The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports about the death of more than 100 children at a government run hospital in Kota district of Rajasthan in the month of December, 2019. Ten out of hundred children died within 48 hours between December 23 and 24, 2019. Reportedly, over 50 per cent of the gadgets installed in the hospital are defunct and the hospital is lacking cleanliness and basic infrastructure including oxygen supply in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan to submit a detailed report, within four weeks in the matter including the steps being taken to address the issue and to ensure that such deaths of the children do not recur in future due to lack of infrastructure and health facilities at the hospitals.

*****

To give a further push to clean mobility in Road Transport Sector, the Department of Heavy Industries has sanctioned 2636 charging stations in 62 cities across 24 States/UTs under FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India) scheme phase II.

As many as 317 EV charging stations have been allotted in Maharashtra, 266 in Andhra Pradesh, 256 in Tamil Nadu, 228 in Gujarat, 205 in Rajasthan, 207 in Uttar Pradesh, 172 in Karnataka, 159 in Madhya Pradesh, 141 in West Bengal, 138 in Telangana, 131 in Kerala, 72 in Delhi, 70 in Chandigarh, 50 in Haryana, 40 in Meghalaya, 37 in Bihar, 29 in Sikkim, 25 each in Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh, 20 in Assam, 18 in Odisha and 10 each in Uttarakhand, Puducherry and Himachal Pradesh.

The sanction letters to the selected entities will be issued in phases after ensuring the availability of land for charging stations, signing of necessary agreements/MoU with concerned partner organizations like city municipal corporation, Discoms and oil companies. Subsequently, each selected public entities are required to initiate the procurement process in a time bound manner for deployment of sanctioned charging stations.

Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Prakash Javadekar said that in future at least one charging station will be available in most of the selected cities in a grid of 4 Km X 4 km. He said it will boost the confidence of users of Electric Vehicles and also encourage the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to launch the new electric vehicle models due to the lack of charging infrastructure.

Department of Heavy Industry had invited the Expression of Interest (EoI) from million-plus cities, smart cities, State/UT capitals and cities from special category states for submission of proposal for availing incentives under FAME India Scheme Phase II for deployment of EV charging infrastructure within Cities.

About 106 proposals from Public/Private Entities for the deployment of about 7000 EV charging stations were received. After evaluation of these proposals as per EoI, on the advice of Project Implementation and Sanctioning Committee (PISC) the Government sanctioned 2636 charging stations to 62 cities submitted by 19 public entities for 24 states. Out of these 2636 charging stations, 1633 Charging Stations will be Fast Charging Stations and 1003 will be slow charging stations. With this, about 14000 Charging Stations will be installed across the selected cities.

***

The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is participating in “Pride of India-Science Expo-2020” being held from 3-7 January at the 107^th Indian Science Congress (ISC) at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. The five-day mega science expo has been organized as part of 107^th Indian Science Congress (ISC-2020) inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The DRDO pavilion at the expo was inaugurated today by the Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan. He also visited various DRDO stalls and took a keen interest in the products and technologies displayed there. 31 DRDO laboratories with more than 150 exhibits and models are participating in the expo showcasing many cutting-edge indigenous defence technologies, which narrate the saga of Self-reliance & National Pride with the “Make in India” spirit. Star attractions of outdoor exhibits at DRDO Pavilion include the Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM), Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile system (QRSAM), ASTRA Missile, Radars including Battle Field Surveillance Radar (BFSR), ASLESHA and BHARANI, MINI-UGV Autonomous Surveillance Robot, Sentry Autonomous Surveillance Robot etc.

Indoor exhibits include models from each technology cluster of DRDO. Some of them are AEW&C, UAV Rustom-I and Tapas, Nirbhay Missile, Akash Missle System, Prithvi missile, Nag missile, HELINA, Maareech – Advanced Torpedo Defence System, Bukhari-the heating system, Ready-to-Eat Packaged Foods, Juices etc.

DRDO is the R&D wing of Ministry of Defence, with more than 52 laboratories and establishments mainly engaged in the development of weapon systems, platforms and equipment for the Armed Forces.

DRDO pavilion at the Pride of India Expo has always been a major attraction amongst visitors & students. The visitors also get a chance to interact with DRDO scientists manning the stalls. DRDO welcomes one and all to its pavilion to get a first-hand account of capabilities of our nation in the area of advanced defence technologies and opportunity to share the pride of the vibrant DRDO community.

 

The Ministry of Culture is committed to preserve and promote the rich art and culture of India, both tangible and intangible. Ministry and his autonomous bodies have worked whole year for this. Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, 29 days cultural extravaganza Sanskriti Kumbh at Kumbh Mela, 10th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, Commemoration event of 76th anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government, Restoration work of architectural genius Markandeshwar temple in Maharashtra and various other events of Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat were some of the important highlights for the ministry this year.

1. Sanskriti Kumbh, a 29 days Cultural extravaganza organised at Kumbh Mela Area, Prayagraj from 10^th January, 2019

Sanskriti Kumbh, a 29 days cultural extravaganza was organised at Kumbh Mela Area, Prayagraj from 10^th January, 2019. The Ministry of Culture, Government of India organized Sanskriti Kumbh with intent to showcase the rich Cultural Heritage of India in all its rich and varied dimensions viz. Performing Arts- Folk, Tribal and Classical art forms, Handicrafts, Cuisines, Exhibitions etc. all in one place.

Under the banner of Sanskriti Kumbh, Rashtriya Shilp Mela was also organized in the premises of NCZCC where Shilp Haats were set up to display handicrafts and live demonstration of the skill by craftsmen. Special arrangements were made for the delegates of “Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas” for participating in the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.Around ten thousand participants attended the colourful convention.President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the three day

 

Gandhian Resurgence Summit at Parmarth Niketan camp at Prayagraj Kumbh. About 300 Gandhians from different parts of the country and organisations are participating in the Summit.

2. Auction of Mementos received by Prime Minister, organised in two chapters, one in January and another in September, 2019

The physical auction of Mementos received by the Prime Minister, organised by National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, culminated on 28th January 2019 and the e-auction had taken place from 29th to 31st January 2019 for remaining items which are not sold during the physical auction on the portal www.pmmementos.gov.in.

