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 said here today that focus of the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is on capacity building of officers still having 25 years of service. These officers are the ones who have the opportunity to devote the next 25 years with full energy and capability to the making of India at 2047, he said.

Addressing the inaugural session of 16th Civil Services Day at Vigyan Bhawan here, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the officers who are in the age group of 30s should be our main focus for capacity building as they have another 25 years to put in, before India celebrates its 100 years of independence and they are the ones blessed with the privilege to be the architects of India at 2047. Our responsibility today will be to contribute to the capacity building of this group of officers, he said. If we are able to do that effectively, we will be doing justice to India at 2047, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the 16^th Civil Services Day events commencing today reflect the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined by him from the ramparts of Red Fort in his Independence Day address when he gave a clarion call as the nation stepped into “Amrit Kaal”.

The theme for the 2-day Civil Services Day 2023 is titled “Viksit Bharat: Empowering Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile”. The saturation approach envisaged in implementation of Priority Programs in the Amrit Kaal period can only be achieved when the Nation’s civil service pursues this objective with a seriousness of purpose, steely determination and a deep sense of commitment to the national cause, said the Minister.

Quoting Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s address to the very first group of civil servants in 1948 that “Your predecessors were brought up in the traditions in which they … kept themselves aloof from the common run of the people. It will be your bounden duty to treat the common men in India as your own”, the Minister said that much has changed with the passage of time.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that soon after this government came to power, the Prime Minister gave us the mantra ‘Maximum governance, Minimum Government’. In a simple sentence, it means a Government which is a facilitator, not an intimidator. When we talk of a government like this it means increased transparency, increased accountability and most of all increased citizen participation, he added.

The Minister said that Citizen participation has already happened and one of the most striking examples of it is the SVAMITVA scheme. It is a reformative step towards establishment of clear ownership of property in rural inhabited (Abadi) areas, by mapping of land parcels using drone technology and providing ‘Record of Rights’ to village household owners with issuance of legal ownership cards (Property cards/Title deeds) to the property owners. Another hallmark is the grievance redressal. One of the benchmarks of transparency and accountability is the grievance redressal mechanism, said Dr Jitendra Singh. When we introduced CPGRAMS, in 2014 we just had about 2 lakh grievances being filed across the country every year, today we have about 20 lakhs, 10 times more. This is the result of increased trust of people in grievance redressal. We were prompt, worked very hard and we ensured 95-100% disposal every week. Now we have institutionalised a mechanism wherein after the redressal of complaint, one of our officers calls up the complainant to find out the level of satisfaction, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that similarly, Mission Karmayogi is also a pathbreaking reform because if you want to have last mile delivery, you have to be competent for that. So Mission Karmayogi is one of the novel experiments whereby any officer taking up new assignment, would be able to build inherent capacity within themselves for the new assignment. Overnight you can prepare for the next assignment. We have used technology and transparency to bring out the efficiency of the officer. The credit goes entirely to Prime Minister Modi, he said.

The Minister said that the Aspirational district was another experiment of similar nature where the government decided the indices on a scientific basis. We have a dashboard which is updated real time and there is constant competition happening and it’s absolutely objective. Moreover good governance indices up to the district level have already been initiated starting with J&K and Uttar Pradesh, so that they also have the same scientific parameter to access themselves, within themselves and also vis-à-vis others. Additionally, the Assistant Secretaries stint of 3 months have been introduced for the first time before you go to the respective cadre. Thus you have an opportunity to know the priority of central govt and to cultivate mentors. Most of these reforms brought in by Prime Minister Modi is also initiating a new form of political culture, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh complimented the DARPG team for the successful Swachhata 2.0 campaign. For the first time, the realisation dawned in the society that Swachhata could also fetch you money. The Swachhata Campaign was conducted in 1.01 lac office sites, 89.85 lac square feet of space was freed and Rs. 370.83 crores revenue earned from disposal of office scrap including the electronic scrap.

Moreover, Dr Jitendra Singh said, when covid struck, the work in this Ministry did not get affected even for a single day, rather the output sometimes was even more. In CIC, in one single month of June 2020 when India was facing the height of the pandemic, the disposal of RTI applications was higher than the corresponding month of June 2019 in the non-covid times due to prompt online functioning, he said.

