Competitive Times

Security breach during Prime Minister’s visit to Punjab

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA-BnNRybG_NYbTfAp_ehSrecVrTrMJvG9s0DuxuddVQYnS4zPQn-Cuq2katS83lE2tYLHiHQzHVhXjMGxaUtAYsmrLzwP8C7TAyjkQ3cVwjJg2gLaRYEj6y26ynE9hvj9PylzlQXlWR3tAJ1jlSFzYyAUbRe9cuqhBnlqB82KlxkCkZbTfPCZQbL1=s359" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="Security breach during Prime Minister’s visit to Punjab" border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA-BnNRybG_NYbTfAp_ehSrecVrTrMJvG9s0DuxuddVQYnS4zPQn-Cuq2katS83lE2tYLHiHQzHVhXjMGxaUtAYsmrLzwP8C7TAyjkQ3cVwjJg2gLaRYEj6y26ynE9hvj9PylzlQXlWR3tAJ1jlSFzYyAUbRe9cuqhBnlqB82KlxkCkZbTfPCZQbL1=w299-h320" title="Security breach during Prime Minister’s visit to Punjab" width="299" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today morning the Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at Bathinda from where he was to go to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala by helicopter.  Due to rain and poor visibility, the Prime Minister waited for about 20 minutes for the weather to clear out.</div>When the weather did not improve, it was decided that he would visit the National Marytrs Memorial via road, which would take more than two hours. He proceeded to travel by road after necessary confirmation of necessary security arrangements by the DGP Punjab Police.Around 30 kms away from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, when the Prime Minister’s convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by some protestors.The Prime Minister was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. This was a major lapse in the security of the Prime Minister.The Prime Minister’s schedule and travel plan was communicated well in advance to the Punjab Government. As per procedure, they have to make necessary arrangements for logistics, security as well as keep a contingency plan ready. Also in view of the contingency plan the Punjab Government has to deploy additional security to secure any movement by road , which were clearly not deployed.After this security lapse, it was decided to head back to Bathinda Airport.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) taking cognisance of this serious security lapse has sought a detailed report from the state government. The State Government has also been asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action. (PIB)

News National Security breach during Prime Minister’s visit to Punjab

Today morning the Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at Bathinda from where he was to go to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala b...

Doctors should be in the Hospital and not on the Streets: Kejriwal

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipU60-vfR9Lk4jqBzW0QlWGmvk8vsE54jORUv-T-aPCDlKlIqYe5yLrQzuTCG8CM7jPIKBN3bN5feghyi2fpz53W9Z68jmYf8Eq2UP024El39ig9xJiX455s-YJJos7hZ1Buw6Yslik_uNbL7kkUTQ0-d-n8Wtn3bgPXPMUzt9Y8MqX_HKp3sp0_3Q=s640" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="NEET-PG: Kejriwal writes to PM Modi to Begin Counselling at the Earliest" border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="640" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipU60-vfR9Lk4jqBzW0QlWGmvk8vsE54jORUv-T-aPCDlKlIqYe5yLrQzuTCG8CM7jPIKBN3bN5feghyi2fpz53W9Z68jmYf8Eq2UP024El39ig9xJiX455s-YJJos7hZ1Buw6Yslik_uNbL7kkUTQ0-d-n8Wtn3bgPXPMUzt9Y8MqX_HKp3sp0_3Q=w400-h279" title="NEET-PG: Kejriwal writes to PM Modi to Begin Counselling at the Earliest" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">CM Arvind Kejriwal has said that when COVID cases are increasing again and doctors should be in the hospital and not on the streets. He further said that Omicon variant of the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming speed, on the other, doctors in hospitals under the Central Government in Delhi are on strike. Kejriwal has writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding expedition of NEET-PG counselling. He said that the Resident doctors at many big government hospitals like AIIMS, Safdarjung, Ram Manohar Lohia are on strike for the last one month due to repeated postponement of NEET-PG counselling. It is a matter of deep despair that even after their persistent struggle, the demands of these resident doctors were not listened to by the central government. However, it is even more upsetting that yesterday, when these doctors were protesting peacefully, the police behaved violently and harassed them.”</div>CM  Arvind Kejriwal wrote a letter to the Prime Minister demanding expedition of NEET-PG counselling. He said that these are the same doctors that have treated COVID patients over the last year and a half, without caring about their own lives during the pandemic. He added that numerous doctors lost their lives to the deadly virus, but they continued to work tirelessly,  and did not neglect their duty.Shri Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “The doctors under the centre have been on strike for several days. They served during the pandemic by risking their life. COVID-19 is rising again. The doctors should be in the hospitals, not on the streets. We strongly condemn the police brutality inflicted on the doctors. The Prime Minister must accept their demands soon.”

News National Doctors should be in the Hospital and not on the Streets: Kejriwal

CM Arvind Kejriwal has said that when COVID cases are increasing again and doctors should be in the hospital and not on the streets. He furt...

Victory in Chandigarh is a sign of Change in Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixdAUWeK9g7KfYzdEO31lTBTUQPGXsjNPmtxAvrMiA38EAxLgQOGa5wDK4Ad2ShtOYYoZhLdQvzOuEO7dr-r96krhtnQzSggNhS8gzlFlxwxSV3NrjoUJidMd-rgf_6DdD9C5grwl5pCMFATYA0FQz16tpysIiX9HWKIn5v-U6zspEdVqd3VvUTamE=s640" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Victory in Chandigarh is a sign of Change in Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal" border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="640" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixdAUWeK9g7KfYzdEO31lTBTUQPGXsjNPmtxAvrMiA38EAxLgQOGa5wDK4Ad2ShtOYYoZhLdQvzOuEO7dr-r96krhtnQzSggNhS8gzlFlxwxSV3NrjoUJidMd-rgf_6DdD9C5grwl5pCMFATYA0FQz16tpysIiX9HWKIn5v-U6zspEdVqd3VvUTamE=w400-h263" title="Victory in Chandigarh is a sign of Change in Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal" width="400" /></a></div>AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that the victory of Aam Aadmi Party in Chandigarh is a sign of change in Punjab and he futher added that people of Chandigarh have rejected corruption and misgovernance and chosen AAP’s honest politics. It is noted that the Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as the single largest party while registering a historic victory in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections today. The Aam Aadmi Party had entered the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections for the first time and won 14 wards of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, which was a BJP stronghold.On December 24, elections were held in 35 wards of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Only the BJP and Congress have held power in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation so far, and the Aam Aadmi Party was contesting elections for the first time. AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal addressed a public meeting in Chandigarh and urged the people of Chandigarh to give the Aam Aadmi Party's honest politics a chance. The people of Chandigarh chose to trust Shri Arvind Kejriwal and his honest politics, giving the Aam Aadmi Party a historic victory in 14 wards in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections. People are extremely dissatisfied with the BJP's corruption, and even brought defeat to its mayor. This victory in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation shows that Punjab is ready for change this time.Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “The Aam Aadmi Party's victory in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is a sign of change to come in Punjab. Today, the people of Chandigarh have rejected corrupt politics in favour of the AAP's honest politics. Congratulations to all of the AAP's winning candidates and employees. Punjab is ready for change this time.”

