the ship-building and repair sector. He said that indigenous aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant is proof of India’s capacity. “India is going to become one of the top five ship-building nations in the coming decade. Our Mantra is ‘Make in India – Make for the world’”, the Prime Minister said. He informed that the government is working to bring together all stakeholders in the sector through maritime clusters. Ship-building and repair centers will be developed in many places. He mentioned that India is already at second place in the field of ship recycling. He also informed about the effort to make the major ports in India carbon-neutral via a net-zero strategy for the sector. “We are moving towards a future where the Blue Economy will be the medium to create a Green Planet”.

The Prime Minister underlined that work is underway in India for the big players in the maritime sector to enter the country and mentioned GIFT City in Ahmedabad which has launched ship leasing as a financial service while offering discounts at the same time. Shri Modi expressed delight that 4 global ship leasing companies of the world have also registered with GIFT IFSC. He also called upon other ship leasing companies present at this summit to join GIFT IFSC.

“India has a vast coastline, strong riverine eco-system and rich cultural heritage which create new possibilities for Maritime Tourism ”, the Prime Minister remarked. He mentioned the nearly 5 thousand-year-old Lothal Dockyard in India which is a world heritage and called it the ‘Cradle of Shipping’. He informed that a National Maritime Heritage Complex is also being built in Lothal near Mumbai to preserve this world heritage and urged the citizens to visit upon completion.

The Prime Minister mentioned the world’s  longest river cruise service to promote maritime tourism in India. He informed about the upcoming International Cruise terminal in Mumbai and modern cruise terminals in Visakhapatnam and Chennai. “India is moving towards becoming a global cruise hub through its state-of-the-art infrastructure”, he added.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister remarked that India is one of the few countries which has such a combination of Development, Demography, Democracy and Demand. “At a time when India is moving towards the goal of becoming a developed India by 2047, this is a golden opportunity for you”, Shri Modi said and sent out an open invite to investors from all over the world to come to India and join the path of development.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal was present on the occasion.

Background

During the programme, the Prime Minister unveiled ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’, the long-term blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy. The blueprint outlines strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing port facilities, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating international collaboration. In line with this futuristic plan, the Prime Minister inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 23,000 crores that are aligned with the ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ for the Indian maritime blue economy.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Tuna Tekra all-weather deep draft terminal, to be built at a cost of more than Rs 4,500 crores at Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat. This state-of-the-art greenfield terminal will be developed in PPP mode. The terminal, which is likely to emerge as an international trade hub, will handle next-gen vessels exceeding 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and will act as a gateway for Indian trade via the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). The Prime Minister also dedicated more than 300 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth more than 7 lakh crore for global and national partnerships in the maritime sector.

The summit is the biggest Maritime Event in the country and will witness the participation of Ministers from across the globe representing countries from Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia (including central Asia, Middle East and BIMSTEC region). The summit is also to be attended by Global CEOs, Business leaders, Investors, Officials, and other stakeholders worldwide. Further, several Indian states will also be represented at the summit by the Ministers and other dignitaries.

The three-day summit will discuss and deliberate key issues of the maritime sector including ports of the future; decarbonisation; coastal shipping and inland water transportation; shipbuilding; repair and recycling; finance, insurance & arbitration; maritime clusters; innovation & technology; maritime safety and security; and maritime tourism, among others. The summit provides an excellent platform for attracting investment in the country’s maritime sector.

The first Maritime India summit was held in 2016 in Mumbai while the Second Maritime Summit was held virtually in 2021.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, on October 17, 2023, felicitated medal winners, participants and support staff from the Armed Forces, who took part in the recently concluded 19^th Asian Games at Hangzhou, China. The Raksha Mantri interacted with a total of 76 players and staff, who attended the event in New Delhi, and congratulated them for their excellent display at the Games.

LIST OF PERSONNEL FELICITATED BY RAKSHA MANTRI

On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh announced cash prizes to the Armed Forces personnel, who brought laurels to the country and once again proved their mettle at an international event, by bagging 16 individual medals (03 Gold, 06 Silver & 07 Bronze) and eight team medals (02 Gold, 03 Silver & 03 Bronze) at the Games. Gold medal winners will be given Rs 25 lakh; Silver medal winners will get Rs 15 lakh and Bronze medal winners will be awarded Rs 10 lakh. A contingent of 88 soldiers, including three sportswomen, participated in 18 disciplines at the Games, which were held from September 23 to October 08, 2023.

In his address, the Raksha Mantri lauded the efforts of the players, including those who gave their best, but could not win the medals. He reminded them of Flying Sikh Milkha Singh, who missed a medal in the 400-metre race in the 1960 Olympics in Rome by a whisker, but became a guiding star of Indian athletics. Milkha Singh is an inspiration for all even today, he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that these medals and performance will inspire the country’s youth to come forward in sports. “You are not just representing a medal, but are also representing a narrative of excellence of Indian society. You are a great medium to provide inspiration to the youth,” he told the players.

