Day: August 23, 2023

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC LIFE AND THE WORKFORCE OF GOA

 The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu addressed the members of Goa Legislative Assembly at Porvorim, Goa today (August 23, 2023). 

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that she was happy to address the representatives of such people who believe in ‘one Goa’ and ‘one India’ despite following different religions, faiths and sects. She stated that this belief of oneness with India has always existed among the people of Goa. She added that India’s independence was also incomplete without the liberation of Goa and imbued with this feeling, people from all over the country took part in the Goa Liberation Movement. She said that political activists and members of civil society fought for the independence of Goa. She added that the use of the Indian national flag and slogan ‘Jai Hind’ during the Goa Liberation Movement by the revolutionaries of Goa was a testimony that the people of Goa wanted to be integrated with India after being freed from foreign rule.

The President said that Goa is among the leading states on many parameters of development. The per capita GDP in this state is almost two and a half times higher than the national average. Goa is also among the leading states of the country on parameters like water management, export preparedness, innovation, education and health. However, one area in which the Government and people of Goa need to give attention is the participation of women in public life and the workforce. She noted that the proportion of working women in Goa is relatively low. She said that this is not a proper situation for a liberal society like Goa and efforts should be made towards changing this situation.

The President said that parliament and state legislatures are sacred institutions that represent the sovereignty of the people. The people’s representatives discuss and take decisions on the subject of public interest at these sacred places. Therefore, meaningful and effective participation of the members in the proceedings is important. She noted that for the last several years, the proceedings of the Goa Legislative Assembly have been telecast live. She said that through this broadcast, common people see how their representatives are acting and raising their issues in the House. This live streaming strengthens relationships of people’s representatives with the public but also puts additional responsibility on people’s representatives. Their conduct in the House is expected to be decent. She was happy to note that right from the beginning, there has been a healthy tradition of debate-discussion-dialogue in the Goa Legislative Assembly. She expressed confidence that the members of the Goa Legislative Assembly would continue to set good examples of articulating and translating the hopes and aspirations of the people of Goa.

The President said that today the approach of the world towards India has changed. We have become the fifth largest economy in the world and are poised to become the third largest economy. With the mantra of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, India, in collaboration with the G-20 countries, is striving to find collective solutions to present global challenges. She stressed that we have the right opportunity to showcase India’s potential and culture and we should take full advantage of this opportunity. She said that in this important period, it should be the endeavour of the Government and people of Goa to establish Goa as a model of development which can be emulated by other states as well. This would be an important contribution of Goa for the country in the Amrit Kaal.  

 

Please click here to see the President’s Speech – 

 

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Chandrayaan 3

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi joined the ISRO team via Video Conferencing to witness the the landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the Moon’s surface today. Immediately after the successful landing, the Prime Minister addressed the team and congratulated them for the historic achievement. 

The Prime Minister, addressing the team as family members, said that such historic events become the eternal consciousness of a nation. “This moment is unforgettable, unprecedented. It is the moment of the clarion call of ‘Viksit Bharat’, a victory call for India, this is a moment of crossing the ocean of difficulties and walking on the ‘Chandrapath’ of victory. This is a moment of the capability of the 140 crore heartbeats and the confidence of the new energy of India. This is a moment of invoking the rising fortune of India”, the Prime Minister told a jubilant nation. “In the first light of ‘Amrit Kaal’ this is ‘Amrit Varsha’ of success”, a visibly elated Prime Minister added. The Prime Minister quoted the scientists and said, “India is now on the moon!” He stated that we have just witnessed the first flight of the new India.

The Prime Minister informed that he is currently in Johannesburg attending the BRICS Summit but his mind was also focussed on Chandrayaan 3 like every other citizen. He said that every Indian has immersed themselves in celebration and it is a day of festivity for every family as he is connected with every citizen with enthusiasm on this special occasion. The Prime Minister congratulated Team Chandrayaan, ISRO and all the scientists of the country who have worked tirelessly for years and also congratulated the 140 crore countrymen for this wonderful moment filled with enthusiasm, joy and emotion!

