H.E. Josep Borrell Fontelles, European High Representative/ Vice President (HRVP) called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today. Mr. Borrell is on a visit to India from Jan 16-18 to attend Raisina Dialogue 2020 where he delivered Valedictory Address yesterday. This is his first visit outside the EU after he took over as HRVP on 01 December 2019.

The Prime Minister extended a warm welcome to HRVP Borrell, congratulated him on assuming the charge of HRVP and conveyed his best wishes for a successful tenure. The Prime Minister also appreciated HRVP’s regular participation in the Raisina Dialogue.

The Prime Minister conveyed that India and the European Union were natural partners and that he was looking forward to a productive India-EU Summit in March 2020.  The Prime Minister reiterated India’s commitment to deepen the engagement with the EU particularly in the fields of climate  change, and trade and economic relations.  The Prime Minister also recalled his earlier interactions with leadership of European Commission and European Council.
HRVP Borrell conveyed that the leadership of the European Union keenly looked forward to hosting the next India-EU Summit in Brussels in the near future. He also dwelt on the shared priorities and commitment of EU and India, which include democracy, multilateralism and rules-based international order.

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VRRK/AK

The Vice President, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu today suggested the inclusion of the life stories of Veer Savarkar and other heroes of the freedom struggle from different parts of the country, in school textbooks.

Participating in a Civic Reception hosted in his honor by the Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC), he said that the historical role of the Cellular Jail in Andaman in the freedom movement should also form part of History textbooks.

He also urged all Members of Parliament, MLAs and MLCs from across the country to visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Cellular Jail.

Recalling his visit to the Cellular Jail the previous day, Shri Naidu described it as a pilgrimage to a sacred temple.

Decrying the attempts to create divisive tendencies among the people, he said that unity is the need of the hour. Pointing out that our freedom was hard won, he urged all citizens to draw inspiration from the story of India’s struggle for independence and from the countless sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and strive to reinforce the unity and integrity of this nation.

Earlier in the day, the Vice President inaugurated the Nature Park and Interpretation Centre at Haddo in Port Blair. He released butterflies and went around the butterfly conservatory at the Park. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have around 300 species of butterflies out of which 207 are endemic to the region.  Water bodies with inter-connecting channels have been added in the conservatory to provide the much required moist and airy micro climate for the butterflies to thrive.

Shri Naidu also visited the orchid and fern house at the Nature Park and Interpretation Centre which showcases the habitat of the tropical orchids. So far about 140 species of orchids and an equal number of ferns have been reported from the Andaman Islands. They include tree-ferns whose origin can be traced back to the Jurassic era. Vanilla, used in confectionaries is also sourced from an orchid species found in these islands.

At the Nature Park, the Vice President also appreciated a wooden sculpture of a mother and child, made out of the trunk of a single Andaman Padauk tree. The sculpture represents nature as a mother who lovingly nurtures all her creation. A tribal woman has been depicted as the mother, as a mark of deep respect to the tribal people of Andaman who are revered as the protectors of the Islands.

He also flagged off AC buses and electric vehicles. The Vice President complimented the Andaman & Nicobar Administration for the initiative and said that it would provide sustainable mobility solutions and help in keeping the islands clean and green. He said the electric vehicles would bring down emissions considerably and curb pollution.

Praising the administration for banning the use of single-use-plastics and for implementing the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in letter and spirit, Shri Naidu said that these initiatives including the increase in renewable energy capacity would promote sustainable development in the Islands.

Expressing his concern about the vulnerability of the islands to climate change, the Vice President said that India was playing a leadership role in promoting renewable energy, especially solar energy through initiatives like the International Solar Alliance.

Highlighting the role of connectivity in development, the Vice President expressed confidence that submarine Optical Fibre cable connectivity that is set to be operational by June 2020 would transform the development of the Islands. Four routes in the Islands have been included in UDAN for regional connectivity and International air travel is expected to be operational from Port Blair this year”, he added.

Launching the project for the replacement of traditional electricity meters with smart meters, Shri Naidu termed it as a pro-poor move.

The Vice President said that Smart meters will increase the ease of bill payment and eliminate the possibility of incorrect billing. He added that paperless billing with smart meters would also help the environment by saving the trees.