Talking about digital transformation, the Minister said that e-Office version 7.0 has been adopted in all 75 Ministries/ Departments of Central Secretariat by end February 2023. This is a commendable achievement that 89.6 percent of all files are processed as e-files in the Central Secretariat.

Dr Jitendra Singh also mentioned that the Prime Minister Modi is a man of several innovations in governance and the Chintan Shivir laid down a futuristic model of governance representing far-reaching administrative reforms in the Amrit Kaal period. The Chintan Shivir represents an administrative best practice where de-siloization and free exchange of views has been possible. Team building exercises breaking vertical silos conceptualised in Chintan Shivir with an average duration of 48 – 72 hours. The Minister urged each of the Ministries to conduct Chintan Shivir to transform institutional dynamics suited to 21st century governance models.

The Minister said that the Prime Minister Modi would be addressing the nation on Civil Services Day, April 21 2023 and conferring the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration. The Prime Minister has devoted considerable time and energy to personally restructure the scheme to ensure that high meritocracy is rewarded, evaluation processes are robust and participation is inclusive. 15 Awardees from 2520 nominations would be receiving the awards tomorrow. The Minister congratulated all the awardees. He further said that he is pleased to note that the overall efforts and nominations received are commendable, with 97% of districts registering for the PM Awards for Excellence in 2022.

Dr Jitendra Singh concluded by appreciating the efforts of DARPG in ensuring a fair and transparent selection process for the awards. It is essential for civil servants to embrace innovation and technology to improve public service delivery and governance. The rigorous evaluation process involves multiple rounds of scrutiny, including on-site visits to the nominated organisations. After the evaluation process, a shortlist of candidates is sent to the Prime Minister’s Office for final selection, he added.

The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar unveiled an e-book on ‘National Good Governance Webinar Series’ during the event. He also inaugurated an exhibition on ‘Good Governance Practices in India- Awarded Initiatives’. Shri Rajiv Gauba, Cabinet Secretary, Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, Secretary to the Vice-President of India, Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and other senior officers of the Government of India were also present in large numbers on the occasion.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has met Apple’s CEO Tim Cook today.

In response to a tweet by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, the Prime Minister said;

“An absolute delight to meet you, @tim_cook! Glad to exchange views on diverse topics and highlight the tech-powered transformations taking place in India.”

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah attended the first National Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Force of States and Union Territories, as the Chief Guest, in New Delhi today. Shri Amit Shah also released the Annual Report (Special Edition), 2022 and Drug Free India, National Resolution Booklet of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Shri Shah also launched a mobile app and web portal – ‘Map Drugs’ which will help in identifying and destruction of illegal farming in the country. Union Home Minister virtually inaugurated the office complex of NCB, Indore Regional Unit. On this occasion Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai, Union Home Secretary, and Director General of NCB, Shri S.N. Pradhan, were present along with other dignitaries.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we are committed to build a drug-free India by 2047. He said that the vision of drug-free India is important for the future generations, and at this crucial stage in the fight against drugs, if we move forward with determination, collective efforts, “Team India” and “Whole of Government Approach”, then our victory is certain.

Union Home Minister said that today an app to identify illegal farming has been launched, the annual report of NCB has been released and the regional office of NCB in Indore has also been inaugurated. He said that all these steps would provide impetus to our fight against the narcotics. Shri Shah said that the young generations are the foundation for the development of our country, but narcotics is ruining these young generations, thereby weakening the foundation of country’s development, and on such weak foundations a strong country cannot be built. He said that apart from ruining the youth of the country, smuggling of narcotics also affect the country’s economy. Smuggling of narcotics not only impacts the economy of the country, but also compromises the national security and borders through narco- terror.