“India has reached the South Pole of the Moon where no country in the world could reach to date with the dedication and talent of our scientists”, the Prime Minister remarked. He underlined that all the myths and stories related to the Moon will now change and the proverbs will find a new meaning for the new generation. Referring to the Indian folklore where the Earth is considered ‘Maa’ and the Moon, ‘Mama’, the Prime Minister said that the Moon is also considered very distant and referred to as ‘Chanda Mama dur ke’, but the time is not far when the children would say ‘Chanda Mama ek tour ke’ i.e. the moon is only a tour away. 

The Prime Minister, addressing the people of the world, every country and region, said “India’s successful moon mission is not India’s alone. This is a year in which the world is witnessing India’s G-20 presidency. Our approach of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ is resonating across the globe. This human-centric approach that we represent has been welcomed universally. Our moon mission is also based on the same human-centric approach. Therefore, this success belongs to all of humanity. And it will help moon missions  by other countries  in the future.” Shri Modi added. “I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the Global South are capable of achieving such feats. We can all Aspire for the moon and beyond.”

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the achievements of Chandrayaan Maha Abhiyan will take India’s flight beyond the lunar orbits. “We’ll test the limits of our solar system, and work to realize the infinite possibilities of the universe for humans”, Shri Modi asserted. The Prime Minister highlighted setting ambitious goals for the future and informed that ISRO is soon going to launch the ‘Aditya L-1’ mission for a detailed study of the Sun. He also touched upon Venus being one of ISRO’s goals. “India is proving again and again that the sky is not the limit”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted Mission Gaganyaan where India is fully prepared for its first human space flight mission. 

The Prime Minister emphasized that science and technology are the basis of the bright future of the country. He said that this day will inspire all of us to move towards a bright future and will show the way to the realization of resolutions. “This day signifies how victory is achieved from the lessons of defeat”, the Prime Minister concluded wishing all the success to the scientists in all their future endeavours. 

 

 

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'India on Moon'

 “Hail India on Moon! Hail ISRO!”.

This was the opening sentence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also MoS Incharge Space, soon after the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan3 on the surface of Moon in the South Pole area, this evening.

Simultaneously, in a tweet which exactly coincided with the precise moment of the landing of Chandrayaan-3, Dr Jitendra Singh said, “While others fantasize Moon, we have felt the Moon. While others stuck in flight of dreams, Chandrayaan3 has actualised the dream. Tricolour flies high in lunar skies affirming India’s resolve, as articulated by PM Modi, ‘Sky is not the limit’”.

In a brief statement to the media, Dr Jitendra Singh complimented ISRO Chairman, Shri S. Somanath, Mission Director, Shri Mohan Kumar and the entire Team ISRO for having placed India’s national pride on the Moon in the virgin terrain of South Polar area, not accessed by any other space mission so far. He said, it is difficult for common citizens to understand how much consistent labour, hard work, commitment and passion have been put in while working day and night for months and years together to ensure meticulous planning and minutest details for the success of the mission.

After today’s successful feat, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India has reaffirmed its position as a world’s frontline leading nation in the Space sector. He gave full credit to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for enabling India’s Space scientists to vindicate the dream of their founding father Vikram Sarabhai by “unlocking” India’s Space sector and providing a milieu in which India’s huge potential and talent could find an outlet and prove itself to the rest of the world.

Dr Jitendra Singh further informed that the Vikram has landed in a hazard-free location with the help of its algorithm and instruments and the tilt to the Lander is very small as measured by the inclinometers onboard. While the cameras onboard the Vikram have beamed the pictures of the moon and confirmed the touchdown, the confirmation is available from other sensors as well, he added. 

Narrating the further sequence of activities from this moment onwards, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the experiments onboard Vikram and Pragyan will be happening on all days and as much data will be collected from all instruments until the Moon’s Day lasts for the next 14 days.

On the Lander, the Minister informed that the instruments in operation include CHASTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermo-Physical Experiment) to carry out the measurements of thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region, LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array), RAMBHA-LP- a Langmuir Probe to measure surface plasma density, a laser reflector mounted on the corner of the Vikram for accurate positioning measurement of Lander on the Lunar surface by future orbiters, ILSA – Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity to measure seismicity around the landing site and to understand the structure of the lunar crust and mantle, LIBS- Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy to determine the elemental composition (Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca,Ti, Fe) of Lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site, APXS – Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer to measure the chemical composition and mineralogical composition to further enhance our understanding of Lunar-surface and SHAPE – Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth to study the spectro-polarimetric signatures of the habitable planet Earth in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength range (1 – 1.7 μm).

