Five books you should give a try at least once in your lifetime

If you are a bookworm and like your leisure time reading books, then listed below are the names of five books you should give a read, in case yiu haven’t yet.

1) The diary of a young girl, by Anne Frank

Anne Frank’s diary is a first hand account of a yoing girl’s life as she and her family tries their best to hide from the Nazis. It is deeply influential since despite the torture on inflicted upon the Jews by the Nazis, Anne still believes the world to be a beautiful place where people live with good hearts.

2) The Harry Potter Series, by J.K Rowling

Are you an ardent fan of the Harry Potter movies? If yes, then the books are a must read for you. You can simply sit at your home and get transferred to the world of magic via the Harry Potter books. Come and join Harry as he discovers himself and fights against all odds and grows into one of the most celebrated literary characters in the world.

3) The girl with Seven names, by Hyeon – seo Lee

This is a North korean Defector’s story. It tells us the journey of a young girl who manages to escape from the frightening and ruthless regime in North Korea, all the while hoping that life would be better for her outside but what follows are a series of unexpected and tragic events and she soon realises that the journey to freedom is a long way indeed. The book vividly describes how life is really like in North Korea and gives us an insight of the young girl’s struggle as she tries her best to avoid repatriation and guide her family out of North Korea.

4) If i Stay , by Gayle Forman

The protagonist of the story named Mia is a 17 year old girl who loses her entire family in a catastrophic car accident. In one day, Mia becomes an orphan. How Mia manages to survive and struggles to deal with the aftermath is what the book is all about.

5) The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

It is the story of a shepherd boy who lives his land in search of his dream of finding a treasure. The book qoutes – “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Meaning that when a person strives to achieve his dream and works against all odds to accomplish it, nature helps him out. The reader can learn a lot of things from the book as the protagonist learns from his journey.

New method can efficiently transform phenol to a key ingredient for manufacturing food preservatives, pharmaceuticals & polymers

Indian researchers have found that electrolysis using surface-modified electrodes for efficient large-scale transformation of phenol to 1,4 hydroquinone used as intermediate in the manufacturing of food preservatives, pharmaceuticals, dyes, polymers. India currently imports 1,4 hydroquinone at a heavy cost due to lack of efficient processes for conversion of phenol to 1,4 hydroquinone.

Phenol and it’s oxidized products like 1,4-hydroquinone, catechol, or resorcinol are vital and primary building blocks used in the synthesis of many medicinal and industrially used organic compounds. Especially products like 1,4 hydroquinone are used as intermediates in the manufacturing of food preservatives, pharmaceuticals, dyes, polymers, etc. In addition, oxidation of phenol leads to a huge value addition. India imports phenol worth 23.6 million USD while India spends US$56.5M for importing 1,4-hydroquinone. Conventionally, phenol oxidation is carried out by chemical methods using catalysts involving precious metals, metal oxides, and enzymes along with hazardous oxidants. But these methods suffer from many disadvantages, including incomplete conversion of starting material and lack of product selectivity along with environmental hazards.

In this background, researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences led by Dr. Bhagavatula Prasad and CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory regarded electrolysis as an effective way to carry out the oxidative transformation of phenol to 1,4 hydroquinone. This work has been published in the ‘New Journal of Chemistry’ recently.

Electrochemical organic transformations are being looked at with great interest these days because of the economic and environmental advantages they offer over conventional chemical transformation methods. As these transformations are typically carried out in an aqueous medium by just passing electricity through the substrate (in this case phenol), no environmentally hazardous oxidants/reductants are involved in this process. Though electrochemical transformations offer so many advantages, there are several practical issues, especially with respect to phenol oxidation.

For example, the conventional metal-based electrodes could not be used for this transformation as they start losing the activity over time due to the adsorption of the oxidized products on their surfaces. Furthermore, many times they lead to over oxidation of phenol resulting in lack of product selectivity and unwanted product formation (tar). Additionally, some of the electrodes also suffer with issues like physical stability and durability of the electrodes with time.

Through detailed cyclic voltammetric studies, the NCL and CeNS researchers established all these difficulties could be overcome using electrodes having disordered graphene-like structures with desired number of oxygen-bearing surface functional groups such as hydroxyl (-C-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), and carbonyl (-C=O) groups. The surface modification could be achieved again by electrochemical treatment of the electrode in an acidic environment. Based on systematic studies using techniques like Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the researchers established optimum conditions for this surface modification. With such appropriately surface-modified carbonaceous electrodes, the conversion of phenol was excellent (99%) with 87% selectivity to 1,4-hydroquinone.