News National Victory in Chandigarh is a sign of Change in Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal

AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that the victory of Aam Aadmi Party in Chandigarh is a sign of chang...

PGC Awards: 11 Parliamentarians Awarded for Work on Child Rights, Check List Here

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioebeslNx3aLzSDauhtnpTji6xGMFVjpiQBqufiBkk4lAg5f9HNt3_KOvhkqwHtT8jiyAgmiMF5SL6pmABHPyiICN_wUWX41XHv3M89uUjVXZNFGIGuUTUjAh9F1exPkFeNAjBKRRlDSUao_a0moCIBrCeZTRpqMExuVLeB4mG6Etv4Ua5wMYn1xoI=s640" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioebeslNx3aLzSDauhtnpTji6xGMFVjpiQBqufiBkk4lAg5f9HNt3_KOvhkqwHtT8jiyAgmiMF5SL6pmABHPyiICN_wUWX41XHv3M89uUjVXZNFGIGuUTUjAh9F1exPkFeNAjBKRRlDSUao_a0moCIBrCeZTRpqMExuVLeB4mG6Etv4Ua5wMYn1xoI=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Eleven parliamentarians, six from Lok Sabha and five from Rajya Sabha (list appended below) were awarded the annual Parliamentarians’ Group for Children Awards during a virtual event. </div>Parliamentarians Group of Children (PGC) is a platform that convenes, informs and engagesMembers of Parliament (MPs) on issues of children'rights. Every year, the PGC Awards recognize the work of parliamentarians who have contributed significantly towards improving the lives of children in India through legislative and constituency level action.Along with the winners, the virtual event was attended by Shri Gaurav Gogoi, Hon’ble MP, and Chairperson of the PGC; Smt. Vandana Chavan, Hon’ble MP and Convener of PGC; Dr.Heena Gavit, Hon’ble MP and Convenor of the PGC; Mr. Yasumasa Kimura, UNICEF India Representative a.i.; Ms. Zafrin Chowdhury, Chief of Communications, Advocacy and Partnerships, UNICEF India and other dignitaries.Shri Gogoi reiterated the PGC’s commitment to engage the Parliamentarians to work towards the cause of children’s rights. “As Parliamentarians, we can make an impact by not just highlighting children related issues but also working towards fulfilling their rights. Today, children are exceptionally aware about their rights and as Parliamentarians we must give their opinions a greater importance.”He urged the parliamentarians to include children from their constituencies in the policymaking process. “This will go a long way in increasing the children’s social and political awareness as well as provide a platform for them to present their ideas, demands and concerns to us. Going ahead, we must put our more sincere energies in working towards the same,” he added.Congratulating the MPs who won the PGC awards this year, Mr Yasumasa Kimura said, “It gives me immense pleasure to see the passion and the commitment of India&'s Hon'ble Members of Parliament towards upholding child rights and it gives me hope that today's leaders are doing their utmost for our children. It’s been a difficult and challenging year of the pandemic, especially for children. Social economic recovery in pandemic times must be child centric and Parliamentarians are uniquely placed to take these issues to the Parliament for highest level discussion and policy action. Children rely on your support to take India forward to the next level.”Dr. Heena Gavit, Hon’ble MP and Convenor of the PGC, said that the pandemic has adversely impacted children in all aspects of their lives having to adapt to completely new methods while simultaneously going through trauma and life changing experiences. “It becomes even more important that the wellbeing and needs of children are addressed and their rights are realized. We must ensure that children are included in the development process. Only if the benefits of development reach the children, the most vulnerable and marginalized sections of society, then only can it be called inclusive, and we as Parliamentarians must strive to facilitate the same.”In a vote of thanks Ms. Zafrin Chowdhury, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships, UNICEF India congratulated the winner MPs and commended their role in championing the cause of children in India. She urged for even stronger collaboration and role of PGC as a non-partisan, self-governed unique platform for realizing child rights both at the policy level and on the ground at constituency level to build an inclusive, safe, healthy and enabling environment for children in India to grow and thrive.Following are the Hon’ble MPs who were felicitated with the PGC Awards this year:Lok Sabha:<ol><li>Shri Rahul Ramesh Shewale-Mumbai South-Central,Maharashtra-Shiv Sena</li><li>Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram- Palamu, Jharkhand- BJP</li><li>Smt. Geetha Viswanath Vanga-Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh- YSRCP</li><li>Smt. S. Jothimani- Karur Tamil Nadu-INC</li><li>Shri Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre-Latur, Maharashtra- BJP</li><li>Smt. Goddeti Madhavi- Araku, Andhra Pradesh- YSRCP</li></ol> Rajya Sabha <ol><li>Shri Tiruchi Siva- Tamil Nadu DMK-</li><li>Dr Amee Yajnik Gujarat-INC</li><li>Dr Ashok Bajpai Uttar Pradesh- BJP</li><li>Shri Ravindra Kumar Kanakmedala-Andhra Pradesh TDP</li><li>Dr Fauzia Khan Maharashtra- NCP</li></ol>

News National PGC Awards: 11 Parliamentarians Awarded for Work on Child Rights, Check List Here

Eleven parliamentarians, six from Lok Sabha and five from Rajya Sabha (list appended below) were awarded the annual Parliamentarians’ Group ...

Cabinet Approves Moves to Promote RuPay Debit card and BHIM-UPI digital Transactions

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI3Pg3f94DEtbOzBdob6v_pOXxJ7VUjyGO1jpnDsewMBEbhcX839RYXiIFj5T_-mNOCYQxC1Aa8EV1sVr6zWbDBUDy84iWYPiKjijDBaYL1GnEM0lQ1aVABs9_0o2o_937apweHW_i4GUlp0mMyAXt6SqBKf4JO9h-IpjGu5OPhABCw36EznTi2VGx=s554" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cabinet Approves Moves to Promote RuPay Debit card and BHIM-UPI digital Transactions" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="554" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI3Pg3f94DEtbOzBdob6v_pOXxJ7VUjyGO1jpnDsewMBEbhcX839RYXiIFj5T_-mNOCYQxC1Aa8EV1sVr6zWbDBUDy84iWYPiKjijDBaYL1GnEM0lQ1aVABs9_0o2o_937apweHW_i4GUlp0mMyAXt6SqBKf4JO9h-IpjGu5OPhABCw36EznTi2VGx=w400-h346" title="Cabinet Approves Moves to Promote RuPay Debit card and BHIM-UPI digital Transactions" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a move to promote the to promote RuPayDebit cards and low-value [uptoRs. 2,000) BHIM-UPI transactions (Person-to-Merchant (P2M)], the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the same. Union Cabinet has approved an incentive scheme to promote RuPayDebit cards and low-value [uptoRs. 2,000) BHIM-UPI transactions (Person-to-Merchant (P2M)] in the country.                </div>Under the scheme, the acquiring banks will be incentivised by the Government, by way of paying percentage of value of transactions (P2M) done through RuPay Debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI modes of payments, at an estimated financial outlay of Rs.1,300 crore for a period of one year w.e.f. April 01, 2021.This scheme will facilitate acquiring Banks in building robust digital payment ecosystem and promoting RuPay Debit card and BHIM-UPI digital transactions, across all sectors and segments of the population and further deepening of digital payments in the country.It will also help in making accessible digital modes of payments to unbanked and marginalized populations, who are outside of the formal banking and financial system.India today is one of the most efficient payments markets in the world.  These developments have been the outcome of the initiatives of the initiatives of the Government of India and innovation by various players in the digital payment ecosystem.   The scheme will further spur research and development and innovation in fintech space, and will help the Government in further deepening of digital payments in various part of countries.Background:The scheme has been formulated in compliance with the Budget announcements (FY 2021-22) by the Governmentto give further boost to digital transactions in the country.(Source PIB)

News National Cabinet Approves Moves to Promote RuPay Debit card and BHIM-UPI digital Transactions

In a move to promote the to promote RuPayDebit cards and low-value [uptoRs. 2,000) BHIM-UPI transactions (Person-to-Merchant (P2M)], the Uni...

