Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh met with an Israeli delegation, led by Foreign Minister Mr Eli Cohen, in New Delhi on May 09, 2023. During the meeting, the Raksha Mantri underlined Government of India’s priority towards indigenisation in accordance with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Policy’. He acknowledged the cooperation being extended by Israeli companies and encouraged them for more investments in India and for forging joint ventures with Indian partners to manufacture defence equipment in India.

The Israeli Minister affirmed continued cooperation of Israel in India’s endeavour for indigenisation and conveyed the willingness to cooperate & partner in advanced technologies. Both sides acknowledged the completion of 30 years of diplomatic relationship between the two countries and looked forward to further strengthening the bilateral ties.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stone of various development projects of Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) and Border Security Force (BSF) in West Bengal, today. Shri Amit Shah also inaugurated Maitridwar at ICP Petrapole, BSF’s newly constructed Border Outposts (BOPs) and other buildings, virtually.

Several dignitaries including Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nishith Pramanik, Union Minister for Ports, Shri Shantanu Thakur, Chairman of Land Ports Authority of India and Director General of Border Security Force, were present on the occasion. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation paid homage to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary.

In his address Union Home Minister said that inauguration and Bhoomi Pujan of many projects of Land Ports Authority of India and BSF has been done today. He said that as an organization, the Land Ports Authority of India not only helps accelerate India’s economy but is also an ambassador of India’s message of friendship. He said that the Land Ports Authority of India is a huge institution which takes forward our cultural and trade relations encompassing over 15 thousand kilometer long land border of India with all South Asian countries. He added that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has provided a new momentum, direction and dimension to the organisation since 2016.  He said that over 600-700 trucks come to Petrapole daily for trading purpose often leading to a problem of overcrowding. However, with the construction of a second cargo gate now, this problem will be solved.

Shri Amit Shah said that between the years 2016-2022, there has been a significant increase in the number of land port cargo and passengers. He said that while in 2016-17, the trade amount was Rs. 18,000 crore, it has now crossed Rs 30,000 crore, which showcases the excellent performance of Land Ports Authority of India. Shri Shah said that in 2022-23, over 20 lakh passengers have moved through the land ports. Additionally, after the construction of the passenger terminal building in Petrapole in 2021, movement of 5 lakh passengers annually, that is, about 11,000 passengers daily, has been facilitated.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that India-Bangladesh relations are based on the values of shared culture, language, art and life traditions. He said that no one can disrupt the relations between India and Bangladesh. Shri Shah said that the two nations have followed the same culture for thousands of years, and from the birth of Bangladesh till today India has always played a friendly role in the history of Bangladesh. He said that the contribution of the Border Security Force (BSF) in the freedom struggle of Bangladesh is written in golden words, and underlines the cordial and warm relations between India and Bangladesh till today, which will only gain new energy and momentum from hereon.

Shri Amit Shah said that four Border out Posts (BoPs), two residential complexes and one officers building of BSF have been inaugurated today on the Bengal border at a cost of over Rs. 108 crore. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India’s border policy lays great emphasis on the issue of trade. India’s land border of over 15,000 kilometers touches 7 countries and under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a new policy has been formulated to strengthen our relations and trade with all the countries of South Asia. He said that earlier there was paucity on the issues of border infrastructure, connectivity, trade, people to people connectivity and border village development. Shri Shah said that now under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, border infrastructure is developing, connectivity is increasing, and trade with other countries is increasing. Along with this, people-to-people connectivity is also improving and border villages are being developed as the first village of the country, under the border village development programme.

Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the government’s border security policy is very clear and precise. The central government is working on building strong infrastructure in border areas and efforts are being made to provide benefits of welfare schemes in border villages like other villages of the country, while also improving connectivity in these villages. He said that by promoting land trade, the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is making efforts to spread business, industry and message of vocal for local in the border villages.