The researchers are currently looking at other industrially relevant processes that could be accomplished by such environmentally benign electro-organic transformations.

Publication link:

DOI: 10.1039/d1nj04640c

LABORATORY FOR CHECKING THE QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER

As reported by States/UTs, so far 2021 drinking water quality testing laboratories at different levels viz. State, district, sub-division and/or block level, has been set up in the country. State-wise details of drinking water quality testing laboratories is at Annex-I.

To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household by 2024, since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal. Thus, as of date, out of 19.27 Crore rural households in the country, 8.88 Crore (46.09%) households are reported to have provision of tap water supply in their homes. State-wise details is at Annex– II.

The State/UT, district & village-wise status of tap water connection in rural households, schools and anganwadi centres as reported by States/ UTs is in public domain and available on JJM dashboard at:

https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx

Definition under State of Forest Report

As per decision 19/Conference of Parties (CP) 9-Kyoto Protocol, the forest can be defined by any country depending upon the capacities and capabilities of the country as follows:-

Forest- Forest is defined structurally on the basis of

Crown cover percentage: Tree crown cover- 10 to 30% (India 10%)

Minimum area of stand: area between 0.05 and 1 hectare (India 1.0 hectare) and

Minimum height of trees: Potential to reach a minimum height at maturity in situ of 2 to 5 m (India 2m)

India’s definition of forest has been taken on the basis of above three criteria only and very well accepted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their reporting/communications. The forest cover is defined as ‘all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10 percent irrespective of ownership and legal status. Such land may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm’. The definition of forest cover has clearly been defined in all the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) and in all the International communications of India.

In ISFR 2021 recently published by the Ministry on 13th January, 2022, the forest cover figures are divided as ‘Inside Recorded Forest Area’ and ‘Outside Recorded Forest Area’. Those ‘Inside Recorded Forest Area’ are basically natural forests and plantations of Forest Department. The Forest cover ‘Outside Recorded Forest Area’ are mango orchards, coconut plantations, block plantations of agroforestry. Thus data of mango plantations etc. is automatically getting separated out as Forest Survey of India is reporting the figures of ‘Outside Recorded Forest Area’ separately.

The Interpretation of satellite data for classifying Very Dense Forest (VDF) is also supported by the ancilliary data like field inventory data of FSI, ground truthing data and high resolution satellite imagery wherever required.

At present, there is no plan to change the definition of forest cover and very dense forest. The definition of forest cover in ISFR represents true picture as described.

All India State of Forest Reports having state wise forest cover maps and district wise forest cover figure are available at FSI website.

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National afforestation programmes to improve the forest cover

The year-wise details of budgetary allocations and expenditure on national afforestation programmes, through the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) of the Ministry, National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and National Mission for a Green India (GIM) from 2017-18 to 2021-22, are as under:

(Amount in Rupees in crore)

Year

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

(as on 24th January,2022)

Budget Allocated

NAP 80.00

GIM

47.80

176.94*

193.63*

160.00*

220.00*

Expenditure

80.00

46.99

176.73*

193.63*

158.04*

200.13*

*Combined allocation and expenditure for Green India Mission-National Afforestation Programme.

NAP has been the flagship afforestation scheme of the Ministry, implemented since year 2000 on pan India basis, for afforestation in identified degraded forest areas with people’s participation and decentralised forest governance. GIM activities were started in 2015-16. NAP and GIM, along with other afforestation schemes, have been contributing in restoration of degraded forest areas in the country. This has helped in stabilization and increase in the extent of forest cover, which is evident from the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) published by Forest Survey of India (FSI). The latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR 2021) revealed that the total forest and tree cover of the country is 8,09,537 square kilometres (which is 24.62 percent of the geographical area of the country) compared to 7,94,245 sq km (24.16 percent) in ISFR 2015. This is an increase of 15,292 sq km of forest and tree cover of the country. The ISFRs also pointed out that the positive change could be attributed to conservation measures or management interventions such as afforestation activities, participation of local people for better protection in plantation areas as well as in traditional forest areas, expansion of trees outside forests, tree plantation drives etc.