Shri Amit Shah said that while many countries across the globe have failed in the battle against narcotics, India is at a stage where we can win against this fight by moving forward with the determination of 130-crore people. He said that there can be three reasons for failure against this fight: It must be understood that it is not just the fight of the government, but of the people, that it is not the fight of any one department, but everyone has to fight it together with equal intensity. There should not be any mistake in the approach and our goal should be clear that one who consumes drugs is a victim and one who deals in drugs is a criminal, and they need to be dealt with firmly. Shri Shah said that we will definitely win if we work on it. He said, the Ministry of Home Affairs under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has devised a 3-point strategy -strengthening of institutional structure, coordination among all narco-agencies and comprehensive public awareness campaign. Shri Shah said that we should move forward with Team India and Whole of Government Approach. He said that one should rise above party politics and political ideology in this fight against the narcotics. He said that this battle has to be fought rising above party politics and political ideology. He said that with zero tolerance approach all state governments should move forward to achieve the goal of drug -free India.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the outcomes of the fight against drugs in the last three years have been encouraging. Shri Shah informed that while only about 1,257 cases were registered between the years 2006-2013, the number has increased by 181 percent to 3,544 between 2014-2022. During the same period, the total number of arrests increased by almost 300 percent to 5,408 as against 1,363 arrests. During 2006-2013, 1.52 lakh kilograms of drugs were seized which doubled to 3.73 lakh kilogram between the years 2014-2022. Drugs worth Rs. 768 crore were seized between 2006-2013, which has increased by more than 25 times to Rs. 22,000 crore between 2014-2022.

Shri Amit Shah said that we have to move forward with ‘Bottom to Top’ and ‘Top to Bottom’ approach to destroy the entire network of narcotics. He said that in a few selected interstate and international cases these approaches should be developed by giving them to NCB for proper investigation. He emphasised that the main objective of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force and this conference is ‘Solution Oriented Thinking’. He added that the Government of India has also constituted a Joint Coordination Committee to take all stakeholders together in the fight against drugs. Shri Shah said that all the states must make full use of the NCORD and NIDAN portals created by the NCB.

Union Home Minister said that we have two important weapons in the fight against drugs – PITNDPS and confiscation of property. He said that ruthless action should be taken against the drug dealers only then this fight will gain momentum. Shri Shah said that the states should work in coordination with the central agencies to curb the use of dark net and cryptocurrency. Along with this, all the states should also work together with the National Forensic Science University to use modern technologies like block chain analysis, map intelligence and digital forensics. He said that if we work well along with these techniques, we will find ourselves two steps ahead in this fight.

Shri Amit Shah said that unless drugs are destroyed through proper process, there will be chances of rotation of drugs due to corruption. He asked all the agencies that drugs destruction should be held in public, which would also help us in creating social awareness. Shri Shah said that all the States should work along with the State High Courts to set up NDPS and Fast Track Courts, which would result in speedy disposal of cases. He said that the central funds available for police modernization and upgradation of Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs) should also be used for narco related FSL upgradation. He said that cases related to investigation of the commercial affairs of NDPS should be referred to ED and other agencies. Shri Shah said that our emphasis should be on dismantling the entire network. Apart from this, we also have to associate ourselves with rehabilitation and public awareness campaign, which will benefit us a lot.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Minister said that the first priority should be given to narcotics among the facilities provided by the Government of India under the Police Technology Mission. He said that meetings of all four level of NCORD, two at the central and two at the state, should be held regularly. He said that district level NCORD meeting is the most important. Shri Shah said that every state should equally make efforts to have district level NCORD meetings. He said that if all the information is uploaded on the centralized NCORD portal, it will help everyone in the form of Knowledge Management System. He said that our investigation must reach the international drug trafficking network and it is the responsibility of all the chiefs of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces to destroy all linkages of network in any part of the country. He said that the drug network chart of the district and the state must be made, so that we would get information about the spread of the problem and the focus of our fight. Shri Shah said that to convert the system into success, we have to connect our sensitivity with it. He said that there should be very good coordination between the central agencies, the coastal states and the local population to stop drug smuggling through the sea route.

Shri Amit Shah said that the fight against drugs is certainly difficult but we all have to resolve and move forward to achieve Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s goal of a drug-free India by 2047.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with Canadian Minister of National Defence Ms Anita Anand on April 19, 2023. The conversation was warm and cordial. Both Ministers discussed ways to develop bilateral defence relations, which shall be reflective of their democratic ethos and a shared interest in the peace and security of the Indo-Pacific.

Ms Anita Anand briefed the Raksha Mantri about Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the importance attached to enhancing engagement with India. Shri Rajnath Singh welcomed increased Canadian naval presence in the Indo-Pacific. Both Ministers discussed potential areas of defence cooperation – from UN peacekeeping training to defence industrial cooperation.

The Raksha Mantri highlighted that India is an attractive defence manufacturing destination with competitive land and labour costs and two defence industrial corridors. He invited Canadian defence companies to invest in India and carry out co-production. They would also find value in integrating Indian defence companies in their global supply chains.