 

The proceeds from auction are donated for the noble cause of Namami Gange.

Second Chapter Exhibition of Prime Minister’s gifts was organised from 14^th September to 3^rd October, 2019 by the Ministry of Culture at National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. Mementos included 576 Shawls, 964 AngaVastram, 88 Pagris and various jackets portraying the diversified and colourful Culture of our Country. The Major Highlight of the Physical auction organized at NGMA was that a specially handcrafted wooden bike, received a successful bid of Rs. 5 lakhs. A similar bid was also received for a unique painting, which depicts Prime Minister Modi on a railway platform – a uniquely artistic interpretation of Narendra Modi’s special bond with the railways.

 

 

3. New campus of National Museum Institute inaugurated at Noida on 30^th January, 2019

The new Campus of the National Museum Institute was inaugurated at A-19, Sector 62, NOIDA (Institutional Area), on 30^th January, 2019.Four new courses i.e.  (i) Archaeology; (ii) Palaeography, Epigraphy and Numismatics; (iii) Structural Conservation and (iv) Cultural & Heritage Management, were proposed to be commence. In addition to these regular courses, short-term courses of five-month duration i.e. Art Appreciation and Bhartiya Kalanidhi (Hindi), which are very popular, were promised to be conducted by the Institute to disseminate the knowledge about the country’s tangible and intangible heritage.

4. Special Postage Stamp on Kumbh Mela was released on 2^ndFebruary

Union Minister of State for Railways and Communication Mr Manoj Sinha released a special postage stamp of the Indian Postal Department on Kumbh Mela on 2^nd February, 2019. A special first day cover was also released on the occasion. Its cost is five rupees.

5. 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav organised in New Delhi

The 20th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM), the international theatre festival of India, is organized by National School of Drama. The 20th BRM comes with 111 national and international acts in its basket that includes folk and other traditional theatre forms, invitee plays, and productions by the students of the National School of Drama.

6. President of India Presented Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2017

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Sangeet NatakAkademi Awards for the year 2017 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on February 06, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Foundation Stone of Taj View Gardenon the Taj Corridor Area between the Agra Fort and TajMahal laid on 14^th February

Foundation Stone of Taj View Garden on the Taj Corridor Area between the Agra Fort and TajMahal in Agra was laid on 14^thFeburary, 2019.

The Taj View Garden is being developed on the Mughal period’s Charbagh garden pattern by the Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. A permanent photo exhibition was also curated near the newly constructed Visitor’s Facility Centre at the Eastern Gate of TajMahal.

8. Virtual Experiential Museum established at Man – Mahal near Dashashwamedh Ghat at Varanasi

Virtual Experiential Museum has been established by the National Council of Science Museum (NCSM) working under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) helped in designing and curation of this Virtual Experiential Museum and also in preparing of script for various documentaries to be shown in this VEM.The Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Virtual Experiential Museum (VEM) in a Centrally Protected Monument under Archeological Survey of India, Man – Mahal, situated on the bank of the Ganges near holy DashashwamedhGhat at Varanasi.

9. Azaadi Ke Diwane’ Museum at Red Fort Complex in New Delhi, created by ASI Pays Homage to Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle of the Nation

The ‘Azaadi ke Diwane’ museum was inaugurated at Red Fort, Delhi on 4^th March, 2019. Created by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the museum within the Red Fort complex pays homage to all the unsung heroes of freedom struggle of the nation, who would have otherwise been merged away in forgetfulness.

10. National Council of Science Museums of Culture Ministry collaborates with Google Arts & Culture for largest interactive online exhibition on inventions and discoveries

The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an organization under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India has collaborated with Google Arts & Culture for ‘Once upon a Try’: Epic journeys of invention and discovery – the largest online exhibition about inventions and discoveries ever curated, as an attempt to explore humanity’s greatest inventions and discoveries in an interactive online exhibition. The online exhibition was launched on 7^th March, 2019 and contains collections, stories and knowledge from over 110 renowned institutions from across 23 countries, highlighting millennia of major breakthroughs and the great minds behind them.

 

11. Release of Dictionary of Martyrs of India’s Freedom Struggle (1857-1947)

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, released the Dictionary of Martyrs of India’s Freedom Struggle, on 7^th March, 2019 at an event in Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi. This five-volume dictionary contains an account of the martyrs from India’s First War of Independence in 1857, to India’s Independence in 1947.The martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the non-cooperation movement, the Quit India Movement, and those soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj, who attained martyrdom, among many others are included. The project for compilation of “Dictionary of Martyrs” of India’s Freedom Struggle was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, to the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) to commemorate the 150th anniversary of uprising of 1857.

12. New Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology at Greater Noida in UP inaugurated by the Prime Minister

The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh was inaugurated by The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 9^th March, 2019. A statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at the campus and Deendayal Museum in the Institute campus was also inaugurated on the same day. The state-of-the-art institute, built at an estimated cost of Rs. 289 crore is spread over 25 acres. The Institute comprises of an auditorium with seating capacity of 1000 people, an open air theatre and an Archaeological Museum. The Institute of Archaeology (IA) is an academic wing of ASI under the Ministry of Culture.

 

13. Ministry of Culturefacilitates in setting up of FM Radio Transmitter on 103.7 MHZ frequency at Baltal for ‘Amarnath Yatra’ Pogramme

For the first time ever, on a request from Ministry of Culture (MoC), Ministry of I&B set up a FM Radio Transmitter on 103.7 MHZ frequency at Baltal, on the Amarnath route. A studio facility was set up at Baltal Base Camp, and “AmarnathYatra” program was generated from Baltal base camp. Pahalgam transmitter was also tuned to Baltal. All India Radio (AIR) transmitted regular services on crowd management, weather, health and other alerts; devotional music was provided by Ministry of Culture.Ministry of Culture curated and created high quality devotional content for the Yatra, which includes Mantras, Shlokas and Bhajans with contextual meaning on Shiva, Parvati and Ganesh. Leading music directors and singers were roped in for this purpose. Archival content was taken from National Cultural Audio-visual Archives, under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

14. India gets its 38th world UNESCO World heritage site As Pink City Jaipur

India’s nomination of the Jaipur City, Rajasthan got inscribed on 6^th July, 2019 on the World Heritage List of UNESCO during the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee held at Baku, Azerbaijan.  The nomination of Jaipur City has successfully been done by complying with the various UNESCO guidelines of 2017. With Successful inscription of Jaipur City, India has 38 world heritage sites that include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties and 1 mixed site.