Dr Jitendra Singh said, at the end of next 14 days followed by night and extreme cold conditions when the day breaks again, solar power generation for Vikram and Pragayaan is expected to start again. Meanwhile, the orbiter is designed to withstand long periods of life, he said.

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Cricket Legend & Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Tendulkar begins his innings as National Icon for ECI

 Cricket legend and Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar today began a new innings – as the ‘National Icon’ for voter awareness and education for the Election Commission of India. An MoU was signed with the legend for a period of 3 years at an event organized at Akashvani Rang Bhavan, New Delhi in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Shri Anup Chandra Pandey and Shri Arun Goel. This collaboration marks a significant step towards leveraging Tendulkar’s unparalleled impact with the youth demographic for increasing voters’ participation in the forthcoming elections, especially in General Elections 2024. ECI through this partnership aims to bridge the gap between citizens, especially youth and urban populations and the electoral process thereby, trying to address the challenges of urban and youth apathy.

 

Sachin Tendulkar, in his role as the National Icon for the Election Commission of India, expressed his enthusiasm and commitment to the cause, and said that for a vibrant democracy like India, the youth play a key role in nation building. The hearts that beat for Team India during sports matches, with the unified cheer – ‘India, India!’ shall also beat the same way to take our precious democracy forward. One simple yet most powerful way to do that is to cast our votes regularly.

Speaking on the occasion he said that from thronging stadiums to thronging polling booths, from taking time out to stand by the National team to taking time out to cast our votes, we shall keep up the spirit and enthusiasm. When youth from the nooks and corners of the country participate in large numbers in electoral democracy, we shall see a prosperous future for our country.

Speaking on the occasion, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar said that Shri Sachin Tendulkar, an icon revered not only in India but globally, has a legacy that extends far beyond his cricketing prowess. Mr Rajiv Kumar said his illustrious career is a testament to his commitment to excellence, teamwork, and the relentless pursuit of success. His influence transcends sports, making him an ideal choice to bat for ECI and drive up voter turn-outs, the CEC added.

The collaboration will encompass a range of activities, including Shri Tendulkar’s promoting voter awareness in various TV talk shows/ programs and digital campaigns etc, all aimed at raising awareness about the importance of voting and the role it plays in shaping the nation’s destiny.

During the event, students from National School of Drama also presented an impactful skit on the importance of voting in strengthening of democracy.

ECI associates itself with renowned Indians from various fields and designates them as ECI’s national icons to motivate voters for participation in the festival of democracy. Last year, the Commission recognised famous actor Mr. Pankaj Tripathi as the National Icon. Earlier, during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, stalwarts like M.S.Dhoni, Aamir Khan and Mary Kom had been the ECI National Icons.

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Initiative to Promote Rail-Sea-Rail Transportation

 The Ministry of Coal has taken an initiative to promote Rail-Sea-Rail which aims to integrate Rail-Sea-Rail (RSR) transportation for the efficient movement of domestic coal. This multimodal transportation system allows for the seamless transportation of coal from mines to ports and then to end-users, reducing transportation costs and improving logistic efficiency.

In the financial year FY’23, the major coal-producing states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, along with parts of Madhya Pradesh, accounted for approximately 75% of the total domestic raw coal despatch. Recognizing the need to increased coal production, the Ministry of Coal has projected nearly doubling of coal production in India with a CAGR of ~7.7% by FY’ 30.

To meet the growing demand, well-planned and efficient coal evacuation system is required. Therefore, Ministry of Coal has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) headed by AS, Coal consisting of Ministry of Power, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways with the aim of preparing a long-term plan for coal movement in the country. Currently, railways account for about 55% of coal evacuation, with a target to increase this share to 75% by FY’30. The Ministry of Coal is emphasizing the need to augment coal evacuation and enhancing alternative routes of evacuation to avoid congestion such as RS/RSR mode by FY’30. The committee has recommended several measures to promote RSR evacuation of coal to reach 112 MT by 2030, from the existing 40MT.  This strategy offers multifaceted benefits. Firstly, it is likely to reduce congestion on the All-Rail Route by providing an additional alternative mode of coal evacuation. Secondly, it creates export opportunities by building infrastructure that can be utilized for exports in the future and lastly, RSR has significantly lower carbon footprint compared to ARR.