Both Ministers agreed to work on taking the defence relationship to next level and make defence an important pillar of India-Canada bilateral relationship.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that Youth at 2023 will define India at 2047.

Speaking as chief guest at the Youth 20 Consultation on Peace-building and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War at the University of Jammu, Dr Jitendra Singh said three generations have passed since Independence and there was no dearth of talent or capabilities but the favourable milieu was lacking which has now been made available by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So this is a great opportunity but at the same time also a challenge and privilege because the same youth will be deciding the face of India@2047. Those who are thirty today will be the prime citizens, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that 2023 is a very important year for the country as India is holding the G20 presidency. In this auspicious year, one can reasonably say that Prime Minister Modi has given a model of governance which is sustainable, which defies the principle of diminishing returns and which grows stronger with each new challenge. Therefore the point to ponder in the context of today’s meeting is what is the inter-relationship between the Modi governance of 2023 and the youth of 2023.

The Minister said that just after forming the Government in May 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had said that this Government will be dedicated towards the upliftment of the poor, empowerment of women and the betterment of the youth. Before 2014, the environment in the country was one of desperation and hopelessness. He added that on the evening of 26^th May 2014 when Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister, I said this is the beginning of the journey from pessimism to optimism. So when the Prime Minister said that his government would give high priority to youth, many people treated it with cynicism. But today when you look back, as the government is completing 9 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you can reasonably say with evidence that Modi has walked the talk and also led his team to walk the talk.

The Minister recalled that soon after the Government came to power in May 2014, within two to three months, the practice of getting certificates attested by gazetted officers was done away with. Thereafter within a year, Prime Minister spoke from the ramparts of Red Fort about the abolition of interview in job recruitment so that a level playing field could be provided. In pension, face recognition technology was introduced so that the elderly citizens did not have to go through the tedious process of getting a life certificate. Most of the functioning was converted online and in order to bring in transparency, accountability and citizen participation, the human interface was reduced to the bare minimum. This highlights the fact that now there is a government that is ready to trust the youth of this country.

Talking about grievance redressal, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the grievance redressal mechanism was shifted to CPGRAMS as a result of which about 20 lakh grievances are received every year in comparison to just 2 lakhs every year before this government came in because this government followed a policy of time bound redressal and gained the confidence of the people.

It was Prime Minister Modi, said Dr Jitendra Singh, who had, a few months ago, promised the nation that he would soon provide 10 lakh government jobs for the youth. Once again, the Minister said, it is evident that Prime Minister Modi does what he says and he has the capacity to make everything “Mumkin” (possible).

Dr Jitendra Singh said, right from the beginning, Prime Minister Modi has given highest priority to the issues and concerns related to youth. He said, Prime Minister has constantly sought to create new avenues and opportunities for livelihood, government jobs and income for the youth.

Dr Jitendra Singh referred to the India’s Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which the Modi government amended after 30 years in 2018 to introduce a number of new provisions including criminalising the act of giving bribe also in addition to taking bribe and at the same time putting in place an effective deterrence for such actions by individuals as well as corporate entities.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that it was Prime Minister Modi who, in his Independence Day address of 2015, gave a call for “StartUp India StandUp India”, which soon turned into a countrywide movement. The result of this is that now the number of StartUps in India has gone up from 300 to 400 in 2014 to more than 75,000 today and India ranks third in the world in StartUp ecosystem, he added. Moreover the number of Biotech StartUps in the country has increased from 50 to over 5,000 in the last 8 years, because of the support and enabling milieu provided by Prime Minister NarendraModi ever since he took over in 2014. It is expected to cross the figure of 10,000 by 2025. Bio economy before 2014 was just $10 billion, today it is $80 billion and the target is $100 billion by 2025, he added.

The Minister said that Himalayan states including Uttarakhand have become the fountainhead for aromatic start-ups. Moreover he said that “Purple Revolution” or Aroma Mission is Jammu & Kashmir’s contribution to “StartUps India. Pertinent to mention that Aroma Mission is attracting StartUps and agriculturists from across the country. More than 44,000 persons have been trained and several crores of farmers’ revenue generated.

