The President has approved Tatrakshak Medals to the following personnel of the Indian Coast Guard for their act of conspicuous gallantry/meritorious service on the occasion of Republic Day 2020.

Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry)

•        Dy Comdt Abhishek Kumar (4233-S)
•       Sanjay Kumar Singh, Adh (ME), 04217-P
•       Subhash, P/Nvk (QA), 05655-H 

Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service)

•       DIG Mukul Garg (0260-P)
•       IK Balan, P/Adh (AH), 01608-L

These awards are being given to the personnel of Indian Coast Guard on Republic Day and Independence Day every year since January 26, 1990.

List of Honorary Ranks (Honorary Captain and Honorary Lieutenant) awarded on 26 Jan 2020.

******

The 10th National Voters’ Day (NVD) was celebrated across the country today. President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind presided over the national level event held at New Delhi. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology also graced the event as the Guest of Honour. The Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora, Election Commissioners Shri Ashok Lavasa and Shri Sushil Chandra, Secretary General Shri Umesh Sinha and Director General Shri Dharmendra Sharma received the dignitaries on the occasion.

The theme for NVD 2020 was ‘Electoral Literacy for Stronger Democracy’ reiterating the commitment of Election Commission of India (ECI) towards electoral literacy for all to ensure maximum participation and informed & ethical voting. This year marks an important milestone in the history of Indian democracy as Election Commission of India (ECI) completes 70 years of its journey.

President Sh. Ram Nath Kovind hailed the varied interventions taken up by ECI for the successful conduct of the 17^th Lok Sabha Election in a free, fair and transparent manner. The President particularly appreciated the initiatives for reaching out to voters in the remotest corner to include their names in the electoral roll and to encourage them to exercise the Right to Vote, resulting in the historic voter turnout of 67.47%.He congratulated the new six new voters particularly who were given the Electoral Photo Identity Cards today. The President also particularly mentioned the Universal Adult Suffrage principle which helped all Indian eligible citizens to vote from the very beginning of the journey of Indian republic. Shri Kovind also took note of the special efforts undertaken by Election Commission of India to ensure that the gender gap was reduced to less than 0.1% in the last Lok Sabha General Election. He particularly lauded the Electoral Literacy Clubs’ efforts and use of vernacular language in reaching out to even in the remotest areas.

On this occasion, the President gave away the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices to Officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections in different spheres. The district administrative and Security Officers were lauded for their efforts to ensure enrollment of new eligible voters with sustained efforts, launch of SVEEP Apps to facilitate polling experience, conduct of elections with innovative means, facilitating Persons with Disabilities at polling booths as also working amidst challenging circumstances such as severe cyclonic storm or coordinating security grid mechanisms. In addition, awards were also conferred on CSOs, Govt. Departments and Media Houses for their outstanding contribution in the field of voter awareness and outreach.

Two books were launched by Union Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and presented to the Hon’ble President. The first book was Belief in the Ballot-II, an anthology of 101 human stories from across the nation about Indian elections. An amalgamation of daring, interesting and inspiring stories of both election officers and voters, this anthology presents experiences of courage, sacrifice and dedication of the election personnel as well as the enthusiasm and commitment of the voters.

The second book launched was The Centenarian Voters: Sentinels of Our Democracy. This collection enumerates the stories and experiences of 51 centenarians across India, who braved difficult terrain, poor health and other challenges to come out and vote.

Chief Election Commissioners and senior officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tunisia graced the occasion. Reputed international organisations working in elections such as A-WEB, IFES and International IDEA were also a part of the occasion. Members of Political Parties, Members of Parliament besides Diplomats from various countries and representatives from national and international organizations working in the area of democracy and elections also attended the national function.

The National Voters’ Day (NVD) is celebrated all over the country on January 25 every year since 2011 to mark the Foundation day of Election Commission of India, which was established on this day in the year 1950. This year, the celebrations were spread over three days to mark the 70 illustrious years of ECI establishment. On 23^rd January, the Commission organized the first ever annual lecture series in memory of the first Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sukumar Sen. Hon’ble former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee, delivered the keynote lecture. On 24^th January, an International Conference on “Strengthening Institutional Capacity” was organised.