In order to achieve the targeted objectives of national afforestation programmes, the Ministry has approved merger of NAP into Green India Mission (GIM) and accordingly financial allocation for both the schemes is provided under one budgetary head so that the overall greening efforts are augmented. The budget allocation for the merged scheme has increased from Rs. 160 crore in the year 2020-21 to Rs. 220 crore during the year 2021-22. Besides, the funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), inter-alia, is used for forest and wildlife management related activities including compensatory afforestation.

The Ministry also promotes tree plantation as people’s movement through School Nursery Yojana and Nagar Van Yojana. Tree plantation/afforestation being the multi-departmental effort, taken up cross sector by various departments of the Centre and State Governments, Non-Government Organizations, civil society, corporate bodies etc. also contributes in achieving the targeted objectives of national afforestation programmes.

Revision of Air Quality Standards

Government has notified National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 12 pollutants in 2009 to protect public health and environment from air pollution.

Review of the existing standards, criteria governing these standards as well as incorporating new parameters with advances in scientific research is a continuous process. With changes in fuel, technology and demographics as well as advances in air pollution measurement techniques, risk and exposure assessment, review of Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are carried for better improvement in public health. Review of NAAQS has been sanctioned to a joint team lead by IIT Kanpur.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 stipulates functions of Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board as given below:

Section 16(2)(h) – Central Pollution Control Board may lay down standards for quality of air.

Section 17(1)(g) – State Pollution Control Board shall lay down, in consultation with the Central Pollution Control Board and having regard to the standards for the quality of air laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board, standards for emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere from industrial plants and automobiles or for the discharge of any air pollutant into the atmosphere from any other source whatsoever not being a ship or an aircraft.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has published WHO’s Air Quality guideline (AQG) in September, 2021, The guideline makes recommendations for air quality levels to protect health of population and specifically mention that national standards should be decided in due consideration of other governing factors like background level, socio-economic status, national goals and further scientific research based outcome.

However, these guidelines for ambient air quality are guidance to policy makers and not legally binding. Periodic revision of NAAQS is undertaken to include new advancements in air pollution monitoring and its health impact.

National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)

The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) was established to support adaptation activities in the States and Union Territories (UTs) of India that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. NAFCC is implemented in project mode and till date, 30 projects are sanctioned in 27 States and UTs.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has demarcated the Hazard Line for the entire mainland coast of India under its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. Further, Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2019 has been notified to conserve and protect the unique environment of coastal stretches and marine areas to promote sustainable development.

The NAFCC projects implemented in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh include activities relating to coastal areas and these projects are- (i) Promotion of integrated farming system of Kaipad in coastal wetlands of North Kerala (ii) Management and rehabilitation of coastal habitats and biodiversity for climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Livelihood in Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu and (iii) Climate Resilient interventions in Dairy Sector in coastal and Arid areas in Andhra Pradesh. Till date, a sum of Rs. 6,35,68,108/- has been released to the State of Andhra Pradesh under NAFCC.

Blue Economy is the sixth dimension of Government of India’s Vision

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the Government of India’s Vision of New India by 2030 enunciated in February 2019 highlighted the Blue Economy as the sixth dimension of its vision. He said, Rs. 150 Cr has been provisioned during 2021-22 under Deep Ocean Mission.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today, Dr Jitendra Singh said, a Draft Policy document on Blue Economy has been prepared by MoES taking into consideration the reports of the expert working groups which emphasizes holistic development and growth of India’s Blue Economy. The following seven thematic areas or pillars are identified:

National accounting framework for the blue economy and ocean governance.
Coastal Marine Spatial Planning and Tourism.
Marine fisheries, aquaculture, and fish processing.
Manufacturing, Emerging industries, trade, technology, services, and skill development.
Logistics, infrastructure and shipping, including trans-shipments.
Coastal and deep-sea mining and offshore energy.
Security, strategic dimensions, and international engagement

Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to artistes’ to improve financial and socio-economic status

The Ministry of Culture administers a Scheme by the name of ‘Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to artistes’. The objective of the Scheme is to improve financial and socio-economic status of the old aged artistes and scholars who have contributed significantly in their specialized fields of arts, letters etc. but are in penury condition. The amount is being given to eligible beneficiaries (both professional and non-professional artists) who are above 60 years and whose annual income is less than Rs.48000/-. Further, Ministry of Culture also administers a Scheme namely ‘Scheme of Scholarship & Fellowship for promotion of art and culture’ having following three components: –

