The Government of Japan has decided to invest an amount of 205.784 billion Yen, equivalent to approximately Rs.13,000 crore, in several ongoing as well as new projects in different states of India’s North- Eastern region.This was disclosed after a meeting which the DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh had with the Japanese delegation led by Ambassador Mr Kenji Hiramatsu, here today.

Some of the important projects in which Japan will collaborate include Guwahati Water Supply Project and Guwahati Sewage Project in Assam, Northeast Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project spread over Assam and Meghalaya, Northeast Network Connectivity Improvement Project in Meghalaya, Bio-diversity Conservation and Forest Management Project in Sikkim, Sustainable Forest Management Project in Tripura, Technical Cooperation Project for Sustainable Agriculture & Irrigation in Mizoram, Forest Management Project in Nagaland, etc.

Dr Jitendra Singh appreciated the Japanese contribution to the development and transformation of the North-Eastern region in the last three to four years. He said, in the times to come, new areas of collaboration will also be sought to be worked out, which could possibly include Bamboo-related collaboration. Significantly, it was the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, which amended the 90-year old “Indian Forest Act of 1919” of the British Government to bring the home-grown Bamboo out of its purview, he added.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in India and abroad in his Mann Ki Baat programme of All India Radio on 30th  of this month at 11 AM. It will be the 54th episode of the monthly radio programme.

According to MyGov Open Forum,  Shri Modi looks forward to sharing his thoughts on themes and issues that matter to people.

The Prime Minister has invited the people to share their ideas. They can share their views in MyGov Open Forum or also dial the toll-free number 1800-11-7800 to record  message for the Prime Minister in either Hindi or English.

Some of the recorded messages may become part of the broadcast.

People can also give a missed call on 1922 and follow the link received in SMS to directly give their suggestions to the Prime Minister.

Union Minister Shri Thawarchand Gehlot is appointed as the Leader of the Rajya Sabha, a position occupied in the previous Narendra Modi-led government by senior BJP leader Shri Arun Jaitley who has had health issues and is currently recovering.

Shri Gehlot, the social justice and empowerment minister, is an experienced parliamentarian.

The appointment for the Leader of the Rajya Sabha is made by the party in power at the Centre.

The 71-year-old leader from Madhya Pradesh has almost four decades of legislative experience. He was a member of the state assembly for several terms and has served in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha.

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways and Steel Minister discussed the challenges being faced by the steel sector and the import-export trends with steel producers in New Delhi today.

Both the Ministers assured the steel industry that Ministries of Commerce& Industry and Steel will make all efforts to ensure that engineering goods exports double in the next 5 years and reach USD 200 billion by 2030.

This will not only boost India’s exports but will also generate jobs in the manufacturing sector especially the MSME sector.

Although India is the second largest manufacturers of steel but India is also a net importer of steel. Representatives of the steel industry and the Engineering Export Councils discussed in detail with Commerce and Steel Ministers the protectionist measures being imposed by other countries and the under-utilised capacity in steel manufacturing in India.

Shri Piyush Goyal and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan discussed at length the measures that both Commerce and Industry and Steel Ministry may take, both tariff and non-tariff, to reduce unnecessary imports and boost exports.

The MSME sector steel manufacturers urged steel producers to supply raw material at concessional prices so that the MSME sector can compete in international markets.

The meeting was attended by Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Faggansingh Kulaste, MoS Steel, Secretary Steel, Binoy Kumar, Secretary Commerce, Anup Wadhawan, DGFT, Alok Vardhan Chaturvedi, senior officers of Department of Commerce and Steel Ministry, Chairman SAIL, all members of EEPCs, Indian Steel Association, steel makers and manufacturers and other associations of the steel sector.

Twelve senior officers of Income Tax Department including one of the ranks of the joint commissioner were compulsorily retired by the government on charges of corruption and professional misconduct.

Sources said the list is topped by a Joint Commissioner rank officer against whom there are serious complaints of corruption and extortion.

It also includes an IRS officer in the post of Commissioner (Appeal) in Noida, who was accused of sexual harassment to two women IRS officers of Commissioner rank.