Shri Amit Shah said that the development of land ports is not only important for fulfilling Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s dream of India becoming a $5 trillion economy, but also for ensuring good relations with the neighboring countries. He said that the Land Ports Authority of India is moving forward by working like an ambassador with India’s neighboring countries. Shri Shah said that several initiatives have been taken for the Land Ports Authority of India in the last 5 years. These include Port Automation System, Land Port Management System, Land Port Digital Security and Monitoring System, Digital Port Asset Management System, Suvidha Portal, an Integrated Check Post at Attari and providing passenger amenities at the Agartala Land Port. He said that the Land Ports Authority of India has taken several initiatives and achieved all the objectives of its establishment.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that from the snowy peaks to the desert and from the land border to the Bay of Bengal, the Border Security Force has left no stone unturned to protect our land and borders everywhere. He said that the security of India’s land borders cannot be imagined without BSF. Shri Shah said that when BSF personnel are posted on the border, nobody worries about the security of the nation’s land borders.

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 has said that it is the best time happening for India’s StartUps, innovators and the scientific fraternity as a whole, because the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is providing them an enabling milieu to showcase the best of their potential, talents as well as their creative and innovative instincts.

Delivering the welcome address to all the Directors and Presidents of professional Bodies under the Department of Science and Technology here  today Dr Jitendra Singh said that we are meeting at a time when the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given a special boost to Science, Technology and Innovation. Over the last 9 years the country has made rapid strides in every area of Science & Technology thanks to the able leadership of the Prime Minister, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the 16 research institutions in the DST family form a very special group from several points of view. Some of these are among the oldest research institutions in the country (including the oldest), some were started by eminent scientists and individuals like Mahendra Lal Sircar, CV Raman, JC Bose, Birbal Sahni and DN Wadia, some are repositories of very old and valuable scientific data, some lead the nation in niche areas like astronomy and astrophysics, geomagnetism, advanced materials and nano science and technology – and so on. Most research institutions in the DST family are basic research institutions. The only exceptions are SCTIMST-Trivandrum and ARCI-Hyderabad. SCTIMST-Trivandrum is the national torchbearer in the field of indigenous biomedical device development which has helped lower the cost of healthcare for a large number of our citizens.

The Minister recalled that in the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, SCTIMST had evolved a fast track method to come out with many products, some of which have already been commercialised and started getting used for the management of Covid-19 pandemic. ARCI-Hyderabad has carved a very special place for itself as a premier technology development and transfer organisation in the area of advanced materials. These Research Institutions have an impressive portfolio of research publications and awards and honours earned by their scientists and their produce, he said.

The Minister said that the 3 specialised knowledge institutions and S&T service organisations – TIFAC, NECTAR and NIF – are unique in their own ways. TIFAC approaches technology forecasting in different sectors in a very structured fashion involving all stakeholders and has also promoted new instruments of technology development and diffusion across the country. The Technology Vision document of 2035 by TIFAC is one of its significant achievements. NECTAR is unique in sourcing technologies for finding solutions to problems specific to the North Eastern States. NIF is a unique body which scouts for grassroots innovations and helps develop them further into viable, technology-backed products or processes.

Dr Jitendra Singh mentioned that all the 5 premier science and engineering professional bodies of the country, viz. INSA-Delhi, IAS-Bangalore, NASI-Allahabad, INAE-Delhi and ISCA-Kolkata belong to the DST family. Most of these are again very old organisations established by eminent scientists and individuals, including the Indian Science Congress Association which is more than a century old.

The Minister said that recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Modi has approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) to aid scientific and industrial research and development in quantum technology. It’ll be implemented by the Department of Science & Technology (DST). The mission planned for 2023-2031 aims to seed, nurture, and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).

The Minister said that few among AIs are working in different aspects of Quantum technology i.e  IACS, Bose Institute, IASST (developed carbon quantum-based imaging and detecting probes for nuclear hydrogen peroxide detection in living cells); A cluster of labs at RRI is in the forefront for developing quantum communication technologies; (S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) is into harnessing quantum entanglement for futuristic energy storage technology.

AIs are also involved in International programmes or collaboration with other countries like the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), Aditya-L1 Mission, Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer and a next generation Ultraviolet space mission.