The coastal shipping mode of transportation, which is an economical and eco-friendly system for moving goods, has the potential to revolutionize India’s logistics industry.  The ongoing efforts to augment coal evacuation such as RS/RSR, strives to achieve full capacity utilization of the ports along the Southern and Western coasts. This will enable efficient transportation of more coal to power houses in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. Initiatives are underway to optimise the costs of delivering coal through RSR. Opting for Rail-Sea-Rail could potentially save around Rs. 760-1300 per ton in logistics costs for end users located in Southern India. Presently, for supply of Coal from MCL (Paradip) to Western/Northern TPPs the total cost increases by around Rs 2500/ton over ARR but still it is cheaper than the total landed cost of imported coal.

The Ministry of Coal’s efforts to promote Rail-Sea-Rail are yielding significant results as Rail-Sea-Rail transportation of coal has significant growth of around 125% over the past four years. With coal production in India expected to nearly double in the next seven years, the Rail Sea Rail as an alternative mode of transportation, becomes crucial for efficient Coal evacuation to consumption centres in India, ensuring a seamless and uninterrupted power supply.

The IMC recommendations are the part of “Whole of Government” approach to address the challenges of efficient evacuation of coal to the destinations by all the Ministries.

The Ministry of Coal is taking all necessary steps to further enhance the Rail-Sea-Rail Coal Evacuation strategy to consistently meet the nation’s growing energy demands ensuring a resilient and efficient energy supply system.

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Government e-Marketplace surpasses INR 1 lakh crore Gross Merchandise Value

 Accelerated growth, increased efficiency and unwavering trust propel Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to achieve an impressive milestone, crossing INR 1 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) within a remarkable span of 145 days in the current financial year, FY 2023-24. This outstanding achievement underscores GeM’s commitment to revolutionizing government procurement and signifies a substantial improvement compared to the previous year, where this GMV landmark was reached in 243 days. The average GMV per day has also witnessed significant growth from INR 412 crore per day in FY 22-23 to INR 690 crore per day in FY 23-24.


This notable milestone firmly establishes GeM as one of the largest public procurement portals globally, both in terms of transaction value and the breadth of the buyer-seller network within its unified digital ecosystem. Since inception, GeM has crossed INR 4.91 Lakh Crore in GMV and has facilitated over 1.67 crore orders on the platform.

Among the noteworthy contributors to this remarkable GMV achievement, the contribution of  Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) , Central Ministries and State Governments has been 54%, 26% and 20% respectively.

Additionally, GeM’s efforts to foster inclusivity and accessibility have been commendable. The platform’s integration with e-Gram Swaraj to streamline Panchayat-level procurement exemplifies its commitment to reaching last-mile sellers and optimizing costs at the grassroots level of administration.

Looking ahead, GeM’s vision encompasses a wider federal reach, customized processes, and policies that will enhance public savings while upholding the highest quality standards for products and services. Its remarkable performance in achieving the INR 1 lakh crore GMV milestone within an accelerated time frame not only reflects its growth trajectory but also solidifies its position as the key player in transforming government procurement practices in the country.

The past financial year concluded with a GMV of INR 2 lakh crore, setting a formidable foundation for this year’s achievement. GeM’s strategic focus in FY 2023-24 centers on expanding its reach by integrating government buyers across all tiers into its robust e-procurement infrastructure. The portal’s extended range of service offerings has contributed significantly to its widespread adoption during this period.

With a vast assortment of over 30 lakh listed products and an impressive portfolio of over 300 service categories, GeM is well-equipped to meet the diverse product and service needs of government departments nationwide. Consequently, the platform has also witnessed a substantial surge in orders from various State Governments and affiliated entities, firmly establishing GeM as a go-to solution for government procurement.