15. Restoration work of architectural genius, Markandeshwar temple in Maharashtra initiated by Archaeological Survey of India

The restoration work of Markandeshwar temple in Maharashtra by the Archaeological Survey of India has been initiated in the month of July, 2019. Known as the “Khajuraho of Vidarbha”, the temple of Markandadeo is situated on the bank of River Wainganga in district Gadchiroli of Maharashtra. A detailed documentation process was initiated to carry out the condition mapping of the temple in order to carry out the conservation process.

16. Historic Safdarjung Tomb in New Delhi illuminated with advanced LED Lights

Safdarjung Tomb is one of those historical monuments which attracts thousands of tourists every year and is the pride jewel in Delhi’s history.With the illumination the architectural beauty of the 17th century Mughal era monument displayed its historic reflection on Delhi after sunset. To highlight the architectural beauty including arches and minarets of the Safdarjung tomb,a total of 213 technologically advanced LED lights were  used which consumes less electricity – the consumption of which is approximately 62% less than conventional light fixtures.

17. Nepali and Santhali languages included in the Scheme for grant of Senior/Junior Fellowships of Culture Ministry

The Ministry of Culture administers a scheme component namely Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Artistes in the Fields of Culture. The fellowships are awarded for undertaking research oriented projects.Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Dwarka is the Nodal institute for handling the Scheme of Sr. /Jr. Fellowship till selection process. “Literary Arts” is one of the Fields under this Scheme where candidates can apply for research in 22 languages as their Sub-Field. The remaining 2 languages from the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution i.e. Nepali and Santhali were included in the Sub-Field of Field “Literature” in the scheme component ‘Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Artistes in the Fields of Culture’.

18. Delhi Public Library launchedMobile Library Busesprocured under C.S.R assistance from Airports Authority of India

Mobile Library Buses procured under C.S.R assistance from Airports Authority of India were launched under the “Ghar-Ghar Dastak Ghar Ghar Pustak” Scheme of the Delhi Public Library, which aims to provide books to the citizens of Delhi, especially, the residents of slums, resettlement colonies and rural areas.

19.Excavation carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Maharastra’s Phupgaon, indicated towards Iron Age Settlement

The recent excavation carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Maharashtra’s Phupgaon has revealed evidence of an Iron Age settlement in the Vidarbha region. The excavation at the site was taken up between December, 2018 and March, 2019.The team of ASI took up an intensive survey in the region between Chandur Bazar to Dariyapur of Purna basin at Phupgaon (N 21° 24’ 00.6” E 77° 54’ 11.6”), Amravati district of Maharashtra. The site is situated in the vast meander of the river Purna, a major tributary of Tapi, which used to be a perennial river, but at present is completely dried-up due to the dam construction in the upper stream. The site is situated about 20 m away from the river bed and its one-third portion has been subjected to frequent erosion during the heavy water current in the earlier times.

ASI is of the view that the excavation at Phupgaon has provided important insights into Iron Age people of Purna river basin. Chronologically, the site could be placed between 7th C BCE and 4th C BCE. However, further detailed study of the site with chronometric dating is being taken up to reveal further aspects of Iron Age of Vidarbha.

20. ‘The Diary of Manu Gandhi’ (1943-44) brought out by National Archives of India, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in collaboration with Oxford University Press

‘The Diary of Manu Gandhi’ (1943-44) has been brought out by National Archives of India, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in collaboration with Oxford University Press and launched at a function in the auditorium of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library today in New Delhi. The Diary of Manu Gandhi originally in Gujarati has been edited and translated by Dr Tridip Suhrud, a well-known scholar engaged in understanding the Gandhian Intellectual tradition. The first volume covers the period 1943-1944.

21. Integrated NOAPS single window clearing system of National Monuments Authority for 517 local bodies in six States launched

An integrated NOC online Application Processing System for National Monuments Authority (NMA) for 517 local bodies of six states was launched in the public domain over the URL: http://nmanoc.nic.in/ by the Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent Charge), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel on in New Delhi. Online processing of applications requesting NOC for construction related work in prohibited and regulated area of ASI protected monuments has been made simpler with this system. Six New States are now a part of this Integrated Online Application Portal with Urban Local Bodies Count.The Portal has integration with the Smart ‘Smarac’ Mobile App of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), through which the applicant traverses his plot and the geo coordinates of his plot along with the images get uploaded into the NIC portal along with the proximity and the approval status.

22. Water Conservation system and Baby care & Feeding Room installed at Taj Mahal Premises

A Water Conservation system and Baby care& Feeding Room at the premises of Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh was installed and inaugurated by the Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent Charge) on 29th August, 2019. The Water Conservation System which in its first turn puts about 10000 litre of polluted water coming out of RO System into the old well located in the premises of the heritage site.

23. ‘Gallery of Confiscated and Retrieved Antiquities’ at PuranaQilacurated by ASI showcases confiscated and retrieved antiquities for public

‘Gallery of Confiscated and Retrieved Antiquities’ at Purana Qila curated by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)showcases confiscated and retrieved antiquities for public, the Gallery is located in the arched cells of Purana Qila. The number of antiquities recovered in the last five years has been the highest ever, So far, ASI, has retrieved 44 stolen antiquities from USA, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Canada and England and 119 more antiquities are in the process of retrieval. Owing to the efforts of ASI no theft has been reported from any Centrally Protected Monument or site museum under ASI during last few years.

 

24. First ever architectural LED illumination of Qutab Minar

 

The historic Qutb Minar came alive as it saw the first ever architectural LED illumination inaugurated by Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (I/C) Shri Prahalad Singh Patel in New Delhi on 31^st August, 2019.