The main purpose of the NVD celebration is to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrollment, especially for the new voters. Dedicated to the voters of the country, the Day is utilized to spread awareness among voters for promoting informed participation in the electoral process.

Download link for National Voters’ Day Brochure: https://ecisveep.nic.in/files/file/1200-national-voters-day-2020-brochure/

******

The public in general and AYUSH professionals in particular are hereby cautioned that in recent past, some fraudulent/ suspicious advertisements for recruitment of AYUSH professionals have come up in the electronic media which seek to draw out payment in the form of “Registration Fees” etc. from gullible individuals. Such fraudulent/ suspicious notices are issued typically by agencies with misleading names that sound like government bodies, and seek to elicit payments (described as “fees” of various types) through online payment methods.

One such fraudulent/ suspicious advertisement that has come to the notice of the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India appeared on the blog-publishing platform “Blogspot” in the name of AYUSHGRAM BHARAT, which claims to be the NRHM WELLNESS CENTER INDIA. The link to the advertisement is https://ayushgrambharat.blogspot.com/2020/01/welcome-to-ayushgram-bharat-nrhm.html

While the Ministry of AYUSH will seek appropriate administrative and legal action in the matter, the public in general and AYUSH professionals in particular are hereby requested to note that the recruitment process followed by the Ministry of AYUSH and its subordinate organisations always follow the formal procedures prescribed by the Government of India, and are accompanied by formal announcements in the official websites (which are hosted on the NIC/ gov.in platform) of the respective organisations.

The Ministry hereby cautions all concerned that the Ministry of AYUSH has no connection whatsoever to the aforesaid recruitment announcement by individuals / recruitment agencies who are misguiding job-seekers by promising them government positions. Further, they are also seen to be un-authorisedly using logo/ images belonging to the Government of India as well as fake address similar to that of the Ministry to mislead the people.

The public in general and AYUSH professionals in particular are hereby advised to kindly cross-check the facts stated in such advertisements and verify the identity/ authenticity of individuals / recruitment agencies who issue such advertisements, before responding to them.

*  *  *

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has greeted people on National Voters Day today.

“Greetings on National Voters Day. We express gratitude to ECI for their many efforts towards making our electoral process more vibrant and participative. May this day inspire us to work towards increased voter awareness and turnout, which makes our democracy stronger”, the Prime Minister said.

*****

******

VRRK/KP

Your Excellency ब्राजील के राष्ट्रपति श्री जेएर बोल्सोनारो
दोनों देशों के वरिष्ठ मंत्री और अधिकारी गणरो
रो
Friends,
नमस्कार।

boa tarde (Good Morning)
bem-vindo à India

मेरे मित्र राष्ट्रपति बोल्सोनारो और उनके उच्च-स्तरीय delegation का मैं भारत में हार्दिक स्वागत करता हूं।पिछले आठ महीनों में यह हमारी तीसरी मुलाकात है। यह हमारे बीच बढ़ती मित्रता और दोनों देशों के बीच गहराते संबंधों को दर्शाती है।

Excellency,
यह हमारे लिए बहुत गर्व की बात है कि हमारे 71वें गणतंत्र दिवस पर आप हमारे मुख्य अतिथि हैं। कल राजपथ पर गणतंत्र दिवस की परेड में आप भारत की विविधता का रंग-बिरंगा और उल्लासपूर्ण स्वरूप देखेंगे। ब्राजील खुद भी उल्लास से भरे पर्वों का देश है। एक मित्र के साथ इस विशेष पर्व पर हम अपनी खुशी साझा करेंगे।भारत का निमंत्रण स्वीकार करने के लिए मैं आपको धन्यवाद देता हूं। यह तीसरा अवसर है जब ब्राजील के राष्ट्रपति ने यह सम्मान हमें दिया है। और भारत और ब्राजील के बीच मजबूत मित्रता का प्रतीक है।