40th India International Trade Fair 2021 to be held from November 14-27 at Pragati Maidan: Facts in Brief

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRmWrLEQ97G2enRX_EY4RHAI5Qzqv23zyksPip0fM9Gcemgp53M_sVCyGD0S2jLBlJ7Oev-Pk4yyAVUau87qLeg996Up0kaPySK6KYwJX4NX0Pa41rxcEYsIH5Mru3KEZUEq0Mod8B48/s640/Ministry+of+Commerce+logo+only.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="40th India International Trade Fair 2021 to be held from November 14-27 at Pragati Maidan: Facts in Brief" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRmWrLEQ97G2enRX_EY4RHAI5Qzqv23zyksPip0fM9Gcemgp53M_sVCyGD0S2jLBlJ7Oev-Pk4yyAVUau87qLeg996Up0kaPySK6KYwJX4NX0Pa41rxcEYsIH5Mru3KEZUEq0Mod8B48/w400-h300/Ministry+of+Commerce+logo+only.jpg" title="40th India International Trade Fair 2021 to be held from November 14-27 at Pragati Maidan: Facts in Brief" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Apart from the many major attractions and promotional facilities, this year 40th India International Trade Fair 2021  will include major events as Mobile application, investment and joint-venture opportunities, transfer of technology option, start ups and SMEs cultural and State Day celebrations. This year, the annual magnum opus of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), the 40th edition of India International Trade Fair(IITF) will manifest its theme “Atmanirbhar Bharat” with a focus on economy, export potential, infrastructure supply chain, demand andvibrant demography. </div>Inspired by a great vision of the  Prime Minister of India, Shri NarendraModi, the event is  organised  as  integral part  of “ AzadiKaAmritMahotsava”- commemoratingthe 75thyear celebration  of  India‘s Independence in newly built halls of International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) as well as in the existing halls at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from November 14 to 27,2021.  The fair will be organised as per the preventive measures to contain spread of the pandemic. The fair also manifests undying spirit of business fraternity who faced tremendous challenges due to the pandemic. Significantly, the theme reflecting their determinationto showcase excellence of brands and create a new opportunity for growth and attain self-reliance in sectors like agriculture, micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME), power, tourism, etc.IITF with B2B and B2C components is one of the largest integrated trade fairs in South- Asian region.  The format of IITF has business; social, cultural and educational dimensions that are weaved together where visitors and exhibitors, media persons, marketing professional, social activists, NGOs etc. all converge to explore their objectives. Domestic as well as overseas buyers source their needs. A number of Government organisations and departments use this platform to spread awareness about their programmes and policies among the public.  As such, almost all States and Union Territories of India participate in this mega event, which depicts the picture of ‘Mini-Bharat’.Apart from trade and industry related conference and seminars, the fair offers branding opportunity on large LED screens installed at strategic locations in fair premises. Branding sites available at specific locations inside Pragati Maidan on payment basis (for more details visit www.indiatradefair.com/iitf ).  Besides,other major attractions and promotional facilities include: Mobile application, investment and joint-venture opportunities, transfer of technology option, start ups and SMEs cultural and State Day celebrations.Extensive arrangements are being made to make the fair convenient for participants and visitors.  These include: Protocol facility, media centre & International business lounge, wheelchairs for specially-abled persons (Divyang), sale of entry tickets at selected metro stations, Bank and ATMs, fire service station, ambulance & first-aid facilities, food outlets & States’ Cuisines, limited parking for participants/exhibitors is available this year and free entry on all days of the fair to Senior Citizens/specially-abled persons from any gate on production of valid government ID stating date of birth.  Persons accompanying will have to purchase entry tickets.

News National 40th India International Trade Fair 2021 to be held from November 14-27 at Pragati Maidan: Facts in Brief

Apart from the many major attractions and promotional facilities, this year 40th India International Trade Fair 2021 will include major eve...

KAZIND-21-Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Training Exercise: Facts in Brief

News National KAZIND-21-Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Training Exercise: Facts in Brief

Railways Plan to spread Rail based Tourism As Cultural, Religious and Other Tourist Circuit Train

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRm10_1U1T5au5avIXKVcuWeRKDXub-mWgmfhNW3DaWH8uazY_m1rtU6cvfRZ-y4oqU1mSF92DYnTF_gz7B2wiC3crJIoMQiQTwhZsON75kVtzzCn5eENOWN5UHsXc5fL0tHeYGjTJO8/s320/Rail+Coach-RED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Railways Plan to spread Rail based Tourism As Cultural, Religious and Other Tourist Circuit Train" border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="320" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRm10_1U1T5au5avIXKVcuWeRKDXub-mWgmfhNW3DaWH8uazY_m1rtU6cvfRZ-y4oqU1mSF92DYnTF_gz7B2wiC3crJIoMQiQTwhZsON75kVtzzCn5eENOWN5UHsXc5fL0tHeYGjTJO8/w400-h268/Rail+Coach-RED.jpg" title="Railways Plan to spread Rail based Tourism As Cultural, Religious and Other Tourist Circuit Train" width="400" /></a></div>Indian Railways is planning to spread Rail based tourism among masses through leasing of coaching stock to interested parties to run them as theme based cultural, religious and other Tourist Circuit train. This move will provide to maintain the potential of tourism sector and to leverage the core strengths of the professionals of tourism sector in tourism activities like marketing, hospitality, integration of services. An Executive Director level committee has been constituted by Ministry of Railways to formulate the policy and terms and conditions in this regards. In a bid to tap the potential of tourism sector and to leverage the core strengths of the professionals of tourism sector in tourism activities like marketing, hospitality, integration of services, reach with customer base, expertise in development /identification of tourist circuits etc, Indian Railways is planning to spread Rail based tourism among masses through leasing of coaching stock to interested parties to run them as theme based cultural, religious and other Tourist Circuit train.Broad features of the Proposed Model :-<ol><li>Leasing of coaches as per desired configuration of interested parties. Bare shells may also be taken on lease. Outright purchase of coaches can also be done.</li><li>Minor refurbishment of coaches is permitted.</li><li>Leasing to be done for a minimum period of 5 years and extendable till codal life of coaches.</li><li>Minimum train composition for leasing purpose as per policy guidelines.</li><li>Interested party to develop/decide business model (routes, itinerary, tariff etc).</li><li>Simple registration process for interested parties based on eligibility criteria.</li><li>Indian Railways will levy haulage charges, nominal stabling charges and lease charges. (No lease charges for outright purchase).</li></ol>Other Features :<ol><li>Priority in punctuality.</li><li>Timely approvals for coach refurbishment and itineraries.</li><li>No haulage for maintenance runs.</li><li>Third party advertising allowed inside train, Branding of train permitted.</li></ol> An Executive Director level committee has been constituted by Ministry of Railways to formulate the policy and terms and conditions.