Similarly Dr. Jitendra Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the highest priority to the growth and development of the North Eastern region and it was a path-breaking decision under his leadership to exempt home grown bamboo from the purview of the 100 year old Indian Forest Act. This helped in bringing ease of doing business in the bamboo sector for the young entrepreneurs, he said. Earlier governments never cared to explore India’s vast ocean resources and it is for the first time, after Shri Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister that there is a serious effort to explore and harness the ocean resources and give priority to the Blue Economy of India

In the field of conventional education, at the start of 2014, there were 725 universities and now 300 more have been added in the past 9 years at the rate of 1 new university every week. The Minister said that 145 medical colleges were opened in the country between 2004 and 2014. More than 260 medical colleges have been opened during 2014 to 2022 at the rate of 1 college of medicine per day and at the rate of 2 degree colleges per day so that every youth get accessibility to education. He/she should not be deprived of receiving education simply because it’s not available, he added.

The Minister recalled that recently Central University of Jammu has opened North India’s first teaching department of space. Saying that one of the objectives of NEP-2020 is de-linking degree from education, Dr.Jitendra Singh said that linking degrees with education has taken a heavy toll on our education system and society as well. One of the fall-outs has been an increasing number of educated unemployed.

Dr Jitendra Singh mentioned that we are already a part of the global world whether we like it or not. And therefore if we have to live up to global benchmarks, we have to prepare ourselves for global challenges and we have to also address the global concerns be it climate change, clean energy etc. Prime Minister Modi, in his Independence day speech, had introduced us to the potential of green hydrogen as a fuel. India in the near future will be one of the major exporters of green hydrogen.

The Minister said that Youth20 is one of the eight official engagement groups under the G20 umbrella. It is an attempt to create a connecting point between G20 governments and their local youth. The Y20 India Summit in 2023 will exemplify India’s youth-centric efforts and provide an opportunity to showcase its values and policy measures to the youth across the globe.

The Minister concluded by saying that because of all this, the onus lies on the youth of today, those who are in their thirties and who are going to be the prime citizens in 2047. How best they can use this opportunity depends on them. He said he hoped that the youth at that time will be able to say that “I’m the architect of India@100” and therefore we of the earlier generation have the responsibility to induce that capacity building of the youth of today, he concluded.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari addressed ‘INTERALPIN 2023 Fair’, the Leading International Trade Fair for Alpine Technologies at Innsbruck, Austria today. The fair brings together key industry players, service providers, and decision-makers from the Cable Car industry.

Shri Gadkari said under “Parvatmala Pariyojana”, the Government of India plans to develop 250+ projects with a Ropeway length of 1,200+ km over 5 years. He said our focus is on PPP under Hybrid Annuity Model with 60% contribution support by Government of India. He said we are promoting the manufacturing of ropeway components under the “Make in India” initiative.

Shri Gadkari said we encourage the Austrian & European industries to participate in enhancement of existing ropeway standards to ensure sustainable and safer transport and to be a part of this transformational journey as we take Indian infrastructure to greater heights.

Shri Gadkari also visited exhibits of world’s leading manufacturers of ropeway systems offering high-tech solutions, innovative design, top quality, and functionality, thus paving the way for convenient and environmentally friendly ropeway passenger transport.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the setting up of PM Mitra Mega Textiles Park across Lucknow and Hardoi districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Sharing a tweet by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal about the inauguration of PM Mitra Mega Textiles Park in Uttar Pradesh today, the Prime Minister in a series of tweets said;

“Uttar Pradesh has rich tradition of textiles, a big market and consumer base. It is home to hardworking weavers and a skilled workforce. The setting up of the PM Mitra Mega Textiles Park across Lucknow and Hardoi districts will greatly benefit UP.”

“उत्तर प्रदेश के मेरे सभी भाइयों और बहनों के लिए आज एक बहुत अहम दिन है। लखनऊ और हरदोई में PM MITRA पार्क का शुभारंभ होने जा रहा है। इस अवसर पर आप सभी को मेरी बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं।”

“1000 एकड़ से ज्यादा में फैले ये PM MITRA पार्क स्थानीय अर्थव्यवस्था को गति देने के साथ ही रोजगार के अनेक नए अवसर लाने वाले हैं। देश के टेक्सटाइल सेक्टर को भी इनसे नई मजबूती मिलने वाली है।”

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah presided over a ‘Chintan Shivir’ of senior officers of Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi today.  The objective of the Chintan Shivir was to review the work of the Ministry and to evolve action plan to implement Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s “Vision 2047”. The discussions were held in two sessions.