AI’s have taken the lead in supporting Startups as well as Grassroots Innovators in emerging technologies. Among AIs,   Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum has secured 9th Rank under Medical category in National Institutional Ranking Framework.

Talking about Technical Research Centres, Dr Jitendra Singh said that this programme was launched as a follow-up of the budget announcement made by the Hon’ble Finance Minister of India in his Budget Speech in FY 2014-15. Five Technical Research Centres (TRCs) were established with a mission to provide techno-legal-commercial and financial support to scientists, entrepreneurs, and business fraternity to achieve translation of research into products and processes for greater economic and societal benefits in 5 DST institutions at a total cost of Rs. 467 Crores namely, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum; International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad; Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru; Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata; and S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata during FY 2015-16.

The Minister urged all the R&D Institutions to work in collaboration mode so that DST can utilise the resources and manpower optimally and think for the revised mandate for the Amrit Kaal.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Gurudev Tagore on his Jayanti.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;

On the occasion of his Jayanti, my tributes to Gurudev Tagore. From art to music and from education to literature, he has left an indelible mark across several areas. We reiterate our commitment to fulfilling his vision for a prosperous, progressive and enlightened India.”

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Indian Air Force (IAF) Heritage Centre in Chandigarh on May 08, 2023. The Centre, an embodiment of IAF’s rich history and legacy, houses a collection of artefacts, murals and 3D dioramas, showcasing the evolution of the force since its inception. It displays the heroic deeds of the IAF and the country’s technological progress in aircraft/equipment.

One of the highlights of the Centre is the array of simulators that allows visitors to replicate the thrill of flying iconic aircraft in the IAF’s inventory and gives them a chance to get a taste of what it feels to be a pilot. The Centre, now open to the public, also houses enclosures dedicated to the war campaigns in which IAF had participated. These provide a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about the crucial role the IAF has played in defending the nation.

In his address after the inauguration, the Raksha Mantri termed the Heritage Centre as a testament to the courage and dedication of all those who have served in the IAF; a tribute to their sacrifice and a reminder of their invaluable contribution in protecting the nation. He recalled the contribution of the IAF in the 1948 war, Goa Liberation War of 1961, 1962, 1965, 1971 & Kargil wars, which showcased the force’s strength, commitment and professionalism.

On the 1971 war, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that the jointmanship, integration and commitment showcased by the three Services during the war was unprecedented and extraordinary. He said, the war was not fought for any land or power, but for humanity and democracy. “It was a proof that India believes in ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’ and it is our duty to stand against any kind of injustice. Winning the war on the strength of our strategies and not imposing any kind of political control there symbolised India’s strengths as well as its values and cultural generosity,” he said, adding that the Centre will be a reflection of this valour and commitment.

The Raksha Mantri further asserted that the Centre will serve as a source of inspiration for the future generations. “The IAF has a rich heritage and it is our responsibility to preserve and showcase it. This centre will become an important means of preserving the history of the IAF and motivating the youth to imbibe the values ​​of the Armed Forces,” he said.

Governor of Punjab & Administrator of Chandigarh Shri Banwarilal Purohit and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari were among those present on the occasion.

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 27^th Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) here today, for the first time after the announcement of the Budget 2023-24. 

During the meeting of the Council, it was discussed that the policy and legislative reform measures required to further develop the financial sector may be formulated and implemented expeditiously to not only increase the financial access of the people, but also increase their overall economic well-being.

Union Finance Minister Smt. Sitharaman advised that:

• Regulators should maintain a constant vigil as ensuring ‘financial sector stability is a shared responsibility’ of the regulators. Regulators must take appropriate and timely action to mitigate any vulnerability and strengthen financial stability.
• Regulators should adopt a focused approach to reduce the compliance burden further and ensure a streamlined and efficient regulatory environment. The progress achieved in this regard shall be reviewed by the Union Finance Minister with each regulator in June 2023.
• The regulators need to be proactive and ensure cyber-security preparedness of the information technology systems to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks, protect sensitive financial data, and maintain overall system integrity, thus safeguarding the stability and resilience of the Indian financial ecosystem.
• Regulators should conduct a special drive to facilitate the settlement of unclaimed deposits and claims in the financial sector across all segments, such as banking deposits, shares and dividends, mutual funds, insurance, etc.
• Action Taken Report on Budget announcements made since 2019 was discussed. A focused approach should be adopted by the regulators to implement the announcements made in the Budget 2023-24, for which timelines were also decided.