News National Railways Plan to spread Rail based Tourism As Cultural, Religious and Other Tourist Circuit Train

Indian Railways is planning to spread Rail based tourism among masses through leasing of coaching stock to interested parties to run them as...

Union Territory of Ladakh: First consignment of Apricot Exported to Dubai

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QC8eTjLYJt9v8DmhA8MMkd5r9Kg71diiTeujgMK7gmMzfOJbuVKOy6OEryh2LQP3O2VG2bPA4aJzYjHuBlVjOEyRqFyhj_mMWZV2lWcoDk6ojcwW546o5oamucfmMZePeKanbjOIqV0/s640/Ladakh+Apricot.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Union Territory of Ladakh: First consignment of Apricot exported to Dubai" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QC8eTjLYJt9v8DmhA8MMkd5r9Kg71diiTeujgMK7gmMzfOJbuVKOy6OEryh2LQP3O2VG2bPA4aJzYjHuBlVjOEyRqFyhj_mMWZV2lWcoDk6ojcwW546o5oamucfmMZePeKanbjOIqV0/w400-h300/Ladakh+Apricot.jpg" title="Union Territory of Ladakh: First consignment of Apricot exported to Dubai" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a bid to give the boost to the agricultural and food products exports from Ladakh, first commercial shipment of Apricot sourced from region of Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has been exported to Dubai. In its promotion program, APEDA has said that this is just beginning of exports of Ladakh products and  it will explore more and more products from UT of Ladakh to overseas market for boosting exports from the region in coming days. This initiative will result in generating better realization to the Ladakh products.</div>In a move which could boost agricultural and food products exports from Ladakh, first commercial shipment of Apricot sourced from region of Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has been exported to Dubai. The consignment of Apricot was transhipped from Leh, Ladakh to Mumbai prior to being exported to Dubai. APEDA has been working to establish an export value chain for Ladakh Apricot in association with an importer Group based in Dubai. The shipment was exported by APEDA registered Exporter from Mumbai.Ladakh Apricots have a unique soothing taste and texture with high sugar contents and total soluble solids. UT of Ladakh produces several varieties of Apricots out of which four to five varieties are taken up for commercial cultivation and export opportunities exist for these varieties.Prior to this shipment to Dubai, few sample shipments of fresh apricots were sent during the month of August from Leh to Dubai by air.APEDA is currently assisting the exports in building the brand of Ladakh Apricots. The fruit for the shipment was harvested, cleaned and packed by local entrepreneurs who were provided technical assistance by APEDA on the requirements of the export value chain.This export of Ladakh Apricots opens up the potential of shipments of other temperate fruits and organic products from the region to Middle-east countries.There have been repeat orders for shipment of Ladakh Apricots to various other destinations of Middle Eastern countries such as Oman and Qatar.For giving boost to exports of agricultural produce from Ladakh, which would enhance farmers’ as well as entrepreneurs’ income, APEDA in association with officials of the horticulture, agriculture, commerce and industry departments of Union Territory and Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research are working out comprehensive plan of actions.Following a series of interactions held recently at Ladakh, identified areas of work include enhancement of production of fruits with medicinal values including sea buckthorn, apricot and organic produce and introduction of the traceability system, capacity-building of farmers and value addition of products.Technical assistance for building the capacity of stakeholder including entrepreneurs, officials, farmers, branding and marketing of Ladakhi products and making Ladakh an ‘organic’ region is in process. APEDA would provide special assistance for branding and promotion of Ladakhi products, especially sea buckthorn which is rich in Vitamin C, omega and other essential nutrients.In its promotion program, APEDA mentioned that this is just beginning of exports of Ladakh products; it will explore more and more products from UT of Ladakh to overseas market for boosting exports from the region in coming days. This initiative will result in generating better realization to the Ladakh products.Although the Ladakh Apricot season is going to over during next fortnight, shipments from higher altitude areas of the Ladakh are being persuaded for consistent supply of fresh Ladakh Apricots to all destinations in Middle Eastern markets. Secretary Agriculture, UT of Ladakh and Secretary Commerce & Industry, UT of Ladakh mentioned that the UT produces approximately 15,789 MT of Apricots out of which four to five varieties are fit for exports.  The UT would be able to enhance production as well as introduction of new commercial varieties for enhancing exports from Ladakh. (PIB)

In-News News National Union Territory of Ladakh: First consignment of Apricot Exported to Dubai

In a bid to give the boost to the agricultural and food products exports from Ladakh, first commercial shipment of Apricot sourced from regi...

e-RUPI: Digital Payment Solution, Things you Need to Know

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4APxgeA5A_Eu5II7eWBAhSHXbyHTHfnjFx3WF-alCcZCKqGaBD_dDXuK_SiqAzNNWlJxvB131PRAAkr3sYm935Gwthdz4HbFUuZqamLMDAU01UhUmVS8gF7Z5dOi2SO5xplFfhp6CvU/s554/modi+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="554" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4APxgeA5A_Eu5II7eWBAhSHXbyHTHfnjFx3WF-alCcZCKqGaBD_dDXuK_SiqAzNNWlJxvB131PRAAkr3sYm935Gwthdz4HbFUuZqamLMDAU01UhUmVS8gF7Z5dOi2SO5xplFfhp6CvU/s320/modi+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">E-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment. It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch e-RUPI, a person and purpose specific digital payment solution on 2nd August 2021 via video conferencing.</div>Prime Minister has always championed digital initiatives. Over the years, several programmes have been launched to ensure that the benefits reach its intended beneficiaries in a targeted and leak-proof manner, with limited touch points between the government and the beneficiary. The concept of electronic voucher takes forward this vision of Good Governance About e-RUPIe-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment. It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries. The users of this seamless one-time payment mechanism will be able to redeem the voucher without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the service provider. It has been developed by National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and National Health Authority.e-RUPI connects the sponsors of the services with the beneficiaries and service providers in a digital manner without any physical interface. It also ensures that the payment to the service provider is made only after the transaction is completed. Being pre-paid in nature, it assures timely payment to the service provider without involvement of any intermediary.It is expected to be a revolutionary initiative in the direction of ensuring a leak-proof delivery of welfare services. It can also be used for delivering services under schemes meant for providing drugs and nutritional support under Mother and Child welfare schemes, TB eradication programmes, drugs & diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, fertilizer subsidies etc. Even the private sector can leverage these digital vouchers as part of their employee welfare and corporate social responsibility programmes. (Source PIB)

News National e-RUPI: Digital Payment Solution, Things you Need to Know

E-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment. It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to th...