Friends,
भारत और ब्राज़ील की स्ट्रेटेजिक पार्टनरशिप हमारी समान विचारधारा और मूल्यों पर आधारित है।इसलिए, भौगोलिक दूरी के बावज़ूद हम विश्व के अनेक मंचों पर साथ हैं। और विकास में एक-दूसरे के महत्वपूर्ण पार्टनर भी हैं।इसलिए, आज राष्ट्रपति बोल्सानारो और मैं हमारे द्विपक्षीय सहयोग को सभी क्षेत्रों में और बढ़ाने पर सहमत हुए हैं।हमारी Strategic Partnership को और मज़बूत करने के लिए एक वृहद् Action Plan तैयार किया गया है। सन् 2023 में दोनों देशों के बीच diplomatic संबंधों की platinum jubilee होगी। मुझे पूरा विश्वास है कि तब तक यह Action Plan हमारी strategic partnership, people-to-people ties और business cooperation को और गहरा बनाएगा।

मुझे खुशी है कि हमने आज कई महत्वपूर्ण समझौते भी किए हैं। निवेश हो या अपराधिक मामलों में कानूनी सहायता, ये समझौते हमारे सहयोग को नया आधार देंगे। विविध क्षेत्रों, जैसे Bio-Energy, Cattle Genomics, Health and Traditional Medicine, Cyber Security, विज्ञान और प्रोद्योगिकी, तेल और गैस तथा संस्कृति में हमारा सहयोग और तेज़ी से आगे बढ़ेगा।गायों की स्वस्थ और उन्नत प्रजातियों पर सहयोग हमारे संबंधों का एक अनूठा और सुखद पहलू है। किसी समय, भारत से गीर और कंकरेजी गायें ब्राजील गयी थी। और आज, ब्राजील और भारत इस विशेष पशुधन को बढा़ने और उससे मानवता को लाभ पहुंचाने पर सहयोग कर रहे है। इस सहयोग के आर्थिक, सामाजिक और सांस्कृतिक महत्व को किसी भी भारतीय के लिए शब्दों में बयान कर पाना मुश्किल है।

Friends,
परंपरागत क्षेत्रों के अलावा कई नए क्षेत्र भी हमारे संबंधों में जुड़ रहे हैं। हम defence industrial cooperation को बढ़ाने के लिए नए तरीकों पर focus कर रहे हैं। रक्षा सहयोग में हम broad-based partnership चाहते हैं।इन संभावनाओं को देखते हुए हमें खुशी है कि अगले महीने लखनऊ में DefExpo 2020 में ब्राजील का एक बड़ा delegation भाग लेगा।मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि bio-energy, Ayurveda और advanced computing पर research में सहयोग बढ़ाने पर हमारे academic और research institution के बीच सहमति बनी है।

Excellency,
भारत के economic transformation में ब्राज़ील एक valuable partner है। Food और energy के क्षेत्रों में हमारी आवश्यकताओं के लिए हम ब्राज़ील को एक विश्वसनीय स्त्रोत के रूप में देखते हैं।हमारा द्विपक्षीय व्यापार हांलाकि बढ़ रहा है। दोनों बड़ी अर्थव्यवस्थाओं के बीच complementarities (पूरकताओं) को देखते हुए हम इसे बहुत अधिक बढ़ा सकते हैं।आपके साथ ब्राज़ील के प्रभावशाली business delegation का भारत में स्वागत करके हमें खुशी है। मुझे विश्वास है कि भारतीय उद्यमियों और व्यापारियों के साथ उनकी मुलाकातों के अच्छे परिणाम आयेंगे।

Friends,
दोनों देशों की ओर से investment को सुगम बनाने के लिए आवश्यक legal framework तैयार किया गया है। आज के inter-connected विश्व में भारत और ब्राज़ील के बीच Social Security Agreement Professionals के आसान आवागमन के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम है।

Friends,
दो बड़े लोक तांत्रिक और विकासशील देश होने के नाते महत्वपूर्ण global और multilateral मुद्दों पर भारत और ब्राज़ील के विचारों में गहरी समानता है। चाहे आतंकवाद की गंभीर समस्या हो या पर्यावरण का प्रश्न। विश्व के सामने मौजूदा कठिन चुनौतियों पर हमारा नजरिया बहुत मिलता-जुलता है। ब्राजील और भारत के हित समान है। विशेष रूप से BRICS और IBSA में हमारी partnership, भारत की विदेश नीति का एक महत्वपूर्ण पहलू है। आज हमने तय किया है कि दोनों देश multilateral मुद्दों पर अपने सहयोग को और दृढ़ बनायेंगे। और हम सुरक्षा परिषद, संयुक्त राष्ट्र और अन्य अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संगठनों में आवश्यक सुधार के लिए मिलकर प्रयासरत रहेंगे।