About GeM:
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is an online public procurement portal developed facilitate the procurement of goods and services by various government departments, agencies, and public sector undertakings. It was launched in August 2016 as a part of the government’s “Digital India” initiative to bring transparency, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness to public procurement. GeM aims to simplify the public procurement process, reduce paperwork, and promote the use of digital technology for government procurement.

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Central Consumer Protection Authority

 The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has dismissed an appeal filed by Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd. challenging the Order passed by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) with regard to violation of the rights of consumers by the company for sale of domestic pressure cookers to consumers in violation of mandatory BIS standards.

In its Order, CCPA had directed the company to recall the 1,033 units of domestic pressure cookers sold by it to consumers and reimburse the prices of the recalled pressure cookers to consumers and submit a compliance report within 45 days. The company was also directed to pay penalty of ₹1,00,000 for sale of pressure cookers in violation to QCO and violating the rights of consumers.

Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd. is the seller of pressure cooker namely “Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Outer Lid Pressure Cooker, 4 L (does not give pressure alert by whistle)”. The pressure cooker was being offered for sale to consumers on Amazon e-commerce platform at the URL https://www.amazon.in/AmazonBasics-Stainless-Steel-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B071G5KNXK.

As per the QCO which came into force on 01.02.2021, domestic pressure cookers are mandated to conform to Indian Standard (IS) 2347: 2017 and bear the standard mark under a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as per Scheme-I of Schedule II of Bureau of Indian Standard (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.

Pertinently, domestic pressure cookers are among the most commonly used everyday items in households, and are present in the immediate vicinity of family members. Therefore, a domestic pressure cooker, which violates the mandatory requirements of the QCO can prove to be extremely fatal and dangerous for the life and safety of consumers and public at large.

In the present case, Cloudtail was observed to be selling domestic pressure cookers to consumers without conforming to the prescribed mandatory standards and without the standard (ISI) mark under the license from the BIS. The non-certified pressure cooker was being sold by Cloudtail to consumers in India even after the QCO came into force.

Cloudtail had submitted in its reply to CCPA that after the QCO came into force, it had suspended the import of the pressure cookers. It was observed by CCPA that though import was suspended, the company had not stopped the sale of such pressure cookers to consumers. In fact, this submission evidently indicated that despite being aware of the QCO, the company was still selling such pressure cookers to consumers at large.

The Order passed by CCPA was challenged by Cloudtail in its appeal before the NCDRC. The appeal was dismissed by the NCDRC today.

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Seven States leading in terms of estimated procurement of rice including Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Telangana

 The Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD), Government of India, chaired a meeting of State Food Secretaries and Food Corporation of India (FCI) on 21.08.2023, to discuss the procurement arrangements for Kharif Crop ensuing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24.

A quantity of 521.27 LMT rice has been estimated for procurement during the forthcoming KMS 2023-24 (Kharif Crop) as against the previous year estimates of 518 LMT wherein 496 LMT was actually procured during last KMS 2022-23 (Kharif crop).  During KMS 2023-24 (Kharif Crop), the leading States in terms of estimated procurement of rice are Punjab (122 LMT), Chhattisgarh (61 LMT) and Telangana (50 LMT) followed by Odisha (44.28 LMT), Uttar Pradesh (44 LMT), Haryana (40 LMT), Madhya Pradesh (34 LMT), Bihar (30 LMT), ndhra Pradesh (25 LMT), West Bengal (24 LMT) and Tamil Nadu (15 LMT).

A quantity of 33.09  LMT of coarse grains /millets (Shri Anna) has been estimated for procurement by the States during the KMS 2023-24 as against actual procurement of 7.37 LMT during KMS 2022-23 (Kharif & Rabi). 6 minor millets have also been introduced to be purchased by the States at MSP of Ragi starting this KMS 2023-24, upto three years. To increase the procurement & Consumption of millets, Govt of India has revised the distribution period of millets, incorporated inter-state transportation of millets, added provision of advanced subsidy, administrative charges @2% and also revised guidelines for facilitating procurement of six minor millets. States/UTs were advised to focus on procurement of millets, not only on account of International Year of Millet-2023 but also for diversification of crops and enhanced nutrition in dietary patterns.  