Busting Myths of Vaccination: Things You Need to Know

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ohMfLOdWXA1OArfuJ3TVSL3TMVKC1_joUAmKORxCzHJdfy8mraZ6WBr6hhLIlDQXraja2P5AFPbSZBfFqlvXeF0IVpVgp87cl-Jz04t72PECP54PTBGD1elj8sdCJrVtta2NOBeJDfE/s640/Ministry+of+Health-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Busting Myths of Vaccination" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ohMfLOdWXA1OArfuJ3TVSL3TMVKC1_joUAmKORxCzHJdfy8mraZ6WBr6hhLIlDQXraja2P5AFPbSZBfFqlvXeF0IVpVgp87cl-Jz04t72PECP54PTBGD1elj8sdCJrVtta2NOBeJDfE/w400-h300/Ministry+of+Health-2.jpg" title="Busting Myths of Vaccination" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In India, two vaccines were approved by the regulatory body in January 2021. The two manufacturers:  Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech had a capacity to provide around 1 crore doses in the month of December, 2020.</div>Government of India has been supporting the efforts of States and UTs for effective management of COVID patients in vaccination, under the ‘Whole of Government” approach since January this year.COVID being a Pandemic with worldwide impact, there has been a global high demand of vaccines with limited number of manufacturers with limited manufacturing capacity across countries. India with a population of 1.4 billion houses a substantial share of the World Population, estimated to be 7.7 billion by the World Bank.In India, two vaccines wereapproved by the regulatory body in January 2021. The two manufacturers:  Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech had a capacity to provide around 1 crore doses in the month of December, 2020.National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) was already established in August 2020 to provide guidance on all aspects of vaccine introduction including prioritization of beneficiaries, procurement, vaccine selection and its delivery.The priority of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccination in India has been done based on the review of available scientific evidence, guidelines proposed by WHO, global examples and practices followed in other countries with the primary objective of:•           Protecting the Healthcare and Frontline workers and thereby the Pandemic response system.•           Preventing deaths due to COVID19 and protect individuals at highest risk and vulnerability of mortality due to disease.Accordingly, the vaccination drive in our country has been sequentially expanded to cover the prioritized groups starting with Health Care Workers (HCWs) on 16th Jan’21 followed by Front Line Workers (FLWs) from 2nd Feb’21, persons aged 60 years and above and those aged 45-59 years with identified 20 co-morbidities were covered from 1st Mar’21. Subsequently, from 1st Apr’21, all persons aged 45 years and above are eligible for vaccination.Such an approach has yielded positive results by achieving more than 90% 1st dose coverage amongst registered HCWs and around 84% coverage of 1stdose amongst registered FLWs thereby protecting this cohort who is involved in providing Health Care Services, Surveillance and Containment activities amid the 2nd wave of COVID-19 pandemic.Similarly, with the focus on reducing mortality, the next phase involved providing vaccination to persons aged 60 years and above and those aged 45-59 years with co-morbidities from 1st March’21 followed by all persons aged 45 years and above from 1st April’21. The Phase-III of COVID-19 vaccination has begun from 1st may’21 wherein all citizens aged 18 years and above are eligible for vaccination. A ‘Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy’ was adopted on 1st May 2021 which is guiding the ongoing Phase-III of COVID-19 vaccination Drive. This strategy aims at incentivizing the vaccine manufacturers to ramp up the vaccine production and also attract new manufacturers. This will augment the vaccine production resulting in wider availability of vaccines resulting in flexibility in pricing, procurement & administration of vaccines ultimately resulting in improved coverage of vaccination.As of date, India is using three vaccines against COVID-19 in its immunization drive; this includes two made in India vaccines - Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin who have supplied about 7.92 crore vaccine doses in the month of May2021The manufacturing capacities have been ramped up. Vaccine being a biological product takes time for harvesting and quality testing. This cannot be done overnight to ensure a safe product. Thus, increase in capacity of manufacturing too needs to be a guided process.The Russian Sputnik V is the third vaccine to get approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted use in emergency situation and is being used in few private hospitals which are expected to be increased over the coming days. Govt. of India, through NEGVAC, is doing regular interaction with national and international vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer, Moderna etc. to make the COVID-19 vaccines available in country.The concrete actions are a stern indication that Govt. of India is making all out efforts to increase the vaccine production in the country as well as attracting the foreign vaccine manufacturers to supply the required vaccine doses for national covid vaccination programme.Despite the constraints of availability, India has fared well in covering 200 million persons in only 130 days which is the third largest coverage in the world. (Source PIB)

News National Busting Myths of Vaccination: Things You Need to Know

In India, two vaccines were approved by the regulatory body in January 2021. The two manufacturers: Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech had ...

Ghost pepper: King Chilli ‘Raja Mircha’ from Nagaland exported to London for the first time, Facts in Brief

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQ3TyVCFU_A9Ge1JjH3z3ITtmYQdGAZS9wODXdcoXTB6XoemsZr58xe0_MonMHGkWRaDnfPXM7j9JAMsAg8F9PED6v5ioaE2IHPJFaEX-Grr7asuJSk3KqYrYgM43XyyADJpJzqn7nR0/s640/Ministry+of+Commerce+logo+only.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Ghost pepper: King Chilli ‘Raja Mircha’ from Nagaland exported to London for the first time, Facts in Brief" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQ3TyVCFU_A9Ge1JjH3z3ITtmYQdGAZS9wODXdcoXTB6XoemsZr58xe0_MonMHGkWRaDnfPXM7j9JAMsAg8F9PED6v5ioaE2IHPJFaEX-Grr7asuJSk3KqYrYgM43XyyADJpJzqn7nR0/w400-h300/Ministry+of+Commerce+logo+only.jpg" title="Ghost pepper: King Chilli ‘Raja Mircha’ from Nagaland exported to London for the first time, Facts in Brief" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nagaland King Chilli belongs to genus Capsicum of family Solanaceae. Naga king chilli has been considered as the world’s hottest chilli and is constantly on the top five in the list of the world's hottest chilies based on the SHUs.  The chilli from Nagaland is also referred as Bhoot Jolokia and Ghost pepper. It got GI certification in 2008.</div>In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) products from the north-eastern region, a consignment of ‘Raja Mircha’ also referred as king chilli from Nagaland was today exported to London via Guwahati by air for the first time.The consignment of King Chilli also considered as world’s hottest based on the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). The consignment was sourced from Tening, part of Peren district, Nagaland and was packed at APEDA assisted packhouse at Guwahati. The chilli from Nagaland is also referred as Bhoot Jolokia and Ghost pepper. It got GI certification in 2008.APEDA in collaboration with the Nagaland State Agricultural Marketing Board (NSAMB), coordinated the first export consignment of fresh King Chilli. APEDA had coordinated with NSAMB in sending samples for laboratory testing in June and July 2021 and the results were encouraging as it is grown organically.Exporting fresh King Chilli posed a challenge because of its highly perishable nature.Nagaland King Chilli belongs to genus Capsicum of family Solanaceae. Naga king chilli has been considered as the world’s hottest chilli and is constantly on the top five in the list of the world's hottest chilies based on the SHUs.APEDA would continue to focus on the north eastern region and has been carrying out promotional activities to bring the North-Eastern states on the export map. In 2021, APEDA has facilitated exports of Jackfruits from Tripura to London and Germany, Assam Lemon to London, Red rice of Assam to the United States and Leteku ‘Burmese Grape’ to Dubai. (Source PIB)

In-News News National Ghost pepper: King Chilli ‘Raja Mircha’ from Nagaland exported to London for the first time, Facts in Brief

Nagaland King Chilli belongs to genus Capsicum of family Solanaceae. Naga king chilli has been considered as the world’s hottest chilli and ...