He visited a photo gallery and exhibition put up by the Port Blair Municipal Council on ‘Sanitation and Solid waste management’. The gallery showcased the best practices of the PBMC in the arena of sanitation and solid waste management, such as the use of 10 percent plastic in road construction and the restoration of traditional Japanese wells under the Jal Shakti Abhiyaan. The exhibition also displayed several pragmatic and aesthetic ‘waste to wealth’ products.

Shri Naidu also laid the foundation stone for three projects under the Smart Cities Mission — the Marine Esplanade, Neighborhood Parks and Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant.

The Lieutenant Governor, Admiral DK Joshi, the Chief Secretary, Shri Chetan B. Sanghi and others were present on the occasion.

 

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Foreign Minister of Denmark, Mr. Jeppe Kofod, visited the Barapullah DESMI Project Site here yesterday to understand the challenges in the area of waste water management and to discuss the scope of Danish technologies and collaboration with research institutions which may be engaged in this area. He was accompanied by Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

Foreign Minister made commitment with Secretary, DBT to have Indo-Danish partnership which would be a strong underpinning for strengthening the collaboration in area of waste water management and green transition.

The Barapullah drain is one of the main water transport ways in New Delhi that collects water from various smaller water drains from all over the city. It is mainly used for waste water and sewage transport. Because of the high population density, water scarcity and size of the waste water flow, the Barapullah drain is an excellent location for research in the area of waste water management.

Considering sewage/ sludge management as an important issue, DBT, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India initiated a novel holistic clean-up project in collaboration with DESMI EnviRO-CLEAN A/S, Denmark in January, 2019 at Sun Dial Park in Sarai Kale Khan area.

The aim of the project is to trap the floating debris from the drain and convert it into value added products. The purpose of this project is to prove the sustainability of the process with suitable gasification/ carbonisation technology to mitigate waste of mixed feedstock, collected from rivers or lakes besides reducing the damage to the local environment.

Key Features:

• Percentage of floating debris will reduce in Barapullah drain

• Sustainable source of energy can be produced on site

• Benefitting local environment and community

• Local employment

• Clean Indian Rivers

• Project leads and Research befits to water, energy and waste sector of India

• Supporting local manufacturing Industry – Make in India

 

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In order to highlight the value and impact of fundamental research to a broad cross-section of

audience including students, academician and industry, and to further strengthen India’s participationin mega-science Projects, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science andTechnology (DST) have jointly organised a multi-venue mega-science exhibition, VigyanSamagam.

The exhibition will be held in New Delhi from 21^stJanuary to 20^thMarch, 2020 at the National Science Centre (NSC), PragatiMaidan.The inaugural function will be attended by Shri KN Vyas, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, DAE; Prof.Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST; and Shri YogendraTripathi, Secretary, Ministry of Culture. Dr Paul Ho, Director General, East Asian Observatory, Hawaii, USA will deliver the keynote address during the inaugural function.

VigyanSamagam exhibition is showcasing India’s contribution to international collaborations on fundamental science and research, and providing a common interactive platform for mega-science Projects, industry, academia and institutions. “It is a science communication platform for policymakers, representatives of print and electronic media along with members of civil society”, said Shri Arun Srivastava, Secretary, AEC and Head, Institutional Collaboration & Programs Division (ICPD), Nuclear Control and Planning Wing (NCPW), DAE, addressing a curtain raiser press conference here today. “The exhibition is also ushering fundamental science and research as a strong career option for the youngsters. Such a spectrum of audience is expected to pave the way for a greater interaction between all stakeholders resulting in cross-fertilisation of ideas”, he added.

Mega-science collaborations proposed to be showcased in VigyanSamagam include:

1. European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

2. Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR)

3. India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO)

4. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)

5. Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)

6. Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

7. Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)

A first-of-its-kind exhibition, the VigyanSamagam is being hosted in a caravan mode at four cities – Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi – from May 2019 to March 2020with around two months at each venue. The previous schedule is as given below:

1. Mumbai – From 8^thMay to 7^thJuly, 2019

2. Bengaluru – From 29^thJuly to 28^thSeptember, 2019

3. Kolkata – From 4^thNovember to 31^stDecember, 2019

In the preceding editions, VigyanSamagam witnessed enormous response at Mumbai and Bengaluru as evident from the footfall of about 1.3 lakh at both the venues. The footfall doubled at Kolkata to approximately 3 lakh visitors, garnering a cumulative total of 5.5 lakh visitors from the three previous editions.