During the meeting, issues relating to gunny bags requirement, route optimization for transportation of foodgrains from designated depots to Fair Price Shops, improving infrastructure in procurement centres, monitoring of wheat stock limit portal etc. were also discussed.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary/Secretary (Food) or Representatives of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,  Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The meeting was also attended by Chairman & Managing Director, FCI & Other officers of FCI, Department of Food & Public Distribution, Indian Metrological Department and Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

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ASTRA Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile off Goa coast

 Tejas, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) LSP-7 successfully fired the ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile off the coast of Goa on August 23, 2023. The missile release was successfully carried out from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20,000 ft. All the objectives of the test were met and it was a perfect text book launch.

The test launch was monitored by the Test Director and scientists of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) along with officials from Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DG-AQA). The aircraft was also monitored by a Chase Tejas twin seater aircraft.

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ASTRA, a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile to engage and destroy highly maneuvering supersonic aerial targets, is designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and other laboratories of DRDO. The indigenous Astra BVR firing from home grown Tejas fighter is a major step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has complimented ADA, DRDO, CEMILAC, DG-AQA and the industry for the successful firing of the missile from Tejas-LCA. He said the launch would significantly enhance the combat prowess of Tejas and reduce the dependency on imported weapons.

Secretary, Department of Defence (R&D) and Chairman DRDO has also congratulated the teams involved in the successful launch.

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CAS REVIEW OF LCA PROGRAMME

 The Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari reviewed the status of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme in Air Headquarters yesterday. Also in attendance were senior functionaries from the Ministry of Defence, DRDO, HAL and ADA. Opening the proceedings, the CAS brought out that the LCA has been the flag bearer of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) efforts towards indigenisation of its aircraft fleet. He said that given the nature of this project of national importance, it is required that all stakeholders adopt a collaborative approach towards its success. The programme has been the harbinger of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives of the nation. More importantly, it is a flag bearer of India’s self-reliance in the aerospace sector.

During the review, it was brought out that all contracted fighter variants of the LCA Mk 1 had been delivered to the IAF. Representatives of HAL assured the CAS of the timely delivery of the contracted twin-seaters in the coming months, as well. Further to the LCA Mk 1, 83 LCA Mk-1A aircraft have also been contracted by the IAF in 2021. The Chairman & Managing Director of HAL assured those present that the deliveries of this advanced variant of the LCA would commence by Feb 2024.

While complimenting HAL, the CAS indicated that based on these assurances, the LCA Mk 1A could be inducted in a newly raised squadron in one of the IAF’s operational bases, early next year. Notwithstanding the project delays that were brought out during the course of the review, the CAS lauded the efforts of all stakeholders and emphasized on the need to incorporate the lessons learnt from the LCA programme into future indigenous Design & Developmental projects. With timely deliveries of the more capable variant, the LCA Mk 1A is likely to see increased deployments at forward bases, besides participation in International exercises in the days to come.

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National Curriculum Framework for School Education

 Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today released National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), marking an important and transformative step towards the implementation of National Education Policy. The Minister addressed the 1st Joint workshop of the National Curriculum Framework Oversight Committee and the National Syllabus and Teaching-Learning Material Committee today. The development of the NCF-SE was guided by a vision to align education with the demands of the 21st century and the ethos of the Indian knowledge system. Under the stewardship of Prof. K Kasturirangan, a Steering Committee was formed to create a curriculum aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, emphasizing the 5+3+3+4 design of schooling. This framework addresses the entire educational journey from foundational to secondary stages. The framework introduces multidisciplinary education, nurturing values, fostering creative pedagogies, and preparing students for practical problem-solving.

 

Speaking on the occasion Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that the world has high expectations from India. In order to live up to our global responsibilities, we have to develop technology-driven educational system that meets expectations of the world’s community alongside India, he added. He highlighted the framework’s role in shaping a holistic, contemporary, and Indian-rooted educational landscape. He further said that it is a momentous boost to implementation of NEP with release of National Curriculum Framework for School Education and efforts are on to make new textbooks available from next academic year. The textbooks for class 3-12 to be aligned with 21st Century requirements, making them rooted and futuristic, he added.