Tokyo Olympic Games: Indian Railway to Award Rs.3 Crore for Gold Medal

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYLyrHRZlmiHuiyp8vGvAL0Dw1br-y86LUGjl2Z4QE4Qz3oYPS4JeIrwxN-wYesXY5t3AX-oHknm5fQSvaFoaeIP8DEl-DguPVxrYVWN6l5i9VrRk_Zq_W5UFZRPI2cmo1UVY4iOFhzQ/s320/Rail+Coach-RED.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tokyo Olympic Games: Indian Railway to Award Rs.3 Crore for Gold Medal" border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="320" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYLyrHRZlmiHuiyp8vGvAL0Dw1br-y86LUGjl2Z4QE4Qz3oYPS4JeIrwxN-wYesXY5t3AX-oHknm5fQSvaFoaeIP8DEl-DguPVxrYVWN6l5i9VrRk_Zq_W5UFZRPI2cmo1UVY4iOFhzQ/w400-h268/Rail+Coach-RED.jpg" title="Tokyo Olympic Games: Indian Railway to Award Rs.3 Crore for Gold Medal" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tokyo Olympic Games: In a bid to boost up the morale of the sportsperson, Ministry of Railways have announced Special Cash awards in favour of Indian Railway athletes and officials participating in the ongoing Tokyo Olympic Games 2020. Indian Railway has announced these award as per details, over and above existing policy.</div> Needless to say, continuing with its affluent sports legacy, Indian Railways’ sportspersons are all set to bring glory to the nation.25 athletes and 5 Coaches and 1 Physio from Railway Sports Promotion Board are representing Indian contingent in Tokyo Olympic Games being held from 23rd July to 8th August, 2021. Indian Railways is one of the biggest contributing organisation in the Olympic Games with approx 20% of the total athletes.To boost up their morale, Ministry of Railways have announced following Special Cash awards in favour of Indian Railway athletes and officials participating in the ongoing Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 as per following details, over and above existing policy: <ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">Gold Medal                                               : Rs.3 Crore;</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Silver Medal                                              : Rs.2 Crore;</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Bronze Medal                                           : Rs.1 Crore.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Up to 8th Participants                                : Rs.35 Lakh;</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Participants                                               : Rs.7.5 Lakh;</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Coach of Gold medalist athlete                : Rs.25 Lakh;</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Coach of Silver medalist athlete               : Rs.20 Lakh;</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Coach of Bronze Medalist athlete            : Rs.15 Lakh;</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Other coaches of Participant athletes       : Rs.7.5 Lakh.</li></ul> This liberalized promotion policy will act as an incentive to the country’s elite sportspersons/coaches and reaffirms Railways commitment to the promotion of sports in the country.(Source PIB)

News National Tokyo Olympic Games: Indian Railway to Award Rs.3 Crore for Gold Medal

Tokyo Olympic Games: In a bid to boost up the morale of the sportsperson, Ministry of Railways have announced Special Cash awards in favou...

Human Ethos of Ayodhya must be Matched by Futuristic Infrastructure... Beneficial for Everyone: PM

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_u_hGp1kBOTO4kLj0s-HtsP_bNbBeYO4hHxMa34RWWiP2tQaoJA3ihp0soX6G43QvvOdT7X4JqIhsFpaR-YrqLKMARSOyGLGpHlE1R-CqmDhDCYuQy2wxFJ4BF5VSmnjFBcwuXWmVDk/s554/modi+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_u_hGp1kBOTO4kLj0s-HtsP_bNbBeYO4hHxMa34RWWiP2tQaoJA3ihp0soX6G43QvvOdT7X4JqIhsFpaR-YrqLKMARSOyGLGpHlE1R-CqmDhDCYuQy2wxFJ4BF5VSmnjFBcwuXWmVDk/s320/modi+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>PM Narendra Modi has said that Ayodhya as a city that is etched in the cultural consciousness of every Indian. Ayodhya should manifest the finest of our traditions and the best of our developmental transformations.PM Narendra Modi reviewed the development plan for Ayodhya. UP Government officials made a presentation which encompassed various aspects of Ayodhya’s development.Ayodhya’s development is being envisaged as a Spiritual Centre, Global Tourism Hub and a sustainable Smart City.PM was informed about various upcoming and proposed infrastructure projects to improve connectivity with Ayodhya. Various infrastructure projects like Aiport, expansion of Railway Station, Bus station, roads and highways were discussed.An upcoming Greenfield township was discussed which includes lodging facilities for devotees, space for Ashrams, Maths, Hotels, Bhavans of various states. A tourist facilitation centre, a world class museum will also be built.Special attention is being devoted to development of infrastructure around the Saryu river and its ghats. Cruise operation on the Saryu river will also be made a regular feature.The city will be developed to ensure sustainability with adequate spaces for cyclists and people on foot. Traffic management will also be done in a modern manner using Smart City infrastructure.PM described Ayodhya as a city that is etched in the cultural consciousness of every Indian. Ayodhya should manifest the finest of our traditions and the best of our developmental transformations.Ayodhya is both spiritual and sublime. The human ethos of this city must be matched by futuristic infrastructure, which is beneficial for everyone including tourists and pilgrims.PM said that the coming generations should feel the desire to visit Ayodhya at least once in their lifetime.PM pointed out that developmental works in Ayodhya will continue in the foreseeable future. At the same time, the momentum towards heralding Ayodhya to this next leap of progress must begin now. It is our collective endeavour to celebrate the identity of Ayodhya and keep its cultural vibrancy alive through innovative ways.PM said that the way Lord Ram had the ability to bring people together, the development works of Ayodhya should be guided by a spirit of healthy public participation, especially by the youth. He called for the skills of our talented youngsters to be leveraged in this development of the city.UP CM Shri Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CM Shri Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy CM Shri Dinesh Sharma and various other ministers of the UP Government were present in the meeting.

News National Human Ethos of Ayodhya must be Matched by Futuristic Infrastructure... Beneficial for Everyone: PM

PM Narendra Modi has said that Ayodhya as a city that is etched in the cultural consciousness of every Indian. Ayodhya should manifest the f...