The Chintan Shivir commenced with an in-depth review of the status of compliance of the instructions given by the Home Minister during an earlier discussion held with the officers of the Ministry. Home Minister also reviewed the functioning of MHA dashboard, Government Land Information System (GLIS), Budget Utilization, E-Office and Special Recruitment Drive etc. He also reviewed the work of various Divisions on their priorities and deliverables in the coming years, position on AatmaNirbhar Bharat, various Budget announcements and important pending issues.

In his remarks, the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah emphasised on developing ecosystem for cybercrime management, modernization of police forces, increased use of IT in criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security issues etc. Shri Shah said that enhanced use of Artificial Intelligence should be made to utilise the CCTNS database for critical analysis of crimes, thus, making cities safer for women, children and vulnerable sections.

Shri Amit Shah stressed on the need to fast-track the recruitment process and said that anticipating the future vacancies recruitment should be initiated well in advance. He said that meetings of Departmental Promotion Committees (DPC) should be held regularly so that employees get timely promotions. He also emphasised on taking various welfare measures for CAPF personnel like creating healthcare facilities, improving housing satisfaction ratio amongst others. Home Minister also emphasised on importance of training and said that regular training should be conducted by all wings of the MHA.

Union Home Minister suggested that MHA officials should make field visits to monitor development schemes. He also directed to fast-track construction of fencing and roads in border areas.

Home Minister emphasised the importance of sensitivity and the need to develop a personal touch by all senior officials. He offered valuable insights on the way forward for the Ministry and exuded confidence that the discussions held at the Chintan Shivir will help in better planning and coordination in these areas. He asked all senior officers that they should collectively work with full dedication. Shri Amit Shah lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Home Affairs and stressed the need to make constant endeavour to achieve the goal of making a safe and secure India.

PM Mitra Park in Lucknow and Hardoi will help generate employment opportunities for the skilled manpower of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Commerce and Industry during a programme of launch and signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Integrated Textile Park in 1,000 acres in Lucknow and Hardoi districts under PM Mega Integrated Textile Sector and Apparel (PM Mitra) in Lucknow today.

While talking about the opportunities provided by the UP government to migrant labours who returned during Covid, he said that while the government made all efforts to provide livelihood opportunities in state, PM Mitra Park will help support that dream further. He said that the skilled manpower of UP is the backbone of various textile industries in Coimbatore and other places in the country.

While addressing the event, Shri Goyal highlighted the exemplary initiatives taken by the UP government with regard to good governance, enforcing law and order and building a holistic ecosystem in the state towards its development. He recalled former Prime Minister, Lt. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said he was the ambassador of the state. However, in past 6 years, under the leadership of PM and commitment of UP’s CM, Shri Yogi Adityanath, the state has reported exceptional development in infrastructural areas.

Shri Goyal assured that PM Mitra Park in Uttar Pradesh will be the first Park in the country to be inaugurated after completion. He added that soon Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will be invited to do the bhumi pujan following which within a fortnight SPV and tendering process should start thereby ensuring basic amenities like electricity and water supply.

The Union Minister mentioned his observation during Global Investors Summit held in the state. He said that the investors queued for the investment in Uttar Pradesh. He said that Hon’ble PM started Investors Summit in Gujarat following which many States organized the same. But, what makes UP stands out is its commitment. Adding on he said that the industries needs water and electricity and they will take benefit from the 2002 decision of UP government in which it announced Rupees 2 rebate per unit on electricity. Decisions like rebate in land prices for setting up large scale units and others is the reason promoting development in the Hindi Heartland.

Shri Goyal said that UP has followed PM’s vision of Speed, Skill and Scale. In this regard, projects are monitored, there’s transparent system of governance, observation of ongoing works, officers and politicians are accountable for the deadline, all these detailing has led to a dream, a dream of achieving $1 trillion economy of UP.

He said that when he sees UP, he believes that a strong ecosystem has been developed which will promote MSMEs and small businesses. PLI Schemes will also help the state. He urged people to shun the colonial mindset and collectively work towards making India, a developed nation in next 25 years, as if the vision of Hon’ble PM.

He said that besides 5F: from Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign, an investor suggested another F which is Flyover. The Minister said that in last 6 years, UP has seen infrastructural development in terms of airport, highways, having the best expressways, Golden quadrilateral, better road services and others. He said that PM’s dream of India is: perform, reform and transform and UP is the classic example of that dream.