School activities like quizzes, essay-writing / drawing contests, andpopular outdoor programmes like science awareness cyclothon etc. are carried out ateach venue during VigyanSamagam.

Newspaper and magazine articles showcasing India’s contribution inmega-science are published in print media during the exhibition. Interviews with eminentpersonalities visiting the exhibition are being carried out for publication in print and electronic media.

Exclusive website http://www.vigyansamagam.in and mobile application VigyanSamagam have been launched in addition of digital campaign / communications using social mediaplatforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Popular talks/lectures/events are live streamed onsocial media.

The exhibition at NSC, New Delhi will be open on all days from 21^stJanuary to 20^thMarch, 2020 including Weekend and Holidays from 10 AM to 6 PM.

National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, as a venue partner is providing the required venues at selected cities, exhibition stalls and necessary infrastructural and logistic support to conduct the exhibition.

*****

In order to highlight the value and impact of fundamental research to a broad cross-section of

audience including students, academician and industry, and to further strengthen India’s participationin mega-science Projects, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science andTechnology (DST) have jointly organised a multi-venue mega-science exhibition, VigyanSamagam.

The exhibition will be held in New Delhi from 21^stJanuary to 20^thMarch, 2020 at the National Science Centre (NSC), PragatiMaidan.The inaugural function will be attended by Shri KN Vyas, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, DAE; Prof.Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST; and Shri YogendraTripathi, Secretary, Ministry of Culture. Dr Paul Ho, Director General, East Asian Observatory, Hawaii, USA will deliver the keynote address during the inaugural function.

VigyanSamagam exhibition is showcasing India’s contribution to international collaborations on fundamental science and research, and providing a common interactive platform for mega-science Projects, industry, academia and institutions. “It is a science communication platform for policymakers, representatives of print and electronic media along with members of civil society”, said Shri Arun Srivastava, Secretary, AEC and Head, Institutional Collaboration & Programs Division (ICPD), Nuclear Control and Planning Wing (NCPW), DAE, addressing a curtain raiser press conference here today. “The exhibition is also ushering fundamental science and research as a strong career option for the youngsters. Such a spectrum of audience is expected to pave the way for a greater interaction between all stakeholders resulting in cross-fertilisation of ideas”, he added.

Mega-science collaborations proposed to be showcased in VigyanSamagam include:

1. European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

2. Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR)

3. India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO)

4. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)

5. Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)

6. Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

7. Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)

A first-of-its-kind exhibition, the VigyanSamagam is being hosted in a caravan mode at four cities – Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi – from May 2019 to March 2020with around two months at each venue. The previous schedule is as given below:

1. Mumbai – From 8^thMay to 7^thJuly, 2019

2. Bengaluru – From 29^thJuly to 28^thSeptember, 2019

3. Kolkata – From 4^thNovember to 31^stDecember, 2019

In the preceding editions, VigyanSamagam witnessed enormous response at Mumbai and Bengaluru as evident from the footfall of about 1.3 lakh at both the venues. The footfall doubled at Kolkata to approximately 3 lakh visitors, garnering a cumulative total of 5.5 lakh visitors from the three previous editions.

School activities like quizzes, essay-writing / drawing contests, andpopular outdoor programmes like science awareness cyclothon etc. are carried out ateach venue during VigyanSamagam.

Newspaper and magazine articles showcasing India’s contribution inmega-science are published in print media during the exhibition. Interviews with eminentpersonalities visiting the exhibition are being carried out for publication in print and electronic media.

Exclusive website http://www.vigyansamagam.in and mobile application VigyanSamagam have been launched in addition of digital campaign / communications using social mediaplatforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Popular talks/lectures/events are live streamed onsocial media.

The exhibition at NSC, New Delhi will be open on all days from 21^stJanuary to 20^thMarch, 2020 including Weekend and Holidays from 10 AM to 6 PM.

National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, as a venue partner is providing the required venues at selected cities, exhibition stalls and necessary infrastructural and logistic support to conduct the exhibition.