‘Award of Scholarships to Young Artists in Different Cultural Fields (SYA)’– Scholarship of Rs.5000/- per month is provided to selected beneficiaries in the age group of 18 -25 years, in four equal six monthly installments for a period of 2 years. The candidates should have undergone training under any Guru or Institution for a minimum period of five years. The scholars are selected on the basis of their performance in a personal interview/interaction before an Expert Committee for Scholarship constituted by the Ministry;
Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to outstanding persons in different cultural fields – Senior Fellowship is provided to selected Fellows in the age group of forty years and above in four equal 6 monthly instalments @ Rs.20,000/- per month for 02 years for cultural research. Junior Fellowship is provided to selected Fellows in the age group of twenty five to forty years in four equal 6 monthly installments @ Rs. 10,000/- per month for 02 years. Upto 400 Senior & Junior Fellowships are awarded in one batch year. The Fellows are selected by an Expert Committee for Sr/Jr Fellowship constituted by the Ministry.
Award of Tagore National Fellowship for cultural research – The candidates are selected under two categories viz. Tagore National Fellowship and Tagore Research Scholarship to work on cultural research by affiliation under different participating institutions in 4 different groups. The final selection is made by the National Selection Committee (NSC) specially constituted by the Ministry.

Apart from the above, financial assistance is also provided to professional and non-professional artists through other schemes such as Repertory Grant, Cultural Function Production Grant, etc.

Employment opportunities in Drone sector

As per Drone Rules, 2021, any person who intends to obtain the authorisation to establish a Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) shall submit an application to the Director General of Civil Aviation in Form D5 on the Digital Sky Platform, along with the specified fees. As on 31 December 2021, nine remote pilot training organisations have been set up by entities under Government or private ownership. The State-wise list of RPTOs is attached as Annexure –I.

Any person between 18-65 years of age and with a class tenth certificate from a recognised Board can obtain a remote pilot licence after successful completion of training from authorised remote pilot training organisation. Students passing out of drone schools can look for employment opportunities in drone operations, maintenance, design, manufacturing and data analytics, etc. depending on the courses successfully completed by them.

An authorised remote pilot training organisation is free to have collaboration with foreign entities while ensuring strict compliance with the requirements specified by the Director General of Civil Aviation in respect of training syllabus, infrastructure, instructors, equipment and infrastructure etc.

Annexure- I

State-wise list of remote pilot training organisations

S No	State	Name of the remote pilot training organisation
1	Jharkhand	Alchemist Aviation Pvt. Ltd.
2	Maharashtra	Redbird Flight Training Academy Pvt. Ltd.
3	Maharashtra	The Bombay Flying Club
4	Tamil Nadu	CASR Anna University
5	Telangana	Flytech Aviation Academy
6	Telangana	Telangana State Aviation Academy
7	Uttar Pradesh	Ambitions Flying Club Pvt. Ltd.
8	Uttar Pradesh	Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademy
9	Uttar Pradesh	Pioneer Flying Academy Pvt. Ltd.

Steps taken to address the shortage of pilots

The Government has taken several steps to address the shortage of pilots in the country. These include the following:

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has brought out a liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy wherein the concept of airport royalty (revenue share payment by FTOs to AAI) has been abolished and land rentals have been significantly rationalised.
AAI issued award letters on 31 May 2021 and 29 October 2021 for nine FTOs to be established at five airports i.e. two at Belagavi (Karnataka), two at Jalgaon (Maharashtra), two at Kalaburagi (Karnataka), two at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and one at Lilabari (Assam).
DGCA has introduced Online-On Demand Examination (OLODE) for the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) and Flying Crew (FC) candidates with effect from November 2021. This facility allows candidates to choose the date and time from the available exam slots.
DGCA has modified its regulations to empower Flying Instructors with the right to authorise flight operations at FTOs. This was hitherto restricted to the Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) or Deputy CFIs only.
India’s largest flying academy – Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi (IGRUA) at Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) – has been permitted to carry out pilot training in Gondia (Maharashtra) and Kalaburagi (Karnataka) to enhance its flying hours and aircraft utilisation, which get severely affected during winter months due to low visibility. IGRUA has commenced operating on weekends and all holidays. It completed 19,019 flying hours during the year 2021 as compared to 15,137 hours in the pre-Covid year 2019, an increase of over 25%.