Pertinently PM Mitra Park Lucknow will be developed in Public Private Partnership mode througha Special Purpose Vehicle (S.P.V.),which will be owned by the Central and State Governments.

The total area of PM Mitra Park Lucknow will be1000 acres.In which an investment of Rs 10,000 crore is expected and it is likely to provide employment to 1 lakh people directly and 2 lakh people indirectly.

PM Mitra Park Lucknow is being developed in Attari village of Malihabad block of Lucknow district, which is well connected to major cities of the country by road, rail and air as follows:-

Road: The distance of the park from NH-20, SH-25 and 6lane outerringroadisjust20kms.

By Rail: The nearest railway station Malihabad is at the distance of 16 km from the park and Lucknow railway station is at40km.

By Air: The nearest international airport is Lucknow, which is 45 kilometers from the park.

And the nearest Dedicated Freight Corridor and Inland Container Depot is Kanpur, which is 95 kilometers away from the park.

PM Mitra Park Lucknow will have an incubation centre, common processing house and a common effluent treatment plant and other textile related facilities like design center and testing centre.

An Incubation Center is an organization that helps entrepreneurs to develop their business and solve problems related to it, especially in the early stages by providing arrange of business and technical services, initial seed funding ,laboratory facilities, mentorship networks and linkages.

The Special Purpose Vehicle (S.P.V.)/master developer will not only develop the industrial park but will also maintain it during the concession period.

Under  the scheme, the central government will provide development capital assistance of Rs500 crore to PM Mitra Park Lucknow for the development of common basic infrastructure.

PM Mitra Park Lucknow will strengthen the value chain of the textile sector to become globally competitive.

In the month of February 2023,a successful Global Investors Summit was organized in the state. In which investment proposals worth more than Rs 33 lakh 50 thousand crore were received. Out of which investment proposals worth more than Rs56,000 crore are related to the textile sector.

Investors are willing to set up their unit in PM Mitra Park

Lucknow and there is enthusiasm among the investors. So far, MOU proposals worth Rs 2396.85 crore have been received from 67 investors.Whose investment wise details are presented-

The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, will provide incentives to the manufacturing units to be set up in PM Mitra Park Lucknow on the basis of first come first serve’.

A provision has been made by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India to provide Rs 300 crore as incentive to the manufacturing units to be set up in PM Mitra Park Lucknow.

The incentive amount will be 3 percent of the total annual turn over of the unit, whose limit per company will be as follows:

1. Investment of Rs300 Crore or above-Cap of Rs10 Crore/annum and a maximum cap of Rs 30 Crore on total incentive for one anchor investor company.
2. Investment of Rs 100-300 Crore – Cap of Rs 5 Crore/annum and a maximum cap of Rs 15 Crore on total incentive for one investor company.
3. Other investor companies and tenants-A cap of Rs1Crore/annum and a maximum cap of Rs 3 crore on total incentive But they must have employment of 100 persons and above.

Additional incentives to manufacturing Units setting up in PM Mitra Park Lucknow as per U.P.Textile and Garmentig Policy-2022.

1. Power Tariff Subsidy of Rs 2 per unit (up to Rs 60 Lakh per annum)for 5years to units setting up in PM MITRA Park and generating minimum employment of 50.
2. 100 percent exemption from Stamp Duty to manufacturing units setting up in the PM Mitra Park Lucknow.
3.  Permission for open access to electricity for the Master Developer.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, delivered the keynote address at the concluding session of the 2nd G20 Health Working Group Meeting today. “As G20 Health Working Group, we are heading in the right direction toward jointly creating a positive impact for future Global Health Architecture”, said the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister as he expressed his appreciation towards all the delegates from G20 member states, invited countries, and International Organizations for aligning their priorities with India’s proposed health priorities. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar also addressed the gathering.

Dr. Mandaviya emphasized the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare systems around the world and stated, “it is essential for us to collectively break the cycle of panic and neglect and not let the phenomenon of pandemic fatigue diminish our ongoing efforts on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response.” He also noted,  “India’s G20 Presidency plans to continue the momentum brought during Italy and Indonesian Presidency and consolidate the efforts made so far towards health emergencies preparedness, prevention, and response.”