*****

RCJ/PK

Prevention of road accidents is National priority especially under PMGSY (Phase-III) :Shri Narendra Singh Tomar

Department of Rural Development holds workshop on ‘Road Safety’ with State Governments to share best practices and increase awareness among masses

The Union Government along with the State Governments have been implementing various measures to make Indian roads safer. Given the magnitude and gravity of the problem, there is a need for the society at large to take cognizance of the issue and to join hands to make road safety a social movement. To give stakeholders an opportunity to take part in concerted action the “National Road Safety Week” is observed throughout the country every year. In line with this objective, the Road Safety Week is being observed from 11th January to 17th January 2020 with the theme “Bringing Change Through Youth”.

The Department of Rural Development is a key player in ensuring road safety as 70.23% of total roads in India are passing through and connecting rural India. To ensure that rural roads become safer, the Department held a workshop on ‘Road Safety’ with State Governments and other stakeholders in order to ensure that the best practices that emerge from States can be adopted by other States and more awareness can be generated among rural India on how to improve road safety. The workshop was held to disseminate information among States and increase awareness so as to propel the economy forward and reduce the loss of lives andproperty which has a substantial impact on the GDP.

The main topics which were discussed and deliberated upon during the conference includes:

1. Better quality roads so as to improve mobility and reduce damage
2. Better visibility by ensuring lesser serpentine S-shaped roads and more straight ones including ideal road geometrics
3. Road furniture such as walls on both sides of the roads, fences, road studs, speed bumps & reflectors on sides of the roads and many more safety devices.
4. Better Signage to effectively inform the drivers as well as pedestriansabout the road and its contours such as reflective sheeting sign boards, thermoplastic road markings-beam crash barriers, over-head boards etc.

A short video clip was also shown at the workshop on Road Safety with a special message from the Union Minister for Rural Development, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar wherein he said thatroad accidents are of grave concern and the nation is losing lakhs of people every year in these accidents, mostly youth. Shri Tomar emphasized that prevention of road accidents is national priority and under third phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Union Government shall make continuous efforts in this direction and expect contribution of Engineers also towards achieving this objective.

The Union Minister addedthat roads should be constructed with an understanding that their users are human beings who may commit mistakes. Therefore, roads should be capable of preventing small mistakes converting into big accidents. Shri Tomar said that these days, there is a concept of “Forgiving Roads” all over the world and for this purpose emphasis will be given on capacity building of Engineers and contractors.

Accident Prevention is a national Priority, especially under PMGSY-III.  Involvement of community in all the States through advocacy, meeting and awareness campaigns is critical in accident prevention.There is also an intrinsic need to conduct road safety audit of some of the critical roads for which a training programme to train engineers as Road Safety Auditors is also needed whichwill beundertaken in coordination with AITD and IAHE.

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To provide hassle-free and convenient services to FASTag users linked to NHAI prepaid wallet, Indian Highways Management Company Ltd. (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI, has announced introduction of Missed Call Alert Facility for NHAI Prepaid Wallet balance enquiry. FASTag customers who have registered their mobile number can now get the balance of their NHAI prepaid wallet by giving a missed call from their registered mobile number to: +91-8884333331.

 

Main features of this facility are as under:

• This is free of cost facility available 24X7.
• Compatible on all mobile devices and operators.
• No Internet required.
• If there are more than one vehicle linked to a unique NHAI prepaid wallet, then the SMS would show the cumulative balance of all tags assigned to each vehicle. Thereafter, if any of the vehicle has got a low balance, a separate SMS shall be sent at the registered mobile number, showing low balance.
• This facility is available only to NHAI FASTag users linked to NHAI prepaid wallet.  As of now, balance of other NHAI FASTag which are linked to various bank accounts can’t be fetched through this facility.

Since the launch of NHAI Prepaid Wallet, more than 2.25 Lakh NHAI FASTag users have opted for its Prepaid Wallet using My FASTag App. Being a bank-neutral tag, NHAI FASTag can be linked either to savings bank account or NHAI Prepaid Wallet using My FASTag App. There are now 13 banks whose bank account can be linked to NHAI FASTag.  In addition, My FASTag App is now available on both Android and iOS platforms.

***

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs Shri Nitin Gadkari has emphasised upon combined efforts to curb accidents on roads. He said, the Ministry is working upon reducing deaths on the roads by half in the coming days.