To highlight the architectural beauty including arches and minarets of the Qutb Minar, a total of 358 technologically advanced LED lights have been used which will consume 62% less electricity than conventional light fixtures. Warm lights will highlight the architectural features on the monument’s facade. Apart from the minaret, the pathways and smaller structures around the Qutb Minar have also been lit. The new illumination comprises lighting that accentuates the silhouette of the monument with the interplay of light and shade. The duration of illumination will be from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM daily with a monthly cost of Rs16,615/- which comes out merely to Rs 1,99,388/- for a year.

25. The first ever Mobile Science Exhibition (SCIENCE EXPLORER) of NCSM organised in Leh for entire Ladakh Region

The first ever Mobile Science Exhibition (SCIENCE EXPLORER) for the entire Ladakh Region in Leh was flagged off by the Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent charge), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel on 5^th September, 2019.

Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) programme, originally launched as Mobile Science Museum (MSM) in 1965, with a mission ‘If the people cannot visit the museum, let the museum visit the people at their doorsteps’, is the largest and the longest running outreach programme of NCSM. It is very successful in supplementing formal education with non-formal mode of science education, in creating a scientific awareness in the society and nurturing scientific temper and creative potential of the young people in the areas where MSE programmes are conducted.

26. Union Culture Minister Shri Prahlad Singh Patel participates in BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meet at Curitiba, Brazil

Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel participated in BRICS Culture Ministers’ meeting held in Curitiba, Brazil.On the occasion, Shri Patel said that India attaches importance to its engagement with BRICS which has emerged as a valuable forum for consultation, coordination and cooperation on contemporary global issues of mutual interest and has helped to promote mutual understanding. Joint exhibition titled Bonding Regions & Imagining Cultural Synergies is being hosted by National Gallery of Modern Arts of India under the auspices of the BRICS Alliance of Museums and Art Galleries during November-December, 2019.Shri Patel proposed to add another field of cooperation under the aegis of BRICS Alliance on Literature envisaging BRICS Literary Festival to enhance cooperation and exchanges in the field of literature and promoting translation of literary works of famous writers and poets of BRICS member states.

27. 10th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ organised in Madhya Pradesh

Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Matrix, 10th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was organised by the Ministry of Culture in Madhya Pradesh. Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Shri LaljiTandon in the presence of Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the festival in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, on14th October, 2019. Under the broad umbrella theme of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat has covered a profusion of art forms practised and performed by artists from all Zonal Cultural Centres of India, from Classical dance, viz. Classical dance, Loknritya, folk music, to visual and culinary arts. Handloom and handicrafts are equally being exhibited in stalls and tents curated at this Mahotsav. The gastronomic culture of Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and several other partnering states is being showcased in food stalls. After its conclusion in Jabalpur, Mahotsav travelled to Sagar and concluded at Rewa on 21^st October, 2019.

28. CCRT e-portal and YouTube Channel at the event “Digital Bharat Digital Sanskriti” launched

 

CCRT e-portal and YouTube Channel  was launched at“Digital Bharat – Digital Sanskriti” program organised by Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (Ministry of Culture) on 20^th October, 2019 at CCRT Head Quarter located at Dwarka, Delhi. With an aim to take India to a newer digital pinnacle and to promote our culture Union Minister will inaugurate CCRT e-portal and YouTube Channel (with support from Routes 2 Routes).

29.Commemoration event of ‘76th Year of Formation of Azad Hind Government’

Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (IC), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel took part in the commemoration event of 76th anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government on 21^st October, 2019 at Red Fort, Delhi.

30. Excavation by Archaeological Survey of India in Gottiprolu, Andhra Pradesh indicate it as a Trade Centre of Early Historic Period

The 1st phase of excavation by a team of Archaeological Survey of India’s Excavation Branch – VI, Bangalore at Gottiprolu near Naidupeta in Nellore (now renamed as Sri Potti Sri Ramulu) district, Andhra Pradesh has discovered the remains of a huge settlement surrounded by a massive brick enclosure. Among many other antiquities unearthed are one life size Vishnu sculpture and a wide variety of pottery of the early centuries of current era.

Detailed topographical study and drone images have helped in identifying an early historic settlement surrounded by a fortification and the possibility of a moat encircling it. The fortification is very much clear on the eastern and southern sides of the mound while its other arm seems to have been levelled as a result of modern settlements.

31. UNESCO designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN) in the field of film and Hyderabad in the field of gastronomy

UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of FILM and Hyderabad in the field of GASTRONOMY.

32. Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by the Parliament

Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Parliament after it was passed in RajyaSabha. The Bill was earlier passed in LokSabha on 2nd August 2019. It seeks to make apolitical the trust that runs Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial by removing the clause pertaining to the President of INC as a permanent member of the trust. The Bill also amends to include the Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the House of the People (LokSabha) or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in that House as a member of the trust.

33. All records relating to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauj de-classified and placed them in the National Archives of India

All records relating to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauj de-classified and were placed in the National Archives of India. Accordingly, a total of 304 declassified records/files have been transferred to National Archives of India by above mentioned Ministries/Offices for permanent retention. Out of 304 files, 303 files are already uploaded on the Netaji web portal i.e. http://www.netajipapers.gov.in .

34. ‘Kalash’ (urn) containing soil of Jalianwala Bagh, the soil of martyr unveiled at National Museum

‘Kalash’ (urn) containing soil of Jalianwala Bagh, the soil of martyrs primarily was presented to the Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi and later, unveiled at National Museum in New Delhi. The main idea behind displaying the ‘Kalash’ containing soil of Jalianwala Bagh in National Museum is to inspire the youth of India specially children and pay tribute to the martyrs of freedom struggle. The holy soil was brought by the Culture Minister when he visited the historical Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial. The soil from the land of sacrifice has reached National Museum after 100 years.

35. Indian Culture Portal showcasing information about the rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage of India launched by Union Culture Minister

The Indian Culture portal was envisioned by the Ministry of Culture and was developed by a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay while the curation of the data has been done by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).Indian culture portal is the first government authorized portal where knowledge and cultural resources of various organizations of Ministry of Culture are now available in public domain on a single platform.This project is a part of the Prime Minister’s Digital India initiative to showcase information about the rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage of India both at home and abroad.