साथियों,
मैं एक बार फिर राष्ट्रपति बोल्सनारो और उनके delegation का भारत में स्वागत करता हूं। उनकी यह यात्रा भारत-ब्राजील संबंधों में एक नए अध्याय की शुरूआत है।

Muito obrigado
धन्यवाद।

*****

VRRK/KP

On the instructions of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. P. K. Mishra chaired a high level meeting on the Coronavirus outbreak in China.

During the meeting, the officials  apprised the Principal Secretary on the recent developments, preparedness and response measures associated with the spread of Coronavirus.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare briefed the Principal Secretary on hospital preparedness, laboratary preparedness, measures taken for the Capacity Building of the Rapid Response teams and the extensive surveillance activities undertaken by the Ministry.

Principal Secretary also reviewed the preventive measures taken by other Ministries like the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The officials assured the Principal Secretary that the situation is being closely monitored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in close coordination with various other Union ministries as well as State governments and Union Territories.

So far, 20,000 people from 115 flights  at 7 international airports have been screened. National  Institute of Virology labs all over the country are fully equipped to test the virus. All State and District health authorities have been alerted and are in the loop.

Cabinet Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba, Secretary Home Affairs Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Secretary External Affairs Shri Vijay Gokhale, Secretary Defence Shri Ajay Kumar, Secretary Health and Family Welfare Ms. Preeti Sudan, Secretary Civil Aviation Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola and several other top officials attended the meeting.

***

VRRK/KP

The Adhoc Committee of the Rajya instituted by Chairman Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has made 40 far reaching recommendations to prevent sexual abuse of children and to contain access to and transmission of child pornography content on the social media. The report of the Committee was today presented by the Chairman of the Committee Shri Jai Ram Ramesh to Shri Naidu.

The initiative of Shri Naidu in setting up of such a Committee to examine and report on an issue of such a wider social concern is the first of it’s kind and has been widely appreciated. Shri Jairam Ramesh in the Report of the Committee stated that it is a good model that can be followed from time to time to get members of Rajya Sabha to deliberate on pressing social issues.

Expressing concern over the seriousness of the prevalence of the horrific social evil of child pornography, the Committee has recommended important amendments to the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and the Information Technology Act, 2000 besides technological, institutional, social and educational measures and state level initiatives to address the alarming issue of pornography on social media and its effects on children and the society as a whole.

The 40 recommendations made by the Adhoc Committee relate to adoption of a broader definition of child pornography, controlling access for children to such content, containing generation and dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), making accountable the Internet Service Providers and online platforms for denying access to children and removing such obscene content from online sites besides monitoring, detection and removal of content, preventing under-age use of such content, enabling parents for early detection of accessing such content by children, enabling effective action by the governments and authorized agencies to take necessary preventive and penal measures etc.

Noting that the purveyors of child pornography seem always to be one step ahead of the regulators, the Committee stressed on the need for implementation of its recommendations as an integrated package of measures and not piecemeal to have any value and impact. The Committee urged the Prime Minister to take up the subject of child pornography and the measures required to combat it in one of his forthcoming ‘Man Ki Baat’ broadcast besides taking the lead in building up a global political alliance to combat child pornography on social media like the International Solar Alliance initiative.