The Council, inter alia, also deliberated on Early Warning Indicators for the economy and our preparedness to deal with them, Reducing Compliance Burden on the regulated entities in the financial sector by Improving Regulatory Quality, Debt Levels of Corporates and Households in India, Simplification and Streamlining of KYC Framework to meet the needs of Digital India, Seamless Experience for Retail Investors in Government Securities, Bimakrit Bharat – Unique Value Proposition to take insurance to last mile, and support required in terms of resolving inter-regulatory issues for GIFT IFSC to play strategic role in Atmanirbhar Bharat.  The Council also took note of the activities undertaken by the FSDC Sub-Committee chaired by the RBI Governor and the action taken by members on the past decisions of the FSDC.

The meeting was attended by Union Ministers of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary and Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad; Shri Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India; Dr. T. V. Somanathan, Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance; Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance; Dr. Vivek Joshi, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance; Shri Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary, Department of Revenue,  Ministry of Finance;  Dr. Manoj Govil, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs; Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance; Ms. Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson, Securities and Exchange Board of India; Shri Debasish Panda, Chairperson, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India; Dr. Deepak Mohanty, Chairperson, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority; Shri Ravi Mital, Chairperson, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India; Shri Injeti Srinivas, Chairperson, International Financial Services Centres Authority; and the Secretary of the FSDC, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

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 chaired a high level joint meeting of Science Ministries and departments, including Science & Technology, Biotechnology, CSIR, Earth Sciences, Space and Atomic Energy, wherein the Minister said that this year all the Science Ministries and Departments will jointly observe National Technology Day on May 11th 2023.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that this is in keeping with the whole of the government approach suggested by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his increasing emphasis on time to time of working in synergy and breaking silos between Ministries and Departments.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that National Technology Day, celebrated on 11th May in India, highlights the achievements of tech giants, researchers, and engineers in technology in our country. This year, the focus theme of National Technology Day will be “Atal Tinkering Labs”, a pathbreaking initiative undertaken in 2016 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create and promote innovation StartUps and entrepreneurship via intervention at the level of school and teaching institution, in a bid to ignite the young minds.

The Minister emphasised that India has witnessed explosive growth in technological advancements in the past 9 years, thanks to the landmark reforms undertaken by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. National Technology Day is the perfect occasion to acknowledge the effort of scientists and engineers as growth drivers, he said.

Apart from review of the preparations for the National Technology Day to be observed on 11th May, the agenda of today’s meet were discussion on Awards rationalisation, status update on the creation of Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) and review of relaxation in age for technical staff for appointment in projects.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, once the Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) comes into force, the success stories of all the departments must be compiled and disseminated to common people to create general awareness among all stakeholders about India’s Scientific Prowess. He also directed that all Ministries and departments work together to disseminate information in regional languages, engage in creative content creation and preparation of daily news bulletins related to Science & Technology.

The meeting was attended by Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood and Secretaries of the Science Ministries and Departments, including Science & Technology, Biotechnology, CSIR, Earth Sciences, Space and Atomic Energy.

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare launched the third phase of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) of the Health Ministry which is being supported by Coal India Limited as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to commemorate World Thalassemia Day, here today. She also launched the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana Portal.  Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, Shri Anil Kumar Jha, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research were also present.

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes a body to have less hemoglobin than normal. The Union Health Ministry has been implementing the TBSY since 2017 under the National Health Mission (NHM) and had recently completed its second phase in March 2023. The Coal India CSR-funded Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) program is a unique initiative aimed at providing a one-time cure opportunity to underprivileged Thalassemia patients who have a matched sibling donor but do not have the financial resources to cover the cost of the procedure. The program has successfully completed 356 bone marrow transplants for Thalassemia patients across 10 empanelled hospitals in India during the two phases.