36. President of India chaired the second meeting of the National Committee for Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind chaired the second meeting of the National Committee for Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 19^th December, 2019. Participants of the meeting included members of the National Committee including the Vice President, Shri Venkaiah Naidu; Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi; members of the Union Cabinet; Chief Ministers of various states; noted Gandhians among others. Prime Minister of Portugal HE Mr. Antonio Costa, the only foreign Prime Minister to be a member of the Committee, also participated in the meeting.

 

The Prime Minister addressed the dignitaries stating that while government commemorations of centenaries are held from time to time, the ‘Gandhi@150’ commemorations have become far more than just an occasion. They have become a program of the Jan Samanya and a matter of pride for every Indian.

 

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There is one casual vacancy in the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Yavatmal Local Authorities’ Constituency. The details of vacancy are as under: –

Name of Member

Cause of vacancy

Date of Vacancy

Date of retirement

Tanaji Jaywant Sawant

Elected in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly

24.10.2019 (Afternoon)

05.12.2022

The Commission has decided to hold bye-election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council to fill the above mentioned vacancy in accordance with the following schedule: –

S.No

EVENTS

DATES & DAYS

Issue of Notifications

07th January, 2020 (Tuesday)

Last date of making nominations

14th January, 2020 (Tuesday)

Scrutiny of nominations

15th January, 2020 (Wednesday)

Last date for withdrawal of candidatures

17th January, 2020 (Friday)

Date of poll

31st January, 2020 (Friday)

Hours of poll

8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Counting of Votes

04th February, 2020 (Tuesday)

Date before which election shall be completed

06th February, 2020 (Thursday)

3. The Model Code of Conduct concerning the said election will come into force with immediate effect in the concerned Constituency. Please see the details in Commission’s website under https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4070-biennial-bye-elections-to-the-legislative-councils-from-council-constituencies-by-graduates%E2%80%99-and-teachers%E2%80%99-and-local-authorities%E2%80%99-constituencies-%E2%80%93-mcc-instructions-%E2%80%93-regardin

There is one casual vacancy in the Maharashtra Legislative Council by the members of respective Legislative Assembly. The details of the vacancy are as follow:

 

S.No	Name of Member	Type of Elections	Cause of vacancy	Term up to
1.	Shri Munde, Dhananjay Panditrao	By MLAs	Elected in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on 24.10.2019 (Afternoon)	07.07.2022

 

2.               The Commission has decided to hold bye-election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council by the Member of the respective Legislative Assembly to fill the above mentioned vacancy as per the following schedule: –

 

S.No.	Subject of Programme	Dates and Days
	Issue of Notifications	07th January, 2020  (Tuesday)
	Last Date of making nominations	14th January, 2020 (Tuesday)
	Scrutiny of nominations	15th January, 2020 (Wednesday)
	Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	17th  January, 2020 (Friday)
	Date of Poll	24th January, 2020 (Friday)
	Hours of Poll	9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
	Counting of Votes	24th January, 2020 (Friday) at 5.00 p.m.
	Date before which election shall be completed	28th January 2020 (Tuesday)

 

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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC) today at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.

Delivering the inaugural address, the Prime Minister said, “The growth story of India depends on its achievements in the Science & Technology sector. There is a need to revolutionise the landscape of Indian Science Technology and Innovation.”

“My motto for the young scientists bourgeoning in this country has been – “Innovate, Patent, Produce and Prosper”. He said these four steps will lead India towards a faster development. “Innovation for the people and by the people is direction of our ‘New India”, he added.

He said, “New India needs technology and also a logical temperament, so that we can give a new direction to our social and economic sectors”. He said science and technology provides a level playing field in making opportunities accessible to all and that it also plays a unifying role in the society.

Prime Minister said, “Now the developments in information and communication technology are able to provide cheaper smart phones & cheaper data and that has made it accessible to everyone in the country, where as it was seen as a privilege of the few earlier. This made the common man now believe that he is not distantly separated from the Government. Now he can directly connect with the Government and make his voice heard”

Prime Minister exhorted the young scientists to work in the field of rural development where there are several opportunities for cheaper and better innovations.

Referring to the theme of 107^th ISC – “Science and Technology: Rural Development”, the Prime Minister said that it is only due to Science & Technology, that Government Programmes have reached the needy.

He highlighted that India now stands at 3^rd position globally, in the number of Peer-reviewed Science and Engineering Publications. “I have been told that India has climbed to third position globally in the number of peer reviewed science and engineering publications. It is also growing at a rate of about 10% as compared to global average of 4%”, he said.

He also mentioned about Improvement in India’s ranking at Innovation Index to 52. He highlighted that Government programmes have created more incubators in the last 5 years than in previous 50 years.

Prime Minister said Technology is being harnessed at a large scale to achieve the objective of Good Governance. “Yesterday our Government was able to release to 6 crore beneficiaries the instalment under the PM-KISAN programme. This was possible only due the Aadhaar enabled technology”, he said. Similarly he said that it was technology which helped in building toilets and providing electricity to the poor. He said that owing to the technology of Geo Tagging and Data Science, many of the projects in rural and urban areas could be timely completed.

Prime Minister said, “We are continuing our efforts to ensure the ‘Ease of doing Science’ and effectively using information technology to reduce red tape”.

He emphasized that Digitalisation, E Commerce, Internet Banking and Mobile Banking services are assisting rural population significantly. He said Technology can be harnessed for several rural development initiatives, particularly in the area of cost effective Agriculture and Farm to Consumer supply chain network.

He urged everyone to find technological solutions for – stalk burning, maintenance of Ground water tables, prevention of communicable diseases, environment friendly transportation etc. He emphasized that Science and technology has a major role in contributing towards making India a $5 Trillion Economy.

Prime Minister Modi also launched the I-STEM Portal on the occasion.

 

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with the Prime Minister of Australia    H. E. Mr. Scott Morrison.

Prime Minister Modi conveyed his heartfelt condolences on behalf of all Indians and on his own behalf on the damage to life and property in Australia due to severe and prolonged bushfires. He also offered India’s unstinted support to Australia and the Australian people, who are bravely facing this unprecedented natural calamity.