The Committee has broadly sought to address two main issues viz., access of children to pornographic material on social media and circulation of pornographic material on social media in which children are abused. The major recommendations of the Committee has given as under:

Legislative measures

1. The Committee has recommended some important amendments to the POCSO Act, 2012 and the IT Act, 2000 with corresponding changes to be carried out in the Indian Penal Code;
2. A clause to be inserted in the POCSO Act, 2012 under which advocating or counseling sexual activities with a person under the age of 18 years through any written material, visual representation or audio recording or any characterization is made an offence under the Act;
3. Another clause to be inserted in the POCSO Act, 2012 prescribing a Code of Conduct for intermediaries (online platforms) for maintaining child safety online, ensuring age appropriate content and curbing use of children for pornographic purposes;
4. Under the POCSO Act, 2012, school management should be responsible for safety of children within schools, transportation services and any other programmes with which the school is associated;
5. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal shall be designated as the national portal under reporting requirements in POCSO Act in case of electronic material;
6. A new section be included in the IT Act 2000, providing for punitive measures for those providing pornographic access to children and also those who access, produce or transmit Child Sexual Abuse Material(CSAM);
7. Union Government shall be empowered through its designated authority to block and/or prohibit all websites/intermediaries that carry child sexual abuse material;
8. IT Act to be modified making intermediaries responsible for all measures to proactively identify and remove CSAM as well as report it to Indian authorities as well besides the foreign authorities. Gateway Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) must bear a significant liability to detect and block CSAM websites. Intermediaries shall also be responsible to report to the designated authority, IP addresses/identities of all those searching/accessing child porn/CSAM key words;

Technology measures

9. Law enforcement agencies be permitted to brake end to end encryption to trace distributors of child pornography. Apps that help in monitoring children’s access to pornographic content shall be made mandatory on all devices sold in India. Such Apps or similar solutions to be developed and made freely available to ISP, companies, schools and parents;
10. Ministry of Electronics and IT and Ministry of Home Affairs shall coordinate with Blockchain analysis companies to trace identities of users engaging in crypto currency transactions to purchase child pornography online. Online payment portals and credit cards be prohibited from processing payments for any pornographic website;
11. ISPs shall be required to provide family friendly filters to parents at the point of sign up to regulate children’s access to internet content;
12. All social media platforms should be mandated with minimum essential technologies to detect Child Sexual Abuse Material besides regular reporting to law enforcement agencies in the country;
13. On-streaming platforms like Netflix and social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook etc. should have separate adult section where under- aged children could be disallowed;
14. Social media shall have mechanism for age verification and restricting access to objectionable/obscene material;

Institutional measures

15. The Committee recommended an upgraded and technologically empowered National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR) to be designated as the nodal agency to deal with the issue of child pornography. NCPCR should have necessary technological, cyber policing and prosecution capabilities;
16. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shall mandatorily record and report annually cases of child pornography of all kinds. A national Tipline Number should be created where child sexual abuse as well as distribution of child pornographic material can be reported by concerned citizens;

Social and Educational measures

17. Ministries of Women and Child Development and Information and Broadcasting shall launch campaigns for greater awareness among parents to recognize early signs of child abuse, online risks and improving online safety for their child. Schools shall undertake training programmes for parents at least twice a year, making them aware of hazards for children of free access to smart phones, internet at an early age. Based on the experiences of other countries, a proper practicable policy for restricting use of smart phones by under aged kids needs to be considered;

State level implementation

18. The committee recommended that each State and Union Territory shall have empowered State Commission for the Protection for Child Rights mirroring capabilities and capacities of the NCPCR. E-safety Commissioners be appointed at state level to ensure implementation of social media and website guidelines relating to removal of pornographic content, age verification, issuing warnings etc.

The 14-member Committee including 7 women members of Rajya Sabha was set up by Shri Venkaiah Naidu on December 12 last year further to some members voicing concern over widespread misuse of social media for accessing pornographic content and child abuse.

The Committee heard the views of the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Electronics and IT and Home Affairs besides NCPCR and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and other stakeholders like Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Bytedance(TikTok), Twitter and Sharechat.

The Committee also received representations from 3 NGOs viz., HERD Educational & Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, Centre for Child Rights, New Delhi and Internet Freedom Foundation, New Delhi.

****************

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has greeted the nation on the eve of Republic Day. In a message to the people of India, he paid rich tributes to our freedom fighters and called upon the citizens to further fortify the unity and integrity of nation so as to build an inclusive, prosperous, progressive and harmonious India.

Following is the full text of Vice President’s message –

“I convey my warm greetings and best wishes to all citizens of our nation on the joyous occasion of Republic Day celebrations. It was on this historic day in 1950 that our Constitution came into being.