Another IRS officer, who was compulsorily retired, had acquired movable and immovable assets worth over three crore rupees in the name of self and his family members.

Foreign Minister Shri S Jaishankar today flagged off the first batch of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra of 58 pilgrims in Delhi. The pilgrimage is “beyond what you can imagine,” he said as he wished the pilgrims a “safe and spiritually-fulfilling journey”.

There are two routes for Yatra- through Lipulekh pass, Uttarakhand and through Nathu La pass, Sikkim. The duration of the Yatra is 24 days for each batch including three days in Delhi for preparatory work.

The route through Lipulekh Pass will be conducted in 18 batches of 60 pilgrims each. The route through Nathu La Pass, Sikkim is motorable and suitable for senior citizens unable to undertake arduous trekking. This year 10 batches consisting of 50 pilgrims are scheduled for this route.

Seven-time BJP lawmaker Dr Virendra Kumar will be the pro-tem Speaker of the 17^th Lok Sabha. As the temporary Speaker, Dr Kumar will administer the oath of office to the newly elected Lok Sabha members and also preside over the first meeting of the Lok Sabha, in which the Speaker will be elected.

Dr Virendra Kumar, 65, is the MP from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh. He was the MoS in the Women and Child Development Ministry and the Minorities Affairs Ministry in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s previous government. He has been a part of various panels of the previous government.

He bagged over 6.72 lakh votes in the national election. Dr Kumar was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1996.

He was also associated with the RSS or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, since childhood and served a prison sentence of 16 months under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in protest against the imposition of Emergency.

The first session of 17th Lok Sabha will begin on June 17. The newly-elected members will be administered the oath on the first two days, and the new Speaker will be elected on June 19.

Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh  paid tributes to Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prakash Pant, who died after battling cancer.

Shri Ashwini Kumar, Minister of State (MoS) for Health and Family Welfare, also paid homage to the departed leader.

58-year-old Pant died in Texas in the United States where he was undergoing treatment for cancer.

A three-day state mourning has been declared in the state.

Pant was a BJP leader who won from his hometown Pithoragarh in the state assembly polls in 2017.

Union Home Ministry has warned of taking penal action against NGOs who have changed office bearers without taking its approval. The Ministry said, replacement of key functionaries of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, FCRA registered organizations without prior permission is a violation of the law.

In a notification, Home Ministry said, some incidents have come to light that some NGOs, having registered under FCRA, have changed their office bearers without its approval.

The Ministry has asked the NGOs to submit applications for addition, deletion or any change of details about office bearers and key functionaries within one month from the date of issue of notice.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Prakash Javadekar has said the practice and propagation of Yoga has led to “Healthy life, Healthy living, Wellness and Prevention of Disease”  Yoga is one of  India’s gifts to the world and has become the mantra of New India Under the leadership of Prime Minister,  Shri Narendra Modi, Yoga has been universally acknowledged  by the United Nations and is now practiced globally around  200 countries on 21st June every year.

Acknowledging the positive role & responsibility of media in disseminating the outreach of Yoga in India and abroad, the Minister said the Ministry of I&B has instituted the First Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) from this year to mark the contribution of media in spreading the message of Yoga.  The Samman to be conferred on Media Houses would be given under the following categories:

• Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) to be conferred to Media Houses engaged in Print Media, Electronic and (Television & Radio).
• Thirty Three (33) Sammans under Three (3) categories will be conferred.
• Eleven Sammans to be conferred in 22 Indian  languages and English under category “Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Newspapers.
• Eleven Sammans to be conferred in 22 Indian  languages and English under category “Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Television.
• Eleven Sammans to be conferred in 22 Indian  languages and English under category “Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Radio.
• The Samman will comprise of a special medal/plaque/trophy and a citation.
• The duration of the coverage for AYDMS would be from 10th June to 25th June, 2019.
• The contribution of Media in popularising of Yoga would be assessed by 6 Juries.
• Honors will  be announced and Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) ceremony will  be held at a convenient date to be decided later. Tentatively the award ceremony will be held in July, 2019.

During the Minister’s interaction, Shri Amit Khare, Secretary (I&B) and Senior Officials were also present.