Expressing his satisfaction at the progress in bilateral relations in recent years, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s commitment to strengthen its strategic partnership with Australia. He stated that to this end, he looked forward to welcoming the Prime Minister of Australia in India on a State Visit at early mutual convenience.

Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister Morrison and the people of Australia for the rest of the year 2020.

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Swarna Jayanti Fellowships have been awarded to 14 Scientists associated with projects containing innovative research idea and with potential of making impact on R&D in the respective disciplines. The scientists, selected for the award through a rigorous three-tier process, will be allowed to pursue unfettered research with freedom and flexibility.

The Swarna Jayanti Fellowships scheme was instituted by Government of India to commemorate India’s fiftieth year of independence. Under this scheme, a selected number of young scientists, with proven track record, are provided special assistance and support to enable them to pursue basic research in frontier areas of science and technology.

The awardees are supported by Department of Science & Technology, for fellowship and research. This will cover all the requirements for performing the research and include a fellowship of Rs 25,000/- per month as well as a research grant of 5 lakh Rupees for 5 years in addition to their salary.  Out of the 443 applicants, 14 scientists have been finally selected this time for this scientist specific fellowship.

A brief account of the awardees

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India’s largest annual gathering of scientific luminaries from countries across the world, the ‘107th Indian Science Congress’, will be held from January 3 to 7, 2020 at University of Agricultural Sciences (UASB), GKVK Campus, Bangalore, Karnataka focusing on ‘Science & Technology: Rural Development’.

The Science Congress will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on January 03, 2020 at UASB, GKVK Campus. The Congress is a major focal point for scientists, researchers and academicians interested in various aspects of science discoveries and technologies.  The five-day long event aims to bring together science fraternity across the world to discuss scientific innovation and research.

The Nobel Laureates who will be participating include German Physicist, Prof. Stefan Hell who is one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014 ‘for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy’ and Prof. Ada E. Yonath from Israel. She is a protein crystallographer who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Apart from this, several senior Scientists from India and abroad along with several government officials will be participating in this event to exchange their views on a range of scientific issues, both at the national and international level.

There are 28 Plenary Sessions on areas ranging from Climate Smart Agriculture for Food Security, Crop Improvement Towards Food & Nutrition Security, Materials Science And Technology For Rural Development, Challenges and Opportunities In Cancer Drug Discovery, Artificial Intelligence And Medical Technology, Advances In Basic Medical And Clinical Interactions, Non-Communicable Diseases In Rural Population as well as Cancer Research – Therapeutic Applications. The areas also include Nano Materials for Energy, Environment and Health Care, Novel Solutions for Oil and Gas Industry Problems and so on in which senior scientists and officials will discuss on the status, challenges, opportunities and scope in these research areas.

Public Lectures

Four Public lectures by eminent personalities like Nobel laureate Prof. Stefan Hell, Dr. Subra Suresh among others, covering topics like Ultrasharp Fluorescence Microscopy, science across disciplines ranging from basic science to applications in the industry, acute problem of modern medicine, life style diseases to recent advances in cardiac sciences will be organized in the Science Congress.

Sectional Sessions: Fourteen Sectional Sessions covering different disciplines of science will be organised in the Science Congress.

Farmers Science Congress

With focus on Rural Development through Science and Technology, for the first time in the history of Indian Science Congress, a Farmers Science Congress is being held. It will cover themes ranging from farmers innovation on integrated agriculture and entrepreneurship for doubling farmers income, climate change, bio-diversity, conservation, ecosystem services & farmers empowerment to agrarian distress, rural bio-entrepreneurship, policy issues.

The event will have the presence of experts and scientists from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) along with farmers whose innovative approaches have led to significant contributions.

Rashtriya Kishore Vaigyanik Sammelan (Children’s Science Congress)

A two day event ‘Rashtriya Kishore Vaigyanik Sammelana’ will be held at UASB, GKVK as part of the 107th Indian Science Congress on 4th and 5th January 2020. The aim is to provide a unique opportunity for children to view selected projects and interact with the student delegates and children will also have the opportunity to listen, interact with eminent scientists and Nobel Laureates. Events like one minute video competition, Infosys Foundation – ISCA Travel Awards for School Children, visit to exhibitions, live science demonstrations and science magic show will be organized as a part of the Science Congress.

Women Science Congress

The women’s science congress aims to provide single platform for women working in different arena of science and technology to showcase their achievements and experiences. It will also prepare a vision document or a road map for women in science and technology and recommend policies to enhance the role and utilize the full potential of women in science and technology. In this session, women are invited to share ideas and experiences to motivate the younger women to actively participate in science to identify and find simpler solutions through Science and Technology.

Former VC’s Science Congress

The former VC’s Science Congress addresses the urgent need in Indian higher education institutions today is to establish quality internalisation pathways through quality culture in academic, administrative and financial spheres of institutional management. Several eminent Vice Chancellors like Prof. S.P. Thyagarajan, Former Vice Chancellor, University of Madas, Chennai and Prof N. Prabhudev, VC Bangalore University will be attending the event.

Vigyan Sancharak Sammelan – 2020 (Science Communicators Meet – 2020)

“Vigyan Sancharak Sammelan” is an initiative for Science communicators’ for professional growth. This programme will focus on the theme “Science & Technology: Rural Development “.  Science Communicators’ role is to facilitate public engagement with scientific issues. Science communication plays an integral part in one’s scientific career. Being able to effectively disseminate research findings within the community and to consider collective opinions in prioritizing research needs is an important attribute of scientific maturity. Thus, dissemination of scientific information and inculcation of scientific attitude among masses at large is the need of the hour.

With this broad goal, Science Communicators’ Meet will be held to bring together experts in the field of science communication with particular reference to rural development. It will provide an opportunity to academicians, science journalists, activists, filmmakers, scientists and other communicators from all over the world to meet, deliberate and exchange their views on how to develop science communication.

Mega Science Exhibition – PRIDE OF INDIA ISC EXPO

Pride of India (PIO) ISC Expo is a unique platform for organizations from government, private and public sector to showcase their achievements in the field of science and technology. The POI Expo brings together and displays hundreds of new ideas, innovations and products covering the entire canvas of scientific world. The five days will witness a large number of visitors from the corporate sector, scientific fraternity and academia, R&D institutes, defense, government, PSUs and so on.