Today, as we celebrate our freedom, let us also pay respectful tributes to those heroic men and women who laid down their lives for the cause of independence for this country.

Our Constitution is a sacred document that acts as our guiding light and moral compass. Today, let us reaffirm our commitment towards the Constitution and the cherished ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice for all, which formed the bedrock on which this great nation was built.

Let us pledge to faithfully discharge our constitutionally mandated Fundamental Duties and be responsible citizens who will be proactive partners in the nation’s development.

As India makes steady progress and assumes a greater role in this contemporary world on the strengths of a modern economy, progressive society, and diverse and vibrant cultural ethos, let us once again, solemnly resolve that we, as a nation, shall remain united to overcome emerging challenges together and forge ahead on our development journey.

Let this Republic Day further fortify the unity and integrity of this vast and diverse nation. Let this strong bond of unity of purpose be the driving force of all our endeavors to build an inclusive, prosperous, progressive, peaceful and harmonious nation.”

****

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the 10th National Voters’ Day Celebrations, being organised by the Election Commission of India, today (January 25, 2020) in New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the National Voters’ Day is being celebrated every year to spread awareness among the people about the use of franchise and to increase their participation in our democracy through voting. He was happy to note that Voters’ Day is not only celebrated at the national level but also at the state, district and polling station level.

The President praised the Election Commission for making special efforts to make polling easier for disabled people, senior citizens and women. He noted that a nationwide list of disabled people has been made to provide them special facilities. He was happy to note that the postal voting facility has also been made available to disabled people.

The President said that democracy becomes stronger and makes progress with the participation of everyone. He was happy to note that to increase the participation of voters, systematic efforts are being made by the Election Commission under the ‘Electoral Literacy for Strong Democracy’ program.

Click here to see  President’s speech

****

1. On the eve of our 71^st Republic Day, I extend my warm greetings to all of you, in India and abroad.

2. Seven decades ago, on 26^th January, our Constitution came into effect. Even before that, this date had acquired special significance. Having resolved to attain ‘Purna Swaraj’, our people had been celebrating ‘Purna Swaraj Day’ on every 26^th January from 1930 to 1947. That is why, in 1950 we embarked our journey as a Republic on the 26^th January, affirming to the principles laid down in our Constitution. Since then, every year we celebrate our Republic Day on 26^th January.

3. The modern State comprises the three organs – Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, which are necessarily interlinked and interdependent. Yet, on ground, the people comprise the State. ‘We the People’ are the prime movers of the Republic. With us, the people of India rests the real power to decide our collective future.

4. Our Constitution gave us rights as citizens of a free democratic nation, but also placed on us the responsibility to always adhere to the central tenets of our democracy – justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. It becomes easier for us to follow these constitutional ideals, if we keep in mind the life and values of the Father of our Nation. By doing so, we will be adding a meaningful dimension to our celebrations of 150^th birth anniversary of Gandhiji.

Dear fellow citizens,

5. The Government has launched a number of welfare campaigns, and what is especially noteworthy about them is the fact that citizens have voluntarily turned them into popular movements. The ‘Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan’ has achieved astounding success in such a short time. The same spirit can be seen in other endeavours. Be it giving up cooking fuel subsidy or pushing digital payments, the common man has made the government programmes his own, making them truly effective. The success of the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ is a matter of pride, as the target of 8 crore beneficiaries has been achieved. With this, those in need have access to clean fuel. The ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana’, that is, ‘Saubhagya’ too has brightened people’s lives. Under ‘Pradhanmantri Kisan Samman Nidhi’, more than 14 crore farmer families have become entitled to receive minimum annual income of Rupees six thousand. This has enabled the farmers who feed us to live a life of dignity.

To effectively meet the challenge of the increasing water crisis, the Ministry of Jalshakti has been created. Water conservation and water management are being given top priority. I am confident that, like ‘Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan’, ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ too will take the form of a popular movement.

6. Along with the welfare of those most in need, every policy initiative of the Government is guided by the ‘nation-first’ principle. The roll-out of the GST has realised our vision of ‘One country, One tax, One market’. It is being complemented by the e-NAM scheme, which is strengthening the process of creating ‘one market for one nation’ and will benefit farmers. There is a consistent effort by the government to ensure overall development of each and every part of the country – be it Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh, the states in the North-East or our Islands in the Indian Ocean.