The number of CPL holders produced by Indian FTOs in 2021 is 504 which is higher than the 430 CPLs holders produced by Indian FTOs in the pre-Covid year 2019.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Of Civil Aviation (Gen. (Dr) V. K.Singh (Retd) in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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Civil Aviation urges various ministries to promote use of drones.

Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested several Ministries including Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to encourage various entities under their administrative control to promote use of drones.

Drones offer tremendous benefits to almost all sectors of the economy like -agriculture, medicine delivery, mining, infrastructure, surveillance, emergency response, transportation, geo-spatial mapping, defence and law enforcement etc. An illustrative list of drone applications under different Ministries is attached herewith as Annexure- I.

As per Drone Rules, 2021, operation of drones in zones marked red and yellow on the drone airspace map zones requires permission from the Central Government and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) authority respectively. No permission is required to operate a drone in a green zone which is where most of the drone operations currently happen.

Annexure -I

Illustrative list of drone applications under different Union Ministries

S No	Ministry	Illustrative drone applications
	Agriculture & Farmers Welfare	Crop and soil health monitoring Irrigation estimation and scheduling Requirement and efficacy assessment of fertilizer and pesticide spraying Anti-locust operations Crop output estimates River and canal erosion; restoration tracking Insurance claim surveys
	Health & Family Welfare	Delivery of medicines, equipment and other supplies Pathology tests – sample collection from remote or epidemic/ pandemic affected areas
	Panchayati Raj	Land records and property rights (SVAMITVA Scheme)
	Defence	Surveillance Combat Communication in remote areas Swarm drone solutions Counter drone solutions
	Home Affairs	Surveillance, situational analysis, public announcements and evidence gathering for: Security of sensitive installations Raids and counter-terror operations Crowd management Crime control VVIP security Disaster management; search and rescue; transportation of food, medicines and essentials Traffic management
	Housing and Urban Affairs	Urban planning and management Construction planning and monitoring Incident reporting Prevention of encroachment and land-use alteration
	Transportation: Road Transport and Highways; Railways; Ports, Shipping and Waterways	Surveillance Incident response Inspection and maintenance Project monitoring Disaster management
	Mining	Monitoring and Inspection Automatic surveying and mapping Stockpile assessment and management Haulage road optimisation
	Power	Real-time surveillance of assets and transmission lines Theft prevention and incident response Visual inspection and maintenance Construction plannlng and management
	Petroleum and Natural Gas	Real-time surveillance of assets and pipelines Theft prevention and incident response Visual inspection and maintenance Construction planning and management
	Environment, Forests and Climate Change	Monitoring of forests and wildlife Afforestation through seed-balls, irrigation and real-time monitoring Anti-poaching actions Pollution assessment and evidence-gathering
	Information and Broadcasting	High quality videography of events and difficult-to-reach-places at a fraction of the cost and approvals required Low altitude shooting without noise and-dust pollution and risk of accidents Complete replacement of costly helicopter- based videography

Note:

The above list is illustrative and not exhaustive. New applications may evolve with time, usage and further innovations.
The above list has been prepared in consultation with academia, drone startups and industry bodies.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Of Civil Aviation (Gen. (Dr) V. K.Singh (Retd) in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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216-feet tall ‘Statue of Equality’

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Hyderabad on 5th February 2022. At around 2:45 PM, Prime Minister will visit the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus in Patancheru, Hyderabad and kickstart the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT. At around 5 PM, Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation the ‘Statue of Equality’ in Hyderabad.

The 216-feet tall Statue of Equality commemorates the 11th century Bhakti Saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living including faith, caste and creed. The Statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zync and is among one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position, in the world. It is mounted on a 54-ft high base building, named ‘Bhadra Vedi’, has floors devoted for a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing many works of Sri Ramanujacharya. The statue has been conceptualised by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.

During the programme, 3D Presentation Mapping on the life journey and teaching of Sri Ramanujacharya will also be showcased. Prime Minister will also visit the identical recreations of 108 Divya Desams (ornately carved temples) that surround the Statue of Equality.

Sri Ramanujacharya worked tirelessly for the upliftment of people with the spirit of every human being equal regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste or creed. The inauguration of the Statue of Equality is a part of the 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramanujacharya.

Earlier during the visit, Prime Minister will kickstart the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT. Prime Minister will also inaugurate ICRISAT’s Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and ICRISAT’s Rapid Generation Advancement Facility. These two facilities are dedicated to the smallholder farmers of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Prime Minister will also unveil a specially designed logo of ICRISAT and launch a commemorative stamp issued on the occasion.