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Indian Railways is gradually replacing locomotive hauled Accident Relief Medical Vans (ARMVs) with Self Propelled Accident Relief Medical Vans (SPARMVs) to improve response during disaster. Specification of high speed Self Propelled Accident Relief Trains (HS-SPARTs) with speed of 160 kmph has been finalized and it is planned to be procured in addition to existing 110 kmph SPART. Further, to improve the capacity during restoration, 175 Tonnes cranes are under procurement which is an upgradation over existing 140 T cranes available with Indian Railways. The concept of golden hour has also been recognised to expedite response time during disaster.

The main areas of focus on disaster management are:-

1. Faster Response
2. Better facilities and equipment
3. Expanding resources to meet requirements in major accidents
4. Coordination with other agencies of central and state governments
5. Training and Preparedness

Indian Railways has an organized system of relief for managing accidents with its own resources. It consists of more than 6 thousand trained breakdown staff, 176 Accident Relief Trains (ARTs) and 86 Accident Relief Medical Vans (ARMVs) made using passenger coaches. All Accident Relief Trains and Accident Relief Medical Vans have pre-defined beats, inspection schedules and response time. In addition, there are 90 Break down Cranes of various capacities over Indian Railway system.

All equipments in Accident Relief Trains and Accident Relief Medical Equipments have been standardized based on High Level Committee recommendations. Some of the items being imported for rescue, relief and restoration are as follows:

1. Medical equipments like Augmented first aid box, body bags, foldable chairs, portable fire extinguishers, operation theatre equipments, etc.
2. Hydraulic Re-railing equipments (HRE)
3. Emergency Pneumatic air bags for lifting
4. Generators & Electrical equipment
5. Hydraulic rescue device (HRD)
6. Wire rope sling & shackles
7. Fire fighting equipments
8. Abrasive cutting tools
9. Signaling & communication equipments

Indian Railways also conducts periodic mock drills with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for training and ensuring preparedness during disaster.

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To overcome the inconvenience over multiple helpline numbers for grievances and enquiry during railway travel, Indian Railway has integrated railway helplines into single number 139 for the passengers for quick grievance redressal and enquiry during their journey. As the new helpline number 139 will take over all the existing helpline numbers (except 182), it will be easy for the passengers to remember this number and connect with Railways for all their needs during the travel.

Following Railway grievances helplines are being discontinued:

• 138 (for general complaints)
• 1072 (for accidents and safety)
• 9717630982 (for SMS complaints)
• 58888 / 138 (for clean my coach)
• 152210 (for vigilance)
• 1800111321 (for catering services)

The Helpline 139 will be available in twelve languages. It will be based on IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System). There is no need of a smart phone to call on 139, thus, providing easy access to all mobile users.

Menu of 139 Helpline (IVRS) is as under:

• For security & medical assistance, passenger has to press 1, which connects immediately to a call center executive
• For enquiry, passenger has to press 2 and in the sub menu, information regarding pnr status, arrival/departure of the train, accommodation, fare enquiry, ticket booking, system ticket cancellation, wake up alarm facility/destination alert, wheel chair booking, meal booking can be obtained.
• For catering complaints, passenger has to press 3
• For general complaints, passenger has to press 4
• For vigilance related complaints, passenger has to press  5
• For queries during accident, passenger has to press 6
• For status of complaints, passenger has to press 9
• For talking to call center executive, passenger has to press *

 

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Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas today here signed contracts for 7 blocks, awarded under Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) Bid Round – IV. The Government had launched OALP Bid Round – IV on 27^th August 2019. The Bid Round-IV offered 7 blocks  under International Competitive Bidding (ICB) process. The bidding round closed on 31^st October, 2019. Subsequent to evaluation, all 7 blocks were approved for award to ONGC, for which the Revenue Sharing Contracts have been signed today, in the presence of the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. The total area awarded today in the 7 Onland blocks is 18,510 sq.km.. The blocks are spread across 3 sedimentary basins.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradhan highlighted the success of OALP Bid Rounds under the ambit of Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) introduced in the year 2016, primarily characterized by Revenue Sharing Mechanism replacing the earlier New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) which had Production Sharing Mechanism. He said, “In the last two and a half years, Government has successfully bid out nearly 1.4 lakh sq. km for exploration and production. Seven  blocks awarded today under OALP IV to ONGC have resource potential of approx. 33 billion bbls of oil and oil equivalent gas.”

Speaking about reforms in the hydrocarbon sector, Shri Pradhan said, “We have shifted our focus from revenue to production maximisation and have adopted the path of continuous reform.” He said, “Technology infusion in E& P activities has seen tremendous progress in recent times. Our oil and gas companies are adopting digitisation, new technologies for augmenting production and growth.” Speaking about investments in energy sector, he added, “Energy sector will witness huge investments in coming years. Government has recently released the report of the task force on National Infrastructure Pipeline for 2019-25 which lays down a roadmap for 102 lakh crore rupees worth of investments. Energy sector will comprise about 24% of the projected capital expenditure in infrastructure. “

The four OALP Bid Rounds, conducted till date have been a success, with total of 94 blocks awarded covering an area of 1,36,790 Sq. Km to leading E&P companies. The operators of these blocks have since then initiated petroleum exploration activities or are in final stages of obtaining Petroleum Exploration Licenses (PELs).

The Hydrocarbon Exploration & Licensing Policy (HELP), which has adopted the Revenue Sharing contract model, is a giant step towards improving the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the Indian Exploration and Production (E&P) sector. It comes with attractive and liberal terms like reduced royalty rates, no oil cess, marketing and pricing freedom, round the year bidding, freedom to investors for carving out blocks of their interest, a single license to cover both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources, exploration permission during the entire contract period, and an easy, transparent and swift bidding and awarding process. This was the maiden bidding round under the further liberalized policy terms, which focused on production maximization with higher weightage to work programme as part of evaluation criteria in Category I basin and no revenue share commitment as part of bidding parameters for category II and III basins.