7. Strong internal security is essential for the development of the country. Therefore, the government has taken several concrete steps to strengthen the internal security system.
8. Access to health and education are often considered the foundation of good governance. In both these sectors, we have come a long way in the seven decades. The Government has rightly focused its attention on the health sector, with its ambitious initiatives. Starting with the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, and expanding to the Ayushman Bharat, which is the world’s largest publicly funded universal healthcare programme, the Government has shown its care and concern for the well-being of the poor. Quality of healthcare has improved, so has its reach. The Jan Aushadhi Yojana has brought down the healthcare budget of common people in the country by providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices.

Dear fellow citizens,

9. The foundations of a sound education system were built in ancient times, with the setting up of great universities like Nalanda and Takshashila. In India, knowledge has always been considered more valuable than power, fame or riches. In our tradition, educational institutions are respected as temples of learning. When our land was pushed into backwardness after the long colonial rule, it was education that emerged as a path to empowerment. Even though the development of our educational institutions commenced soon after Independence, in an environment of scarcity of resources, our achievements in the field of education have followed a remarkable trajectory. Our endeavour is to ensure that no child or youth is denied education. At the same time, we need to strive to reach global education standards by continuous reform of our educational systems.
10. India is proud of the achievements of ISRO. They are making further progress in Mission Gaganyaan, and the nation excitedly looks forward to the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme gaining further momentum this year.
11. This is also the year of Tokyo Olympics. While India has traditionally done well in a number of sports, the new generation of players and athletes has brought laurels for the nation in more and more varieties of sports in recent years. At Olympics 2020, the Indian contingent will be backed by cheers and good wishes of millions of Indians.
12. Another source of pride for our country has been our diaspora. During my visits abroad, I have observed that Indians have not only brought prosperity to their adopted lands, they have also enhanced India’s image before the world community. Many of them have made great contributions in a wide variety of endeavours.

Dear fellow citizens,

13. I have nothing but unreserved praise for our armed forces, paramilitary and internal security forces. Their sacrifices to preserve the integrity and unity of our country present a saga of unparalleled courage and discipline. Our farmers, doctors and nurses, teachers who impart learning and values, scientists and engineers, alert and active youth, industrious members of our workforce, entrepreneurs contributing to our economic wealth, artists who enrich our culture, service sector professionals who have earned global appreciation, our fellow countrymen contributing in many other spheres of activity and specially our resilient daughters who have scaled new heights of  achievements against odds – they all bring pride to our nation.

14. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to interact with some achievers who have done commendable work in various fields. Working silently, they have made immense contributions to various fields including science and innovation, sports, empowerment of Divyang persons, farming and afforestation, women and child empowerment, education, healthcare, revival of old art forms and providing food and nutrition to the needy. For example, Sushri Aarifa Jan has revived the Numdha handicrafts in Jammu & Kashmir; Sushri Ratnawali Kottapalli has been serving patients suffering from thalassemia in Telangana; Shrimati Devaki Amma has developed forest wealth through her individual efforts in Kerala; Shri Jamkhojang Misao has improved the lives of many people through his community development efforts in Manipur and Shri Babar Ali has been providing education to underprivileged children in West Bengal since his childhood. There are numerous such examples, I have mentioned only a few of them. They exemplify that ordinary people can make extraordinary contributions. There are a large number of voluntary organisations too who have been contributing to the project of nation-building, and complementing the initiatives of government.

Fellow Citizens,

15. We are now in the third decade of the twenty-first century. This will be the decade of the rise of New India and a new generation of Indians. More and more of those born in this century are participating in the national discourse. With the passage of time, we are gradually losing living links with our great freedom struggle, but there is no reason to worry about the continuity of the beliefs that guided it. With advances in technology, the young minds of today are better informed and more confident. The next generation remains strongly committed to the core values of our nation. For our youth, the nation always comes first. With them, we are witnessing the emergence of a New India.
16. Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals remain relevant in our nation-building efforts. It should be part of our daily routine to introspect on Gandhiji’s message of truth and nonviolence, which has become all the more necessary in our times.

When fighting for a cause, people, particularly the youth, should not forget the gift of Ahimsa Gandhiji gave to humanity. Gandhiji’s talisman for deciding whether an act is right or wrong also applies to the functioning of our democracy. Government and opposition both have important roles to play. While giving expression to their political ideas, both must move forward in tandem to ensure that development of the country and welfare of its people are promoted consistently.

Dear fellow citizens,

17. As our Republic Day is a celebration of our Constitution, let me conclude with the words of its chief architect, Babasaheb Ambedkar:

“If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgment we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives.”

These words have always lighted our path. These words will continue to show us the way ahead to new glories.

Dear citizens,

18. The idea of world as a large well-knit family, captured in our message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, strengthens our relations with other nations. We have been sharing our democratic ideals and the fruits of our development with the entire world.

We have a tradition of inviting foreign heads of states to participate in our Republic Day celebrations. I am glad that this year, our distinguished friend, The President of Brazil, Mr. Jair Bolsonaro will take part in our Republic Day function tomorrow.

As India and Indians march forward, we remain committed to engaging the global community to build a secure and prosperous future for ourselves and for the entire humanity.

19. I once again convey my Republic Day greetings to all of you and I extend my best wishes for your bright future.

Jai Hind!

*****

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, received Mr Jair Bolsonaro, the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (January 25, 2020). He also hosted a banquet in his honour.

Welcoming the Brazilian President on his first state visit to India, the President said that it is a singular honour to have him as the Chief Guest for our Republic Day celebrations. It is indeed a special occasion for India-Brazil relations.

The President said that India and Brazil are close friends and Strategic Partners. India attaches the highest importance to its ties with Brazil, both in the bilateral and multilateral arenas.

The President said that India-Brazil economic relations are progressing well. But we can do a lot more together.  There is huge untapped potential both on the trade and investment sides. Indian companies are active in Brazil in IT, automobiles and energy sectors.  We are keen to leverage defence and food processing expertise of Brazil to boost our Make in India initiatives. We invite Brazilian companies to partner us in our economic programmes. Sectors such as renewable energy, biotechnology and animal husbandry also present huge opportunities for our companies.

Subsequently, in his banquet speech, President Kovind said that on the strong historical foundation, India and Brazil have established a multi-faceted partnership, one that would inspire many. Our shared perspectives have brought us together as Strategic Partners. We are committed to build an international order that is reflective of new global realities; we are committed to strengthen multilateralism for global peace and stability; and we are committed to fight terrorism for a secure and safe world for our peoples. From BRICS to bilateral platforms, we have a forward looking agenda. Even as we address the inequities of the past, we must craft a sustainable world for our future generations.

click here to see President’s speech

****

VRRK/KP

On the occasion of National Girl Child Day, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is going to set up 10 Chairs in different fields with an aim to carry out research activities to encourage women. The initiative called Establishment of Chairs in the Universities in the name of eminent women administrators, artists, scientists and social reformers is being launched with the assistance of University Grants Commission (UGC). The main objective is to inspire women to pursue higher education and to achieve excellence in their area of work. This initiative of highlighting and celebrating women achievers of the country will motivate young girls and women towards higher studies.

The chairs proposed by UGC and approved by the Ministry are as under:

The financial implications of the proposal is Rs. 50 lakh per Chair per year and the total expenditure for establishing ten Chairs will be approximately Rs. Rs. 5 crore per annum. The Chairs are to be established for a period of 5 years initially as per the guidelines.

Academic functions of the Chairs will be to engage in research and, in turn, contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the area of the study, strengthen the role of university/academics in public policy making and to design and execute short-term capacity-building programmes for teachers in higher education focused towards the designated discipline of the Chair. The other academic functions will be to provide a forum for inter-university/ inter- collegiate Post Graduate and Research level dialogues, discussion meetings, seminars/summer & winter schools, publish articles/research papers/reports/books/ monograms and participate in teaching and Ph.D programme of the Department or School in which it is located.

The University will review the progress of the Chair annually and submit a final report on the activities and outcome of the Chair to the UGC after five years. However, the UGC may undertake the exercise of reviewing the Chair for its continuance, at any stage.

****