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated that “it is important to enhance screening of the disease, create more awareness and counselling opportunities, and also increase treatment facilities to fight blood disorders such as Thalassemia and sickle cell disease”. Urging various stakeholders to come forward and lend a helping hand for strengthening the fight against blood related disorders, she stated that “Multi stakeholder approach will help to mobilize nationwide support for awareness and treatment for blood related disorders”. Appreciating the efforts of partner Ministries and other stakeholders like CIL, she encouraged them to continue their efforts towards removing stigmas and misconceptions associated with such hereditary diseases and generate more awareness to address the knowledge gap surrounding sickle cell disease. She congratulated Coal India Limited (CIL) and Thalassemics India for joining the Union Health Ministry in launching the third phase of TBSY.

Dr Pawar also released the Standard Treatment Workflow for Sickle Cell Disease on the occasion. This has been developed by ICMR. The Union Minister further highlighted the need to take advantage of various initiatives of the Union Government for treatment of diseases like sickle cell anemia such as the e-Raktkosh portal for blood transfusion requirements and the network of over 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness Centres for treatment and diagnostic care.

Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary (HFW) noted that TBSY looks at the treatment aspects of sickle cell disease. He emphasized on the need for bringing the disease under the health systems approach and focus on counselling and other aspects as well. He also highlighted the need for bringing in multiple stakeholders under the initiative to spread awareness and provide counselling. He further informed that the Union Health Ministry is working on increasing the facilities for providing tertiary care to sickle cell patients across the country.

Shri Anil Kumar Jha, Secretary (MoTA) called the inauguration of third phase of the program an important milestone towards eradicating the disease completely. He urged all stakeholders to come together and include other public and private sector organizations towards creating state-of-the-art infrastructure for treatment of sickle cell disease.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary (DHR) stated that Thalassemia is a preventable disease if screened and treated early. He highlighted the need to increase capacity for bone marrow transplants and noted that ICMR is working towards meeting this capacity through the support of organizations like CIL.

The third phase of the program will continue to provide financial assistance for a package cost of 10 lakhs per HSCT, directly transferred from CIL to the institutions performing HSCT. The program will benefit underprivileged thalassemia patients and those with aplastic anemia, which is an irreversible condition that can be life-threatening without treatment. The program has empaneled 10 reputed hospitals across India, including AIIMS, New Delhi; CMC Vellore; Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai; MCGM Hospital, Mumbai; PGIMER, Chandigarh; Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, New Delhi; SGPGI, Lucknow; Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore; CMC, Ludhiana and Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata among others.

CIL has created a web-portal to empower online applications for the conspire. Patients will be able to get to the development of their application from enrollment to closure in real-time through the entry. The entrance is being propelled alongside the 3rd stage of the scheme. The program is an excellent example of a successful CSR initiative that is making a real difference in the lives of thalassemia patients and their families with hope that the third phase of the scheme will continue to bring hope and relief to thalassemia patients and their families, and contribute towards building a healthier and more equitable society.

Shri Vishal Chauhan, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, Dr Atul Goel, DGHS, Dr Anil Kumar, Addl. DDG, NBTC, Ms. Renu Chaturvedi, Head, CSR, Coal India Limited, Shri Deepak Chopra, President Thalassemic India, Shri V K Khanna, Vice-President, Thalassemic India, Ms. Shobha Tuli, Secretary, Thalassemic India, Principal Secretary and Mission Directors of States/UTs and senior officials of the Health Ministry were also present on the occasion.

In a major development, Ministry of Defence, Department of Military Affairs, has approved amendment to existing cadre management provisions for Women Officers of the Territorial Army (TA).

Territorial Army had commenced Commissioning of Women Officers in TA since 2019. Thus far these Woman Officers were able to serve Ecological Task Force Units, TA Oil sector units and TA Railway Engineer Regiment. Based on the experience gained during this period, a considered proposal was prepared to extend the employment scope further for women officers in TA which has now been approved by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri in April this year.