The Raksha Mantri commended the Armed Forces personnel for always being among the medal winners at different Games. “Be it a battlefield or a playground, a soldier always performs because of dedication, discipline, hard work and the desire to do something for the nation. These virtues help in bringing medals for us in sports. Within a soldier, there is a player; within a player, there is a soldier,” he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh also pointed out that the performance of the players reflected the image of a rapidly growing and powerful ‘New India’. “Many studies show that the progress in sports of any nation is more or less proportional to the economic prosperity of that country. In this context, as India is becoming an economically strong nation, our medals are also increasing in every field,” he said.

The Raksha Mantri emphasised that, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is witnessing growth in every field such as defence, infrastructure, health and education. “Be it the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, India’s development journey is being discussed everywhere. Recently, American financial company JP Morgan Chase released the ‘Government Bond Index – Emerging Markets’ which guides investors. It has included India for the first time. It is the result of our growing economic strength. Now, there is an ambition to become the best; a vision to create the best and action to take the country to greater heights. The world is today recognising India’s growth story,” he stated.

Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that the government is making relentless efforts to develop sports culture in India. “On one hand, we have worked to increase awareness about sports among the youth through Fit India and Khelo India campaigns; on the other, through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, we are committed to increasing India’s medal count in the Olympics. Today, our country is taking steps to host the Olympic Games in 2036. I am confident that with the support of the Government, our athletes will take India to the top of the medals tally through their hard work, dedication and passion,” he said.

The felicitation ceremony was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh and senior officers of Sports Control Board of respective services.

Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the IndiaSkills 2023-24 and felicitated the World Skills 2022 Winners today at an event held at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi. India has secured 11th position in the global competition, the best-ever ranking so far. A short video depicting the journey of World Skills 2022 was also shown in the programme. Some of the winners also shared their experiences in the competition.

Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari; Chairman, AICTE, Prof. T. G. Sitharam; Chairman, UGC, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Krishna Kumar Dwivedi; CEO, NSDC & MD, Shri Ved Mani Tiwari; Additional Secretary/Director General (Training), Ms. Trishaljit Sethi; Head, WorldSkill India, Dr. Maneesh Mishra; officials, dignitaries and students were also present in the function.

While addressing the event, Shri Pradhan reminded everyone of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for enhancing competency over acquiring degrees alone. He also highlighted the importance of introducing employable skills, which will increase market acceptance of the workforce. He stressed that we have to give equal importance to competencies, applied knowledge and hands-on training to lead in the 21st century.

Shri Pradhan also highlighted the need for mapping skill gaps to reduce the gap between degrees earned and skills acquired. He mentioned how NEP 2020 has taken steps to introduce a blended model by merging degree and competency, making it flexible and as per the choice of the students.

He also urged policymakers, academia, and industry to come together, making it a Janandolan to make India a developed nation by 2047, as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The blending of learning and earning leads to skill development, he highlighted.

WorldSkills Competition is the largest skill competition in the world, held once every two years. It is conducted by WorldSkills International, which has 86 member countries. These competitions provide both a benchmark for high performance and an objective way to assess vocational excellence. The duration of the competition duration is 4 days spanning 16 to 22 hours.

WorldSkills competition 2022 was conducted from September to November 2022 across Europe, North America, and East Asia comprising over 1,000 competitors from 58 countries in 61 skills. The competition was hosted by 15 countries in more than 20 cities. India participated in 50 skills and secured 11th position with 2 Silver Medals, 3 Bronze Medals and 13 Medallions for Excellence at the WSC 2022, its best ranking so far at the WorldSkills Competition. Indian Competitors, who represented the country at WorldSkills Competition 2022, were selected via IndiaSkills Competition 2021.

A total of 165 IndiaSkills National Competition winners were trained for the WorldSkills Competition at designated training venues developed in line with WorldSkills standards under the mentorship of WorldSkills India Experts and trainers. More than 200 Industry and Academic Partners like Toyota Kirloskar, Mahindra, Saint Gobain, Larsen & Toubro, Maruti Suzuki, Infosys, IIT-Palakkad, Government Tool Room and Training Centre, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Lincoln Electric, CISCO, BMW, Volkswagen, Berger Paints and others collaborated to train India’s competitors, sponsoring approximately Rs. 20 Crore in terms of training infrastructure, subject matter expertise, international training, raw material and tool kits.

Fifty-six competitors, 50 Experts and 11 Interpreters participated among which 19% were female (11 competitors). Some of the competitors also participated in new-age skills like Robot System Integration, Additive Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Digital Construction, Mobile Application Development and Renewable Energy.

Winners’ details: