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 launches Phase-III of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana
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.
People of Karnataka have decided to reject Congress’ fake promises: PM
As campaigning has entered into the last phase for the assembly elections in Karnataka, PM Modi today addressed two mega rallies in Shivamogga and Nanjanagudu. At the beginning of his speech, he expressed gratitude towards those who showed significant support for the BJP. He specifically thanked the people of Bengaluru for their participation in a large-scale roadshow, which elicited an enormous response from the crowd.
Coming down heavily on the Congress on the issue of lies, Prime Minister Modi said, “The ecosystem created by the Congress to spread its lies was inflating a balloon in Karnataka for a long time. Despite the Congress’ attempts to inflate the balloon, the people of Karnataka are aware of the deception and ultimately rejecting it by bursting the balloon themselves.”
Prime Minister Modi accused the Congress of neglecting girls’ education and women’s empowerment during their rule, stating that the lack of separate toilets for girls in schools caused many to drop out but the BJP has launched a campaign to remove this injustice being done to the daughters. He claimed that the government has also opened Sainik schools for women and women’s recruitment in all three services. PM Modi expressed confidence in the power of women to lead India in the 21st century, citing Akka Mahadevi as an example.
Talking about the government’s achievements, PM Modi stated, “This is the BJP government under which a university has been built every week in the last 9 years. This is the BJP government under whose rule more than 300 new medical colleges have been built in the country in the last 9 years. It is the BJP which freed the youth of the country from the trouble of getting their papers attested at every step. It is the BJP which ended the tradition of interview for Group C and Group D.”
Lashing out at the Congress party for putting Karnataka on Reverse Gear, PM Modi said, “Congress party wants to abolish the laws made by the BJP government to increase investment in Karnataka. When the investors move to the neighboring states, the youth of Karnataka, the workers of Karnataka will suffer a lot.” He highlighted Shivamogga’s importance as an automobile parts hub and mentioned that India had become the third-largest automobile market globally. PM Modi also criticized the Congress for allegedly working against investment promotion in the state, while the BJP was promoting the “Made in India” initiative.
During his second rally in Nanjanagudu, PM Modi said, “Double engine government works with double service, with double power, with double speed. And it has been proved in the last few years that when the country develops rapidly, Karnataka also develops rapidly. In the last 9 years, India came out of Fragile-5 economy and became Top-5 economic power.”
“During our government, every year India created new records of foreign investment and made new records of exports. But as long as there was a Congress, JD(S) government in Karnataka, Karnataka did not get its full benefits. As soon as the double engine government was formed here, the annual foreign investment increased three times as compared to earlier,” he added.
Alleging the Opposition for destroying the country’s cultural heritage, PM Modi said, “India’s strength lies in our culture. Karnataka is a strong pillar of this. Mysuru is a heritage district. Nanjanagudu is recognized as a small Kashi. But the governments of Congress and its ally JD(S) insulted this heritage at every step. Our faith and our heritage were also seen through the politics of vote bank and appeasement.” The Prime Minister also referenced the Ayodhya temple of Lord Ram and other pilgrimage sites like Kashi Vishwanath, Kedarnath, and Ujjain Mahakal Mahalok, stating that the Congress did not support their renovation.
Training guns on the Congress over defaming India at the international level, PM Modi stated, “When it comes to working against the interests of India, the Royal Family of the Congress Party is at the forefront. They openly incite foreign powers to interfere in India to influence politics. We all know how these people secretly meet foreign diplomats. They do such things which repeatedly insult the sovereignty of India.”
Further, hitting out at the Congress, PM Modi said, “In this Karnataka election, the royal family of Congress has gone one step further. Now the royal family of Congress has said that they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka. Do you know what this means? When a country becomes independent, it is called a sovereign nation. What the Congress is saying means that the Congress considers Karnataka to be separate from India.”
He argued that this statement implied that the Congress viewed Karnataka as separate from India and insulted the contributions of Kannada freedom fighters to India’s independence movement. The Prime Minister also expressed surprise at the level of the “tukde-tukde gang” ideology in the Congress party.
Ending his rigorous Karnataka election campaign in Nanjanagudu, the PM said, “The BJP government has taken a pledge to make Karnataka number one in every sector. For number one Karnataka you have to vote for BJP, press the lotus button. There is only one voice coming from all sides in Karnataka – ‘Ee Baria Nirdhara, Bahumatda BJP Sarkara’.” Lastly, he said, “I request every Kannadiga, please cast your vote on 10th May. Your one vote will give a new height to the development of the country and Karnataka.”
Raksha Mantri approves posting of Women Officers of the Territorial Army along the Line of Control
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.
India ready to lead technology driven Diabetes care: Dr Jitendra Singh
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.
The Congress Party has only worked to destabilize and discourage India’s ancient democratic traditions: PM
PM Modi addressed two public rallies at Badami and Haveri in Karnataka. PM Modi outlined BJP’s focus on good governance and urged people to elect a stable and development oriented BJP Government in the state with a full majority.
PM Modi began his address at Badami by greeting the residents in Kannada while also acknowledging Badami as the capital of the Chalukya Dynasty. While addressing the crowd PM Modi said, “Your persistent encouragement and support give me the belief that the BJP will once again come to power in the upcoming elections.”
While the BJP envisaged a double-engine government to enable the development of Karnataka, PM Modi said, “The Congress Party has only indulged in appeasement politics, baseless criticism of the welfare programmes of the poor and the unnecessarily hurling of abuses towards the OBCs, Lingayat Community and Modi.”
Speaking on the development in Badami, PM Modi said, “Siddaramaiah ji claims that it is his Congress party that has facilitated the region’s development. But it is the schemes that the BJP Government has implemented enabling the infrastructure creation in the region be it that of roads, railways, or highways.”
PM Modi stated, “The next time when Siddamaramiah ji visits Badami, all of you ask him as to why was the region of Badami deprived of all of its benefits as a region and that why the development of the region was never a priority to the Congress Party.”
PM Modi said that despite so many governments of the Congress Party being elected in the state post-India’s independence, all they indulged was in the misappropriation of funds, rampant corruption, and devising ineffective policies. It is only the BJP that has prioritized the development of Karnataka and its people and has created social infrastructure benefitting many citizens and providing last-mile connectivity.
BJP has promoted the Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile Trinity that has created digital infrastructure eliminating the Congress Party’s system promoting misappropriation of funds and rampant corruption. “The BJP Government has not only been working for the poor by ameliorating poverty and providing them socio-economic benefits but is at every level trying to reduce costs by progressive interventions,” said PM Modi.
PM Modi added, “Another aspect of the development of the people of Karnataka are the mobile devices. In 2014, during the Congress Government, India only had two factories but today India is the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world with over 200 factories. Data connectivity in India has also been a revolution. This twin access to affordable mobiles and internet connectivity has also promoted the development of Karnataka.”
The BJP Government has always tried to promote the importance of local cultural traditions. PM Modi said, “The Chalukyan Dynasty’s greatness in terms of promoting the culture and traditions of Badami is extremely prominent and we have always worked towards preserving the same.” We believe that Badami, Aihole, and Hampi among others are the regions that can be promoted through tourism connectivity providing more opportunities to the people, especially the youth.
The Congress Party has only worked to destabilize and discourage India’s ancient democratic traditions. Congress Party does not even acknowledge India as the ‘Mother of Democracy’ in the world. PM Modi said, “The BJP, has always sought to promote India’s handicrafts, art and culture and sculpture art. Even in Karnataka, the BJP Government has prioritized and given its due respect to people be it ‘Ibrahim Suthar’ (Kabir of Karnataka) or Kadir ji promoting the ‘Bidri Art’.” Karnataka’s various traditions like Kumbara, Kammara, Akkasaliga, Shilpi, and among others are also India’s pride. Ilkal and Guledgudda Sarees are also India’s pride.
The Congress party has only worked towards the destruction of these cultural heritages that span over generations. We, in the capacity of the BJP Government, have not only ensured that these cultures and traditions have been preserved but have also sought to promote their exports and create independent identities for each local product.
PM Modi said, “The BJP Government has worked to improve the conditions of the farmers in the Kalyana-Karnataka region through various supportive initiatives enabling the growth of pulses and edible oil in the region. This has furthered the production of these food crops in the region contributing to the overall development of the region.
PM Modi said that the BJP Government intended to promote the production of edible oil in the region through its Mission Oil Palm. The conditions, he remarked, are suitable not only for palm-oil growth but this region has the potential to make India Atmanirbhar in the palm-oil as well as the edible oil sector.
At a rally in Haveri, Karnataka, PM Modi cited the various development works undertaken by the BJP Government. He said, “The six-lane Chitradurga-Davangere-Haveri expressway and the Hubbali-Chikballapur railway line will facilitate the growth of the region’s highways and railways infrastructure. Congress could not develop the state as Congress means total corruption; Congress means scams worth thousands of crores; Congress means 85% commission; Congress means, the party which succumbs to terrorism; Congress means, the party which gives first priority to appeasement; Congress means, the party which encourages divisive politics.”
The Congress Party has only been interested in giving false commitments to people and setting up committees not enabling the development of the people. PM Modi said, “Even in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress Government had promised to give jobs to one lakh youth after being elected and this promise also has been unfulfilled.” They also committed to 300 units of free electricity but once they were elected, they raised the prices of electricity consumption.
Congress had guaranteed to ameliorate poverty 50 years ago, but even to date, all sections of society are deprived of even the basic benefits said PM Modi. The BJP Government has always worked towards enabling the empowerment of the deprived sections of the people. PM Modi said, “Our priorities and policies have been oriented in providing the real social justice to people” promoting Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.”
Haveri is also the birthplace of Sant Kanakdas ji who not only was the pioneer of literature in the region but whose values of empathy, social justice, and brotherhood inspire us even today. Also, “The UN celebrating the International Year of Millets or ‘Sri Anna’, 2023 can also be attributed to Sant Kanakdas ji,” said PM Modi.
During the Congress regime, India was the tenth-largest economy in the world. Today, India is the fifth-largest economy in the world, said PM Modi. This has been a monumental change over the past nine years which the world has acknowledged and discussed, said PM Modi. With this achievement, we have also surpassed the economy of the UK that ruled over us for over 200 years, and with this “India’s time has arrived”, said PM Modi.
Concluding his remarks, PM Modi urges the people to turn out in large numbers on 10th May and vote for the BJP to enable the continuance of the double-engine Sarkar in Karnataka.
Raksha Mantri visits Army Base Camp in Rajouri, J&K
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh took stock of the operational preparedness of the Indian Army and the security situation along the border during his visit to the Army Base Camp in Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir on May 06, 2023. J&K Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi were present during the review meeting.
The Raksha Mantri interacted with the soldiers and commended their valour and zeal while operating in challenging situations. He asserted that the Nation feels secure because of the unmatched courage, commitment and constant vigil of the soldiers of the Indian Army in difficult areas. He motivated them to continue working with the same dedication and bravery, stating that the Government and the people of the country are with the Armed Forces always.
Shri Rajnath Singh also paid homage to the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service to the nation in Rajouri on May 05, 2023. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, he said.
PM congratulates King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said;
“Warmest congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation. We are sure that the India-UK relationship will be strengthened further in the coming years. @RoyalFamily”
BJP’s policy is ‘Nation First’. The Congress’ policy is ‘Corruption First’: PM Modi
Continuing his election campaigning spree, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed mega public meetings in Karnataka’s Mudbidri, Ankola and Baihongal. “May 10th, the day of the polls, is fast approaching. The BJP is determined to make Karnataka the top state and BJP’s resolve is to make Karnataka a manufacturing super power. This is our roadmap for the coming years,” stated PM Modi.
PM Modi said, “The BJP aims to make Karnataka the leading state in terms of development, but the Congress has different intentions and desires to turn Karnataka into an ATM for their royal family.” PM Modi accused the Congress of taking a commission of 85% in every scheme, which he believes will set the state back by decades. Therefore, he urged the people of Karnataka to be cautious when considering the Congress.
Referring the grand old party as the ‘Reverse Gear Congress’, PM Modi said, “Congress comes to the rescue of those who are arrested for conspiring to spread terror in Karnataka. Not only this, Reverse Gear Congress not only withdraws the cases registered against such anti-national people but also releases them.” He further stated that various sections of society unite to oppose such anti-national individuals, but the Reverse Gear Congress takes electoral help from them and runs in the opposite direction.
“Today, the whole world is paying respect to democracy and development in India. But the Reverse Gear Congress is defaming the country by roaming around the world. Karnataka which is moving on the path of peace and progress would never want someone to come and take it in reverse gear,” he added.
In reference to the initiatives undertaken to uplift fishermen, PM Modi remarked that the fishermen who safeguard the lengthy coastline of Karnataka are our compatriots. However, the Congress-led governments failed to provide them with assistance.
The Prime Minister said, “It was the BJP government that established a distinct fisheries ministry and devised a blueprint for the Blue Revolution. The BJP introduced the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, the first-ever scheme for the welfare of the fishermen and the fisheries sector. Additionally, under the leadership of Yeddyurappa Ji and Bommai Ji, the Matsya Siri scheme has been implemented.”
Addressing the rally in Mudbidri, the PM iterated, “The government implemented significant reforms in the space sector, allowing private players to participate. Karnataka is excelling in this sector with the involvement of its youth in creating rockets and satellites. HAL also achieved its highest-ever profit recently.”
He talked about the government establishing trade agreements with UAE and Australia, where many people from Karnataka reside. Also, he remarked that Karnataka is currently empowering India’s startup revolution, enabling young individuals from humble backgrounds to become creators of both wealth and value. The Prime Minister called upon the people of Karnataka to help India in achieving the status of the world’s third-largest economy in the years to come.
During his second rally in Ankola, PM Modi took a swipe at former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah saying that the Congress leader was seeking votes in the name of his retirement from active politics. PM Modi claimed that Congress always failed to fulfil promises and betrayed public and said that BJP fulfilled all the guarantees. He also referred to Congress as a ‘85% commission government’ through his speech.
Pointing to the Congress’ ‘Corruption First’ policy, the PM stated, Congress has developed such a system in the country that its coffers are always full of black money. And for this, the Congress prepared crores of people on paper, who were never born. Today I also want to inform the country and the people of Karnataka about this ‘fake name scam’ of the Congress. The people of Karnataka have also suffered a lot in this fake name scam.”
Criticising the Congress for neglecting tribals over the years, PM Modi said, “Congress used tribals only as vote bank, and kept tribal areas deprived of facilities. Roads, electricity and water facilities have reached many tribal villages of the country in the last 9 years. It was Atal ji’s government which created a separate ministry for the tribals for the first time.” He mentioned how the Congress had opposed the idea of electing the first tribal woman President, and added that the BJP government had awarded the GI-tag to Sirsi betel nut, showcasing their dedication to the Vocal for Local initiative.
In his third and last public meeting at Bailhongal, PM Modi said, “Every family in Karnataka has received benefits from atleast one or the other schemes of the Double Engine Sarkar. Development has reached those regions where one could not even have imagined that it could go. The ‘shortcut politics’ by the Congress is dangerous to Karnataka. The outcome of such shortcuts only leads to polarisation and Vote Bank politics. My dear brothers and sisters, development can never happen this way.”
PM Modi accused the Congress and JD(S) governments for neglecting the problems faced by farmers, particularly in regards to the dues of sugarcane farmers. He claimed that the BJP government worked on a permanent solution by emphasizing the production of ethanol from sugarcane over the last nine years. He accused the Congress of having no plans or intentions for this.
Critisizing the Congress party, PM Modi said, “BJP government has given importance to works that were previously neglected by the Congress. For example, here in Karnataka, there is a lot of discussion about Amrit Swabhimani Kurigahi Yojana which provides aid to Kuruba families for the purchase of sheep and goats in Karnataka.” He also highlighted the ongoing national campaign of free animal vaccination that will benefit these families. Additionally, he mentioned that small farmers have received PM Kisan Samman Nidhi money directly in their bank accounts for the first time in the country.
At the end the Prime Minister said, “The enthusiasm shown by the people of Karnataka sends one message – ‘Ee Baria Nirdhara, Bahumatda BJP Sarkara’. Amidst Bharat Mata Ki Jai chants, he urged people to vote for BJP on May 10 to continue their march towards a prosperous Karnataka.
PM lauds quantum jump in India’s overall coal production
The Coal Ministry tweeted about quantum jump in India’s overall coal production to 893.08 MT in FY 2022-23 as compared to 728.72 MT in FY 2018-2019 with a growth of about 23%.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi responded by tweeting :
“Very good news for the sector and also for India’s overall economic progress.”
Union Home Minister hands over appointment letters to 4400 employees of NDMC on their regularization
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah handed over appointment letters to 4400 employees of New Delhi Municipal Council on their regularization and inaugurated various projects in New Delhi today.
Several dignitaries including Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Shri Vinay Kumar Saxena, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi and Union Home Secretary were present on the occasion.
In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has eased the lives of the people by removing uncertainties from many areas, that’s why every elderly, child and youth of the country says that “Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai” (PM Modi is there then everything is possible). Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Modi himself has given a lot of thrust on timely changes in job conditions and recruitment rules in every ministry of the Government of India. As a result, Shri Modi has not only provided facilities to 4400 employees but also for many employees in the coming years.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that due to this decision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the people belonging to the backward sections of the society have got pride, respect and assurance for their future today. He said that in Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, when India is presiding over the G-20, your rich enthusiasm will help in beautifying the Delhi. Shri Shah added that the area of NDMC is very important as the policies of the country are made here, foreign guests visit here and this area is very important to spread the message and fragrance of India all over the world. He said that it is the responsibility of NDMC to provide basic amenities to the 43 sq km area and lakhs of people everyday.
Shri Amit Shah said that work of NDMC is considered the best among its counterparts across the country and NDMC is also financially self-sufficient with AA+ credit rating. Several plans have been made to develop it with minimum ecological impact. He said that 4400 people have officially joined this team of 13,000 Karmayogis of NDMC today. He said that these 4400 Karmayogis are known by their work more than their names. Whether it is cleanliness, making places rich with greenery and ensuring uninterrupted power supply, the efforts of these 4400 Karmayogis and their dedication and hard work towards NDMC is worth every applause. He said that these people had been getting recognition for their hard work, now Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also provided them with respect and security along with recognition.
The Union Home Minister said that officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the DoPT have played a major role in making necessary changes in the recruitment rules and removing administrative hurdles in regularizing these employees. He said that about 900 additional posts were created after which 4,400 people could be regularized. He said that after regularization, an average salary of Rs. 32,000 will be assured, while some people will also get higher level. Additionally, cashless health scheme of NDMC, LTC, promotion opportunities and the right to apply for NDMC government houses will be assured. He said that while all these facilities should have been provided to these employees long ago, it is due to the decision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that these rights have now been provided to them.