Women Officers of the Territorial Army will now be posted with Engineer Regiments of the Territorial Army serving along the Line of Control and as staff officers at TA Group Headquarters/ Directorate General of Territorial Army at New Delhi, as per organizational requirement.

This progressive policy measure is aimed at enhancing the scope of employment of Women Officers as also meet their professional aspirations since they will now serve and train under the same conditions as their male counterparts in a wider range of units and appointments including serving in challenging field conditions and in important staff appointments.

The Territorial Army is based on a Citizen Soldiers’ army concept and officers undergo Annual Training on basic military skills while remaining gainfully employed in civilian life.

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 has said that India is ready to lead technology driven Diabetes care.

Addressing the 3-day World Congress of “Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics 2023” (DTechCon 2023) here, as chief guest, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also a renowned Diabetologist and Professor, said that India is being looked up to by the rest of the world in the field of healthcare after the successful handling of the pandemic. Technologically and in human resources, we are much ahead of most other countries, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that India is fast becoming more and more tech savvy, particularly after Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister because he is personally promoting science & technology innovations. The PM has a natural temper for science and having worked closely with him for the past nine years, the Minister said, he can very well say that Modi gives his team a free hand in developing ideas and getting them implemented.

This is evident from the fact that there were just around 350 StartUps before 2014, but after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day address and rolled out special StartUp scheme in 2016, there has been a quantum jump in StartUps to more than 90,000 with more than 100 Unicorns, said the Minister. India is also rated No: 3 in the StartUp ecosystem of the world, he added.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, similarly, Prime Minister Modi opened up the Space sector for private participation leading to more than 100 StartUps in the Space sector within just about three years. Similarly, Biotech StartUps went up from around 50 in 2014 to nearly 6,000 today, he said.

Recently the Union Cabinet approved the launch of the National Quantum Mission which will also boost medical diagnosis and treatment in the country. The Minister said that India is one of the very few countries in the world to have launched a National Quantum Mission.

The Minister said that in the field of Telemedicine, we have some of the best StartUps in the world. These StartUp groups have developed AI doctors. Citing an example of its application, the Minister said that his team selected about 60 remote villages in his constituency and engaged a telemedicine van called ‘Doctor on Wheels’. The team ran it for 3 months in all 60 villages and the best of consultations were provided in a very short time, he said.

The Minister said that India is not only becoming a technology leader but also a huge medical tourism hub.

Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the high priority given to healthcare, Dr Jitendra Singh said that it was because of the personal interest and intervention of Prime Minister Modi that within two years, India not only managed the Covid pandemic successfully better than much smaller countries, but also succeeded in coming out with a DNA vaccine and providing it to the other countries as well.

The Minister said as India is in the frontline of diabetes research in the world, the prevention of diabetes is not only our duty towards healthcare but also our duty towards nation building because this is a country with 70% population below the age of 40 and the youth of today are going to be the prime citizens of India@2047. We cannot afford to let their energy get squandered in incapacitating complications occurring as a result of Diabetes Mellitus and other related disorders or its complications, he cautioned.

The Minister congratulated Dr Banshi Saboo and his team for the conceptualisation of this conference.

Dr. Tadej Battelino, Chair ATTD, the Guest of Honour at the event, agreed that the technological strides India is making in the field of healthcare is much quicker compared to other countries.

Dr. Sharad Kumar Agarwal, National President, Indian Medical Association, Dr. Sudhir Bhandari, Vice Chancellor, Rajasthan Health University, Dr. Banshi Saboo, Founder, DTech (India), Dr. Jothydev Kesavadev, President DTech, Dr. Manoj Chawla, Scientific Chairman DTechCon, Dr. Amit Gupta, Org. Secretary DTechCon, healthcare professionals, industry leaders and many StartUps working in the field of health technology participated in the inaugural session of the conference.

The DTechCon 2023 (World Congress of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics) is a global conference dedicated to the latest developments in the field of technology and therapeutics. Additionally, workshops and hands-on training are planned for deeper understanding of insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring, Point of Care and futuristic therapy.