With the successful roll out of the HELP/OALP regime, based on the world-class National Data Repository (NDR), the Government has achieved massive enhancement of exploration acreage in India. The exploration acreage which stood at approximately 80,000 sq. km. in 2019 from earlier regimes has now been enhanced to approx. 2,15,000 sq. km. after 4 rounds of OALP. The cumulative exploratory work commitment after the 4 rounds of OALP comprise 29,270 LKM of 2D Seismic Survey, 43,272 sq. km of 3D Seismic Survey, 369 Exploratory Wells and 290 Core Analysis to establish Shale Resources. This will generate an investment of approx. US$ 2.35 billion over next 3 to 4 years in exploratory work alone.

The 5^th cycle of submitting Expressions of Interest (EoIs) closed on 30^th November 2019 and currently the 6^th cycle of EoI is open till March 31, 2020.

Details of Blocks awarded in OALP-IV

Company	Bocks awarded	Category	Description (Type/basin/state)	Area of award (sq Km)
ONGC Limited (All 7 blocks)	RJ-ONHP-2019/1	Category-I	Onland/Rajasthan/Rajasthan	2,118.83
	VN-ONHP-2019/1	Category-II	Onland/Vindhyan/ MP	2,730.73
	VN-ONHP-2019/2	Category-II	Onland/Vindhyan/ MP	3,077.65
	VN-ONHP-2019/3	Category-II	Onland/Vindhyan/ MP	3,097.17
	VN-ONHP-2019/4	Category-II	Onland/Vindhyan/ MP	2,932.74
	VN-ONHP-2019/5	Category-II	Onland/Vindhyan/ MP	1,421.66
	BP-ONHP -2019/1	Category-III	Onland/Bengal Purnea/West Bengal	3,130.91
	Total			18,509.698

YB/SK

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Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah dedicated to the Nation the new campus of the National Fire Service College (NFSC) in Nagpur, today. The Home Minister presented Fire Service Gallantry Medals and awards to meritorious students of the NFSC during the event. Further, he also laid the foundation of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Academy at Nagpur. Shri Shah also announced Subhash Chandra Bose Award in the field of Disaster Management.

Shri Shah paid tributes to the martyred fire services officers and talked about how Modi government has given importance to institutionalise the capacity building in the field of Fire Services and National Disaster Management by building dedicated institutions like NFSC and NDRF Academy, which have been neglected for the past 70 years.  He expressed hope that though fire services is a State subject, all States would have a better coordination with the Centre to fight fire disasters through the NFSC. The Minister added that the government has allocated over Rs. 200 crores for the modernisation of the NFSC. He talked about the short and long term courses that would be run in this institution.

The Home Minister expressed pride that due to sustained efforts of Modi government since 2016, NDRF has emerged as the leading disaster management force globally and it has achieved all benchmarks under Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Shri Shah said the Nation came a long way over the last two decades in its response to disasters and improved its capabilities in minimising losses of human lives and damage to the economy. He cited the Odisha super cyclone in 1999 in which more than 10,000 people had died, in comparison to the recent cyclone ‘Fani’ that claimed 64 lives, which reflected the huge capabilities built in Disaster Response mechanisms. In the other words, in a little over a decade, India has been able to reduce the loss of lives to less than 1% in the comparisons to that of past, he said.

 

Shri Shah talked about the steps taken by Modi government for optimization of disaster management resources at the district level. He acknowledged the efforts of NDRF being the first responder during disasters in our neighbouring countries and how it is getting accolades for India from its neighbours. Shri Shah further said that India has become the hub for training disaster management personnel in the SAARC region and expressed hope that this will facilitate exchange of best practices and minimise the effects of disasters on the people. Further, he said that India needs to prepare itself to efficiently fight disasters and make the infrastructure disaster resilient for achieving the target of $5 trillion economy in near future.

 

Addressing on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai talked about the challenges faced by firemen during fire emergencies and how the NFSC would be an important building block in preparing able fire services personnel in the future. He detailed the steps taken by the MHA, under the leadership of Prime Minister and Home Minister, by issuing advisories to State governments for establishing efficient response mechanism during disasters and better preparing the people and service personnel, by conducting mock drills to minimise losses of life and property.

Also present on the occasion were Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Nitin Gadkari, along with other senior officers of Union and State governments.

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“I have spoken to Shri Ashok Gehlotji, Chief Minister of Rajasthan todayand assured him of all possible support to prevent further deaths in  the Kota tragedy matter. A multi-disciplinary team of expertsincluding top paediatricians is being sent by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to support the State government for gap analysis & quick measures to be taken.The team will reach Kota tomorrow”. This was stated by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare today.

The high-level team includes the following:

(1) Dr.Kuldeep Singh. Head of Paediatrics and Dean Academies, AIIMS Jodhpur

(2) Dr. Deepak Saxena, Senior Regional Director, Rajasthan, H&FW, GOI

(3) Dr.Arun Singh, Prof of Neonatology, AIIMS, Jodhpur.

(4) Dr: Himanshu Bhushan, Adviser, NHSRC, MOHFW

The team of experts along with carry out join gap analysis along with the state Government in terms of clinical protocols, service delivery, manpower availability and equipments for maternal, newborn and paediatric care services in the Medical College Kota, Rajasthan; and will develop a joint action plan based on gap analysis for providing required technical and financial support to Kota Medical College through National Health Mission and State Medical Education Department.The team members will visit JK Lone Hospital and Medical College, Kota along with State government officials from 3 January 2020 and submit the detailed report.

In a recent letter written to the State Chief Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has expressed concern about the child deaths at the J K Lon Hospital of Kota Medical College, Rajasthan. He stated that while it is heartening to note that the State of Rajasthan is persistently showing significantdecline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for the last four years, available information from Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) under the National Health Mission, and the State Government have showed higher mortality rate of 20.2% in J. K. Lon Hospital, Kota, during 2019 incomparison to the preceding two years (Year 2018 = 14.3%; Year 2017=4.3%). Further, the Union Health Minister has requested the Chief Minister, Rajasthan to “assess the situation and take proactive steps to avoid these preventable child deaths. We, from Government of India, are ready to provide any technical assistance in this matter. We look forward to your continued support and cooperation for Improving child survival in the country, so as to ensure that no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of our health system capacity.”

 

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