ICRISAT is an international organisation that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia & sub-Saharan Africa. It helps farmers by providing improved crop varieties and hybrids and also helps smallholder farmers in the drylands fight climate change.

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Exhorts IIM students to align their careers with the aspiration of the country

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the permanent campus of IIM Sambalpur today via video conferencing. Governor and Chief Minister of Odisha, along with Union Ministers Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the permanent campus of the IIM Sambalpur will not only showcase the culture and resources of Odisha but will also give Odisha a global recognition in the field of management. He said that recently the country witnessed a trend of Indian multi-nationals as opposed to the earlier trend of outside multi-national coming to India. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are seeing startups and India has seen more ‘unicorns’ in recent troubled times, rapid reforms are taking place in agriculture field. In such a scenario the Prime Minister asked the students to align their career with the aspiration of the country. In this new decade, it is your responsibility to give Brand India a global recognition, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister dwelled at length on the students’ role in making the local rise up to the global level. He asked students to work on the ideas of improving tourism in the light of the immense local potential in the Sambalpur area. He asked them to work on the local products which have great potential such as local handicraft, textiles and tribal art. He also asked them to work on the better management of abundant minerals and other resources of the region as all this will contribute to the Aatamnirbhar Bharat Campaign. IIM students will need to find innovative solutions for making local global as they can work as a bridge between Aatamnirbharta Mission, local products and international collaboration. “You have to show your management skills with the mantra of Innovation Integrity and Inclusiveness”, Shri Modi said.

The Prime Minister talked about the new management challenges in the light of new technologies like additive printing, changing production techniques, logistics, and supply chain management. These technologies coupled with digital connectivity, and work from anywhere concept have turned the world into a global village. India has undertaken rapid reforms in recent months and has tried not only to keep pace with the changes but also tried to anticipate and surpass them, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister said that that the changing work styles are impacting demands on management skills and top-down or top-heavy management skills are being replaced by collaborative, innovative and transformative management. With bots and algorithms in picture, technological management is equally important as human management.

Shri Modi asked the student to research the way Covid crisis was handled in India with innovation and collaboration at such a big scale. He asked them to study how capacity and capability was expanded in such a short time. He expressed happiness that the country is coming out of the short-term approach of problem solving and how the focus now is on long term solutions. He gave example of Jan Dhan accounts and how LPG connection coverage in the country improved from 55 per cent in 2014 to 98 per cent today, to illustrate his point of mass scale innovation, planning and implementation. “Management is not just handling big companies but management also means taking care of lives”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister added that it is important to understand the challenges before the country to become good managers. For this, it is essential that higher educational institutions have a wider scope and are not focused merely on their expertise. The National Education Policy, the Prime Minister said, emphasizes on broad-based, multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to remove silos in the professional education that have emerged over a period of time.

Congratulating everyone on the occasion of foundation laying today, Shri Pokhriyal said IIM Sambalpur will strongly contribute to the growth and development of the country. He expressed confidence that Institution will definitely be recognized globally for its remarkable contribution in providing quality education. He highlighted that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Government has given utmost priority to the development and upgradation of educational facilities. In this context, he mentioned about the significant increase in the number of seats across institions and in the number of engineering, medical and management institutions in over last 6 years.

Urging students to invest in team building, he said this will strengthen the bond and enhance the spirit of association. He also urged to stress on value addition at every level by leveraging technique, skill and innovation. Calling upon everyone to stay alert towards the global developments and changes, He emphasized on the need to up-skill, update and upgrade oneself to face the global challenges. He called upon students to move ahead following the motto of ‘nation first – character must’ for success and for establishing India as a Vishwaguru. He said that the country is moving steadfast on the path of progress. He also spoke about New Education Policy and reiterated that it is built on the strong foundational pillars of equity, quality and accessibility.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan remarked that today is the historic day for everyone. Highlighting Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s clarion call for an Atmanirbhar bharat, he urged students to walk in the direction given by Prime Minister to achieve the goals of self reliant India. Saying that the Sambalpur region is rich in minerals and surrounded by lot of economic activities, He hoped that IIM Sambalpur will endeavour to develop a new entrepreneurial ecosystem and emerge as a focal point of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He hoped that institution will strive to implement the spirit of New Education Policy.

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