Addressing the 18^th Meeting of National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and 39^th Meeting of Transport Development Council (TDC) in New Delhi today, Shri Gadkari called upon the transport ministers from all the States to prepare a roadmap in this direction without bothering for the expenses. He said, there is no dearth of resources for infrastructure development in the country, the need is only for a coherent approach to serve the larger public.

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs Shri Nitin Gadkari lighting the traditional lamps at the 18^th Meeting of National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and 39^th Meeting of Transport Development Council (TDC) in New Delhi today.

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Pointing out towards 36 per cent improvement on national highways and 26 per cent on State highways, the Minister informed that black spots are being identified and repaired at a fast pace. He underlined the need to include NGOs and engineering students in conducting road audits. Shri Gadkari informed that district level committees have been formed to examine and suggest such spots which need immediate attention. He said, work on improving road engineering will be undertaken with available resources worth Rs 14,000 crore.

Addressing the participants, Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways Gen (Retd) Dr V K Singh stressed upon the need to bring about behavioural change towards road safety. He said, road discipline should begin from family, school, and society level. Dr Singh said, he is discussing with States the steps required for improving the thought process of the society towards accidents, and victims, who’s life can be saved within the first ‘golden hour.’

Participants at the 18^th Meeting of National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and 39^th Meeting of Transport Development Council (TDC) in New Delhi today.

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Transport Ministers and senior officers from various States participated in the meeting and discussed different road safety aspects, including the MV (Amendment) Act 2019; tourist vehicles authorisation and permit rules 2019; bus port guidelines; digitisation of transport and abolition of border check posts; inter-state transfer of vehicle registration and driving licenses; harmonisation of road tax across States – One Nation One Tax; vehicle scrapping policy; guidelines for setting up, authorisation and operation of vehicle scrapping facility; and implementation of vehicle tracking platform under Nirbhaya framework.

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Saksham’, an annual one-month long fuel conservation mega campaign of Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, was launched today by Dr. M.M Kutty, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum& Natural Gas in a function held in Delhi.

Dr. M.M Kutty, during his address, emphasized the importance of petroleum products for our country and the dire need for actions leading towards fuel conservation.  He stressed upon the importance of programs like Saksham wherein general public is involved in various activities. He said “Prosperity and higher living standards are driving energy demand in India.  By mid 2020s India will be the world’s largest growth market accounting for 25% of global energy demand growth.Today 83% of India’s crude oil requirement is met through import. The earnest efforts for petroleum conservation can help us to reduce the huge import burden.  Every drop of oil saved will contribute to saving of foreign exchange.  We also require to address the issues of climate change.  Through SAKSHAM we intend to deliver a strong message that sustainable future demands conservation of natural resources. “

 

 

The Secretary gave away the prizes to the winners of Essay, Quiz and Painting competitions for the National Level Competition-2019 which has seen a phenomenal record participation of more than 1.48 Crore students from school of all education boards of the country. The winners get Japan Study tour, Laptops, Tablets &Cash prizes and the win may help in motivating the youth of our country towards understanding their critical role in spreading the awareness about fuel conservation. The awards were also given away to the oil companies and their state level coordinators for their contribution in the fields of fuel conservation. The winning entries of the painting competition displayed in the gallery on the occasion amazed the dignitaries for the wonderful ideas and creativities depicted in the paintings.

 

On this occasion, the secretary also flagged-off the publicity vans of PCRA which shall visit different states covering the rural side as well, spreading messages about fuel conservation awareness through interactive audio, video creatives and print displays.

 

During Saksham-2020, various interactive programs and activities are being planned by PCRA. Public Sector upstream/downstream Oil & Gas companies under the able guidance of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas are conducting various activities like ‘Saksham’ Cycle Day, Cyclothons, Workshops for drivers of commercial vehicles, Seminars for housewives/cooks on adopting simple fuel saving measure, Nationwide campaign through Radio, TV, Digital Cinemas, Outdoor etc. with a focus on reaching out to various segments of fuel users. PCRA is effectively utilizing the social media platforms for various customized campaigns through Facebook, Twitter, MyGov platform an endeavour to spread its reach amongst the masses.

‘Saksham’ a flagship program of PCRA and Oil PSUs under the guidance of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is an initiative for adding values to the various efforts being made in the country for saving fuel.

 

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