Shri Amit Shah said that today 120 new flats have also inaugurated in Pushp Vihar Housing Complex. Additionally, upgradation and beautification of Ranjit Singh flyover and Safdarjung flyover are also being undertaken. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is laying the foundation of development across many fields. Shri Shah said that before 2014, there was no government policy for urban development. However, after 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took responsibility for development across all the fields and formulated a comprehensive, result-oriented and integrated urban development policy, which is based on 5 pillars- Governance, Rejuvenation of Infrastructure, Cleanliness, Welfare of urban poor and Promotion of Healthy Competition between cities. Along with this, the Government of India worked towards upgradation of the infrastructure of the city through several schemes, such as, Amrut Mission, RERA Act, metro network and electric buses, thus helping to improve infrastructure and environment of the city. He said that the central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also taken care of the cleanliness of the city through promotion of initiatives like green energy, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and construction of public toilets, clean energy, solar rooftop and LED lights. Shri Shah said that houses have been built for the welfare of about 1.5 crore urban poor. Under the Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi Yojana, the street vendors have been made self-reliant while through digital transactions, they have been connected with banking facilities so that they could easily transact money.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that due to the effective urban development policy of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the cities are witnessing a transformation now. He said that in the coming days, NDMC needs to be further strengthened, services have to be made specific and detailed and the culture of cleanliness has to be inculcated in the entire NDMC area. Shri Shah said that due to the important decision taken by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a ray of enthusiasm and new hope has come in the lives of 4400 employees, today.
Union Agriculture Minister inaugurates Kharif Campaign for 2023-24 with focus on making country Aatmanirbhar
Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2023-24 on 03-05-2023 at NASC Complex, New Delhi. Addressing Conference, he emphasized that agriculture remains prime pulse of the Indian economy and is at the core of the socio-economic development of the country. It accounts for around 19 per cent of the GDP and about two-thirds of the population is dependent on the sector.
Shri Tomar expressed happiness that India’s agriculture sector has been witnessing robust growth with an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent over the last six years. This has enabled agriculture and allied activities sector to contribute significantly towards country overall growth, development and food security. As per 2nd Advance Estimates (2022-23), production of foodgrains in the country is estimated at 3235 lakh tonnes which is higher by 79 lakh tonnes than the production of foodgrains during 2021-22. Record production is estimated of rice, maize, gram, pulses, rapeseed and mustard, oilseeds and sugarcane. Total production of sugarcane in the country during 2022-23 is estimated at record 4688 lakh tonnes which is higher by 1553 lakh tonnes than the average sugarcane production. As per the 3rd Advance Estimates of Horticulture, a record 3423.3 lakh tonnes of horticultural production are estimated in 2021-22 which is 77.30 lakh tonnes higher over production of 2020-21.
The objective of this conference was to review and assess the crop performance during the preceding crop seasons and fix crop-wise targets for Kharif season in consultation with State Governments, ensure supply of critical inputs and facilitate adoption of innovative technologies with a view to enhance production and productivity of the crops. The priority of government is agro-ecological based crop planning for diversion of land from excess commodities like rice and wheat to deficit commodities like oilseeds and pulses and high value export earning crops. Special Mustard programme was initiated during rabi 2020-21 that has brought most spectacular results. Mustard production has jumped by 40% from 91.24 to 128.18 lakh tonnes in last 3 years. The productivity saw 11% increase from 1331 to 1447 kg/ha. The area under rapeseed & mustard enhanced by 29% from 68.56 lakh ha in 2019-20 to 88.58 lakh ha in 2022-23. Timely action by central and state government made this remarkable achievement possible.
The Minister shared that India organized The Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference at IARI campus, PUSA, New Delhi on 18th of March 2023 as part of major celebration of International Year of Millets. Dedicating to the International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023, the Hon’ble Prime Minister unveiled commemorative coin and stamp celebrating IYM followed by digital launch of a book of millets (Shree Anna) standards. The Prime Minister declared ICAR-IIMR as Global Centre of Excellence which was followed by screening of a short film on Shree Anna & IYM 2023. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is ensuring that IYM is celebrated in a structured way throughout the year by organizing regular meetings (In person/ video conferencing) with all the stakeholders. Expert Institutes such as ICAR-IIMR, APEDA, ICRISAT and others are also involved to encourage R&D, productivity and value addition.
The Conference set the national targets for production of foodgrains and other commodities. National targets for total food grains production set at 3320 lakh tonnes for the year 2023-24. Target for production of pulses have been fixed at 292.5 lakh tonnes compared to 278.1 lakh tonnes this year and oilseeds production will be increased from 400 to 440 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. Total Shree Anna production has to be increased from 159.1 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 to 170.0 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. The strategy would be to increase area through inter-cropping and crop diversification and productivity enhancement through introduction of HYVs and adoption of suitable agronomic practices in low yielding regions.
Addressing the Conference, Sh. Kailash Choudhary, MoS (Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) hoped that global demand for millets is set to rise, consequent to the celebration of the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM), This will provide us a unique opportunity to increase production, ensure efficient processing and consumption, promote a better utilization of crop rotations, and encourage better connectivity throughout food systems to promote millets as a key component of the food basket. Due to its multi-functionality, millets hold considerable potential to contribute to economic and ecological diversification, climate resilience, and food & nutritional security. Widely recognized as “Smart Food” or “Nutri-Cereals”, millets play a crucial role in transforming agri-food systems, across the globe. India is set to become International Hub for millets.
In his deliberation he said that there is significant increase in oilseeds and pulses still more stress should be given for further increase in the production of seeds and pulses. For the all the government facilities, schemes and information of agriculture must be given through FPO for its effective implementation.
Shri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary (Agriculture & Farmers Welfare), said that the country is maintaining an increasing trend in food grain production since 2015-16. The government has taken measures to augment crop and livestock productivity, ensure certainty of returns to the farmers through price support (Minimum Support Price), promote crop diversification and has made focused interventions to enhance credit availability, facilitate mechanization and boost horticulture and organic farming. As a result, agriculture exports touched a historic high growth in 2021-22. As compared to previous year 2020-21, the agri and allied export has increased from 41.86 billion USD in 2020-21 to 50.24 billion USD in 2021-22 i.e. an increase of 19.99%. For modernization of agriculture and facilitate farmer, government launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App, a Centralized Online System for seed traceability, authentication and inventory designed to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification.
Further he stated that to combat the adverse weather conditions the single window advisory system should be adopted for issuing the weather-related issues to the farmers. For the improvement of the soil health card system this year new initiative will be in place for which agriculture graduates will be given an opportunity to work on implementation of SHC.
Shri Arun Baroka Secretary (Fertilizers) assured timely supply of fertilizers for forthcoming kharif season. The government also announced to convert more than 3.25 lakh fertilizer shops across the country as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras. These will be centres where farmers can buy not only fertilizers and seeds but also implement soil testing and avail useful information about farming techniques. Further, he provided the information about Integrated fertilizer management system (IFMS) for the detail information about the fertilizer and related issues. In his deliberation he has given the information on the PM PRANAM and PM Kisan Samridhi Kendra he advised farmer should use organic inputs.
Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) and Director General, ICAR shared recent technological advances made in the agriculture for the benefits of the states and preparing plan of development accordingly. He stressed on using bio-fortified and climate resilient varieties to fulfill dream of food and nutritional security for all. Further in his deliberation he has highlighted for the improvement of varieties which are climate resilient and newly released and bio fortifies varieties should be used.
Detailed presentations were made on status of fertilizer supply by Additional Secretary (fertilizers), on agri stack for digitization in agriculture by Additional Secretary (Agriculture) on financial issues on released by additional secretary and financial advisor. JS (Crops) made a presentation on prospects and strategies for ensuing Kharif season. The state principal secretaries Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Odisha presented their strategies for Kharif preparedness and implementation. Presentation on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana was made by CEO of PMFBY, thereafter on Drought Management, Annual Action Plan of RKVY and Digital Extension plans were shared in details by respective Joint Secretaries.
Additional Secretary (Agriculture) and senior officers from DA&FW, ICAR and officers of different State Governments participated in the National Conference. This was followed by an interaction session with Agriculture Production Commissioners and Principal Secretaries of all the States to raise issues concerning their states for increasing area coverage, production and productivity during Kharif season 2023.