EU and India conducted a joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb9LW-wn1DiExeouuNJETp5hixpaePaeslXTKEslZeTTOHzuIQvHC7OxpJD7b2woRlkRhvP1rTYjDe2I_88K-rZeUvutoWQNgUWnha1q1CNH6xq7M_yoGAY1PWpdx799MqImcAE20Dn8/s640/India+EU+Exercise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb9LW-wn1DiExeouuNJETp5hixpaePaeslXTKEslZeTTOHzuIQvHC7OxpJD7b2woRlkRhvP1rTYjDe2I_88K-rZeUvutoWQNgUWnha1q1CNH6xq7M_yoGAY1PWpdx799MqImcAE20Dn8/s320/India+EU+Exercise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The EU and India conducted a joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden on 18-19 June 2021. The exercise involved Indian Navy frigate INS Trikand, EU NAVFOR Somalia - Operation Atalanta assets, including Italian frigate Carabiniere (Atalanta’s flagship) and Spanish frigate Navarra, French frigate Surcouf and French amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre.  The exercise was based on the scenario of an anti-piracy operation. It included cross-deck helicopter landings, complex tactical evolutions at sea, live firing, a night-time joint patrol and a naval parade in the high seas off the coast of Somalia.    </div> The EU and India are committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes. They reaffirm the primacy of international law, including the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In January 2021, the EU and India launched a dialogue on maritime security and agreed to deepen their dialogue and cooperation in this domain. The Indian Navy has been providing escort to World Food Programme chartered vessels, coordinated by EU NAVFOR Somalia - Operation Atalanta. The Indian Navy has previously participated in the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) conference, co-hosted by Operation Atalanta, whose assets conducted several joint exercises with Indian vessels in the past. The EU and India intend to strengthen their operational cooperation at sea, including joint naval exercises and port calls, and to protect the sea-lanes of communication. They also intend to boost maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific through mutual coordination and exchanges. The EU and India reaffirm their interest to enhance their cooperation in the field of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.

News National EU and India conducted a joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden

The EU and India conducted a joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden on 18-19 June 2021. The exercise involved Indian Navy frigate INS Tri...

NAFED launches Fortified Rice Bran Oil to Boost Healthy Living: Know Benefits

Health-Beauty News National NAFED launches Fortified Rice Bran Oil to Boost Healthy Living: Know Benefits

Do you know...Rice Bran oil has multiple health benefits, including lowering cholesterol level due to its low trans-fat content and high mon...

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY-III) Extended till the Deepawali

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ2UbEClcembiw2Sm58HKoZoQfmoWDL-w2KlrH74dpn91ZbSyHEDVsuzKaZk4Amyg40fEIIEEEfgVNi9wctMnPiRMi93eixkdZkLUML4lkD4stDg2OxIz-hglVjarqNMhXXZudKvj1Ec/s448/Modi+open+hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY-III) Extended till the Deepawali" border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="274" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ2UbEClcembiw2Sm58HKoZoQfmoWDL-w2KlrH74dpn91ZbSyHEDVsuzKaZk4Amyg40fEIIEEEfgVNi9wctMnPiRMi93eixkdZkLUML4lkD4stDg2OxIz-hglVjarqNMhXXZudKvj1Ec/w245-h400/Modi+open+hand.jpg" title="Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY-III) Extended till the Deepawali" width="245" /></a></div>In a major step, the Government of India has announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY-III) till the Deepawali. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) is to ameliorate the hardship faced by the poor due to economic disruption caused by Corona virus. Under the scheme, free food grains @ 5 kg per person per month is being distributed to beneficiaries covered under NFSA.It is noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday in his address to the nation conveyed the decision of extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY-III) till the Deepawali. This means that till November 2021, more than 80 crore people will continue to get decided amount of free food grain every month.Till 07.06.2021, Food Corporation of India has supplied 69 LMT free food grains to all 36 States/ UTs. 13 States/ UTs i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Punjab, Telangana and Tripura have lifted full allocation for May-June 2021. 23 States/ UTs i.e. Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Daman Diu D&NH, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have lifted 100% May 2021 allocation.Out of 7 North Eastern States, 5 States i.e. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura have lifted the full allocation of May-June 2021. In Manipur and Assam, lifting of free food grains is in full swing and likely to be completed shortly.FCI is transporting food grains all across the country to ensure smooth supply to all States/ UT Governments. During May 2021, 1433 food grain rakes have been loaded by FCI at an average 46 rakes per day.The Government of India will bear the entire cost on account of such distribution including food subsidy, intra-state transportation and dealer’s margin/ additional dealers margin, without any sharing by States/ UTs.The Government of India has sensitized all the States/ UT Governments to complete the distribution of free food grains under PMGKAY in time bound manner. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is facilitating supply of free food grains to the beneficiaries amidst ongoing COVID pandemic and thus providing food security to the beneficiaries. The Government of India announced Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to ameliorate the hardship faced by the poor due to economic disruption caused by Corona virus. Under the scheme, free food grains @ 5 kg per person per month is being distributed to beneficiaries covered under NFSA.

News National Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY-III) Extended till the Deepawali

In a major step, the Government of India has announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY-III) till the Deepaw...

India and Israel Sign a Three-year Work program for Cooperation:Things You Need to Know

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklLf9ZkchLRJgSK-HMswwpsGCVUbOC8QSLPo-QvJSfTB9oQ-0merw4MDouqe_7vdLvMttEcy-U_GnEe16A3HnJjTYfttbjDNQdfdw1Y__GpXFq-UJgZ5qmQor5j78iUBbCLktkX9pbVk/s401/India+and+Israel.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="India and Israel Sign a Three-year Work program for Cooperation:Things You Need to Know" border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklLf9ZkchLRJgSK-HMswwpsGCVUbOC8QSLPo-QvJSfTB9oQ-0merw4MDouqe_7vdLvMttEcy-U_GnEe16A3HnJjTYfttbjDNQdfdw1Y__GpXFq-UJgZ5qmQor5j78iUBbCLktkX9pbVk/w268-h320/India+and+Israel.jpg" title="India and Israel Sign a Three-year Work program for Cooperation:Things You Need to Know" width="268" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">India and Israel have agreed to enhance their cooperation in agriculture and signed a three-year work program agreement for development in Agriculture cooperation.Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India, and MASHAV - Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation - are leading Israel’s largest G2G cooperation, with 29 operational Centres of Excellence (COEs) across India in 12 States, implementing Advanced-Intensive agriculture farms with Israeli Agro-Technology tailored to local conditions.</div>Taking forward the ever-growing partnership in agriculture between Israel and India, the two governments have agreed to enhance their cooperation in agriculture and signed a three-year work program agreement for development in Agriculture cooperation, while affirming the ever-growing bilateral partnership and recognizing the centrality of agriculture and water sectors in the bilateral relationship.India and Israel are implementing the “INDO-ISRAEL Agricultural Project Centres of Excellence” and “INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence”.MIDH, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India, and MASHAV - Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation - are leading Israel’s largest G2G cooperation, with 29 operational Centres of Excellence (COEs) across India in 12 States, implementing Advanced-Intensive agriculture farms with Israeli Agro-Technology tailored to local conditions. The Centres of Excellence generate knowledge, demonstrate best practices and train farmers. Every year, these COEs produce more than 25 million quality vegetable seedlings, more than 387 thousand quality fruit plants and train more than 1.2 lakh farmers about latest technology in the field of horticulture. (Source PIB)

News National India and Israel Sign a Three-year Work program for Cooperation:Things You Need to Know

India and Israel have agreed to enhance their cooperation in agriculture and signed a three-year work program agreement for development in A...