Furthermore, Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the need for a formal global coordination mechanism for medical countermeasures and underscored the importance of converging and consolidating efforts on the Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Agenda. He also noted that India has proposed the agenda of digital health and innovation with a view to promoting the use of technology in health service delivery, bridging the digital divide across the world and promoting digital public goods.

Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, reiterated that the fulcrum of India’s G20 Presidency lies in the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and emphasized the need to create resilient healthcare systems that ensure equitable access to affordable and quality healthcare to people across national borders.

Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, highlighted the need for an integrated global health framework through the approach of ‘One Health’ and on the need to counter the challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). He urged everyone to continue their discussions to collectively work towards ensuring ‘Universal Health Coverage’ for all.

Shri Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Dept of Health Research and DG, ICMR; Shri Lav Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, representatives from the G20 member countries, special invitee countries, international organizations, forums and partners like WHO, World Bank, WEF etc., and senior officers of the Union Government were also present.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that India is set to be a major contributor to world’s “Circular Economy”.

While speaking as chief guest at the Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR IIP) – MSME Meet & PAN CSIR – collaborations as part of “One Week -One Lab” program here, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India has huge unexplored amount of waste which is available to be converted to wealth that was not realised earlier as neither there was technology available, nor it was brought up as part of our social culture. But with increasing pace of technological development and, more and more social awareness happening, this will become a rich source of economy which will be exclusive to India. Moreover it will give India an edge over other major economies, he added.

The Minister highlighted that “waste is the wealth of the coming times” and it is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India being central to global environmental action.

The Minister mentioned that CSIR – IIP Dehradun is the only lab in the country which celebrates not wealth, but ‘waste’. He added that this is an institute working for the next generation. The concept of waste to wealth is relatively new and you are its torch bearers, he said. The Minister urged the CSIR labs to work in synergy with the MSME sector and industry as part of a wider integration in order to grow sustainably.

CSIR IIP Dehradun Director Dr. Anjan Ray said that the two-pronged mandate of CSIR-IIP is:(a) Helping India reduce its imported fuels burden, and (b) Aiding the nation in decarbonization of our energy usage while continuing to enhance energy access and affordability using evidence-based research, development and field deployment.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the “One Week – One Lab” (OWOL) program should be an opportunity to strengthen partnership between the CSIR labs since each lab has unique mandate and specializes in diverse areas from food to fuel, drugs, environment, materials, leather, genomics, geology and so on. Moreover the OWOL enables CSIR labs to deeply analyse and appreciate their work and use it further for the betterment of the society.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that India is pledged to ensure reliable, affordable and sustainable energy to a growing population, attaining Net Zero GHG Emissions by 2070, but this ambitious target will require focused and concerted attention. India’s energy generation depends on fossil fuel (59.8 per cent), with coal contributing to about 51 per cent even though renewable energy has grown to an impressive 38.5 per cent. There is therefore still a pressing need to further decarbonise the energy sector, which would require replacing fossil fuels with renewables, reducing fossil CO2 emissions from old power plants, and removing unavoidable carbon emissions through carbon sequestration. This is where Science and Technology has to play a major role.

The Minister concluded by appreciating the efforts of CSIR IIP for its remarkable adaptability and flexibility during the pandemic in serving the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. He further urged all the CSIR labs to utilise this “One week-One Lab” program as an opportunity to engage in persistent and persuasive efforts to involve all stakeholder’s participation to grow sustainably.
The MSME meet, and PAN CSIR Collaboration will showcase CSIR-IIP’s outreach to its esteemed MSME partners who have not only been instrumental in the implementation of its technologies but rightly perceived to be an integral part of India’s growth story. The event shall be an apt opportunity for MSME partners of CSIR-IIP to provide feedback and fraternise with other motivated MSME colleagues. CSIR-IIP’s Medical Oxygen Technology, Biogas Purification Technology, Advanced PNG burners and improved Gur Bhatti shall be the key highlights of the discourse.

The PAN-CSIR collaboration showcase will provide a platform to exhibit CSIR-IIP’s intra-CSIR collaborative research. Joint presentations by CSIR-IIP scientists and their partners from other CSIR labs will highlight recent activities and achievements aligned with the national leadership’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the 100th G20 meeting during India’s G20 Presidency.

In response to a tweet thread by G 20 India, the Prime Minister said;

“Guided by the principle of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ and in line with our ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, India’s G20 Presidency has worked to further global good and create a better planet.”