Cyclone ‘Yaas’: PM directs officers to ensure timely evacuation

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pohZZa-zHsd4sRFM7DubpY9v7ifM1bkzv2aqwlxjwOwUulzLleKYIuVoCGG8EJZkl6BhD6AVaG0cfI_NqMe_Jj6vCDXukuUzvBFp5mxWu9gdLMA4HgTzdXeOJ5X-TDmooSw5-488HVc/s554/modi+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cyclone ‘Yaas’: PM directs officers to ensure timely evacuation" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="554" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pohZZa-zHsd4sRFM7DubpY9v7ifM1bkzv2aqwlxjwOwUulzLleKYIuVoCGG8EJZkl6BhD6AVaG0cfI_NqMe_Jj6vCDXukuUzvBFp5mxWu9gdLMA4HgTzdXeOJ5X-TDmooSw5-488HVc/w400-h346/modi+%25282%2529.jpg" title="Cyclone ‘Yaas’: PM directs officers to ensure timely evacuation" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed senior officers to work in close co-ordination with states to ensure safe evacuation of people from high-risk areas. Prime Minister took a high level meeting today to review the preparedness of States and Central Ministries/Agencies concerned to deal with the situation arising out of Cyclone ‘Yaas’.</div>India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that Cyclone ‘Yaas’ is expected to cross West Bengal and north Odisha coasts by 26th May evening with the wind speed ranging 155- 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph. It is likely to cause heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and north Odisha. IMD has also warned of storm surge of about  2- 4m in costal areas of West Bengal & Odisha. IMD has been issuing regular bulletins with latest forecast to all the concerned states.PM was informed that the Cabinet Secretary has taken a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on 22nd May 2021, with Chief Secretaries of all the Coastal States and UTs and Central Ministries/ Agencies concerned. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is reviewing the situation 24*7 and is in touch with the State Governments/ UTs and the Central Agencies concerned. MHA has already released first instalment of SDRF in advance to all States. NDRF has pre-positioned 46 teams which are equipped with boats, tree-cutters, telecom equipments etc. in 5 States/ UT. In addition, 13 teams are being airlifted today for deployment and has kept 10 teams on standby.Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief, search and rescue operations. Air Force and Engineer task force units of Army, with boats and rescue equipment, are on standby for deployment. Seven ships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Units are on standby along western coast. Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has taken measures to secure all oil installations in the sea and to bring back their shipping vessels to safe harbour. Ministry of Power has activated emergency response systems and is keeping in readiness transformers, DG sets and equipments etc. for immediate restoration of electricity. Ministry of Telecom is keeping all the telecom towers and exchanges under constant watch and is fully geared to restore telecom network. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisory to the Sates/ UTs, likely to be affected, for health sector preparedness and response on COVID in affected areas. Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways has taken measures to secure all shipping vessels and has deployed emergency vessels (Tugs).NDRF is assisting the State agencies in their preparedness for evacuating people from the vulnerable locations and is also continuously holding community awareness campaign on how to deal with the cyclonic situation. PM Modi directed senior officers to work in close co-ordination with states to ensure safe evacuation of people from high-risk areas. He also instructed all concerned departments to ensure timely evacuation of those involved in off-shore activities. He spoke about the need to ensure that time duration of outages of power supply and communication network are minimum and are restored swiftly. PM also asked officials to ensure proper co-ordination and planning with state governments to ensure no disruptions in Covid treatment and vaccination in hospitals. He also spoke about the need to involve district administrations in the process of planning and preparedness for better learning from best practices and seamless co-ordination. PM directed officials that advisories and instructions on do’s and dont’s during the cyclone be made available in easy to understand and local language to citizens of the affected districts. PM spoke about the need to involve various stakeholders i.e. coastal communities, industries, etc by directly reaching out to them and sensitising them.The meeting was attended by Home Minister, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of Ministries/ Departments of Home, Telecommunications, Fisheries, Civil Aviation, Power, Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Earth Sciences, Chairman Railway Board, Members & Member Secretary of NDMA, Director Generals of IMD and NDRF, and senior officers of PMO, MHA. (Source PIB)

News National Cyclone ‘Yaas’: PM directs officers to ensure timely evacuation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed senior officers to work in close co-ordination with states to ensure safe evacuation of people fro...

COVID 2.0: DST invites applications from Startups/Companies for Developing new technologies

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cFHm3GBkhQHyIbwj1nDv4xbyWLzchrzSqG6YLqOxP2L__bFxtz_k4I9Senr7qroKmaDwFMKLf0FFq2p-9mWzT-dkIfsQkGfZBC1fghCcAiNVjNuhwEoDugBEOOE5y4zv_T_yoAk9hVY/s448/NIDHI4COVID2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="COVID 2.0: DST invites applications from Startups/Companies for Developing new technologies" border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="321" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cFHm3GBkhQHyIbwj1nDv4xbyWLzchrzSqG6YLqOxP2L__bFxtz_k4I9Senr7qroKmaDwFMKLf0FFq2p-9mWzT-dkIfsQkGfZBC1fghCcAiNVjNuhwEoDugBEOOE5y4zv_T_yoAk9hVY/w229-h320/NIDHI4COVID2.0.jpg" title="COVID 2.0: DST invites applications from Startups/Companies for Developing new technologies" width="229" /></a></div>In a bid to provide the supporting indigenous solutions and innovative products to combat the crisis that the country is currently facing due to the pandemic, the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Sciencto fight second wave of COVID 2.0 in the country.As a rapid response to support startup-driven solutions for tackling the current challenging, second wave of COVID 2.0 in the country, Indian startups and companies have been invited to apply for developing new technologies and innovative products that can enable our country to fight the crisis.NIDHI4COVID2.0, a new initiative under which the companies can apply, will fund eligible startups & companies registered in India offering promising solutions in the thrust areas of oxygen innovation, portable solution, relevant medical accessories, diagnostic, informatics, or any other solution that addresses/mitigate various challenges faced by country/society due to the severe impact of COVID-19.The initiative is a special drive of the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India (GoI) for supporting indigenous solutions and innovative products to combat the crisis that the country is currently facing due to the pandemic.Development and manufacturing (import substitution) of the products parts currently being imported for the devices like Oxygen Concentrators and so on would also be considered for Seed Support through DST supported network of TBIs. Promising startups will be provided with financial and mentoring support for scaling up their products/technologies to the next level and speeding up their processes, helping them reach the product deployment stage as fast as possible.This initiative has been built based on NSTEDB's past experience of implementing Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) and also through special calls through National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations - Seed Support System (NIDHI - SSS) from Technology business incubators (TBI) to support Startups in 2020.“Supporting development of devices like Oxygen Concentrators also brings with it huge opportunities in the development and manufacturing of several critical components that are being imported such as specialized valves, zeolite materials, oil-less and noiseless miniaturized compressors, gas sensors, etc. which have wider applications in several sectors,” said Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.In the current situation, startups can play a major role in bringing new technologies and products in the market, thus making our country stronger at various fronts against the ongoing war on COVID. Some of the startups already have promising technologies but need mentoring, financial, and marketing support to go to the next level. Thus, DST's attempt through this new initiative is to scout and support deserving startups with much-needed support to scale up their technologies, helping them reach the product deployment stage as fast as possible.Interested applicants offering promising solutions can apply through the centralized portal https://dstnidhi4covid.in latest by 31.05.2021 23.59 hrs.(Source PIB)

News National COVID 2.0: DST invites applications from Startups/Companies for Developing new technologies

In a bid to provide the supporting indigenous solutions and innovative products to combat the crisis that the country is currently facing du...