The NCF-SE’s comprehensive nature ensures that it covers all stages of schooling. It sets clear learning standards and competencies, enabling teachers to foster critical thinking, creativity, and genuine understanding. The framework empowers educators, encourages engaging pedagogies, and emphasizes the importance of school culture and values.

Art Education, Physical Education & Well-being, Environmental Education, and Vocational Education are reinvigorated under the NCF-SE. Multilingualism, conceptual understanding in Mathematics, and capacities for scientific inquiry also receive renewed attention. The curriculum’s interdisciplinary approach encourages students to study the relationships between individuals, society, and the environment.

The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) is the curriculum framework for the 5+3+3+4 design of schooling as proposed by the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020). It also recommended the formulation of a new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) to respond to this four-stage school design. The entire curriculum framework for all the four stages – Foundational Stage, Preparatory Stage, Middle Stage, and Secondary Stage – was released. Some of the key related points:

  • Comprehensive curriculum framework covering all 4 stages of schooling. The NCF-SE comprehensively covers all the four stages of schooling. The NCF-SE has articulated the learning standards to be achieved and the principles for selection of content, pedagogy, and assessments for achieving the learning standards.
  • Enable real improvement in practise of education in the country. The NCF-SE is designed to enable and help actual change in practise on the ground. The NCF-SE has made conscious and deliberate effort to communicate to all stakeholders in school education including Curriculum and Syllabus developers, so that it is useable in practical circumstances. Teachers and parent community can also comprehend the intention of the curricula that is developed on the basis of the NCF-SE.
  • Learning Standards with clear, specific, and rigorous flow-down. It articulates specific learning standards for all school subjects that gives clear direction for action for all stakeholders in the school system, particularly Teachers. The Learning Standards have defined specific competencies to be achieved at the end of each stage for each school subject. There is a clear, specific, and rigorous flow-down of curricular logic from the broad aims of school education to specific curricular aims of each subject, resulting in curricular goals and competencies for a specific stage in that subject.
  • Development of Knowledge, Capacities, and Values. The curriculum focuses on development of knowledge with genuine understanding, fundamental capacities such as critical thinking and creativity, and constitutional and human values.
  • Empowering teachers and schools. The NCF-SE designed to enable and empower teachers and schools for the full flowering of their creativity and enhanced engagement.
  • Engaging and effective pedagogy. It enables the entire range of age and context appropriate pedagogy, from play-based, activity-based, inquiry-based, dialogue based, and more. This would also use effective, widely available, and highly engaging teaching-learning-material, including textbooks.
  • Transforming assessment including exams. Assessment and exams at all levels to be transformed, to enable genuine learning and reduce stress, including the Board exams.
  • Importance of School Culture. School culture and practises are to be developed as an integral and important part of the curriculum. 
  • Rooted in India. The curriculum is rooted in India and is informed by the wealth of Indian knowledge and thought on education. Contributions to the knowledge in various disciplines by Indians from the ancient to contemporary times have been integrated into the curricular goals of all school subjects.
  • Multidisciplinary education. All children to go through multidisciplinary education to develop an integrated and holistic perspective and learning.
  • Equity and inclusion. The NCF-SE is informed by principles to ensure equity and inclusion in all its aspects, from content and pedagogy, to, school culture and practises.
  • Renewed emphasis on Art, and, Physical Education & Well-being. The school subjects of Art Education and Physical Education & Well-being are given a renewed emphasis in the curriculum by defining specific learning standards to be achieved and recommended time allocation in the school timetables. Art Education encompasses both visual arts and performing arts and has equal emphasis on making, thinking about, and appreciating artwork. Physical Education and Well-being gives emphasis to sports, mind-body wellness through practices like Yoga, and ideas on incorporating traditional Indian games and sports into the curriculum.
  • Environmental Education. Responding to the triple challenge of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and the criticality of environmental awareness and sustainability in today’s world, Environmental Education is given due emphasis across all stages of schooling culminating in a separate area of study in the Secondary Stage.
  • Vocational Education. The NEP 2020 has made strong recommendations for Vocational Education to be an integral part of school education and the NCF-SE has included specific learning standards, content, pedagogy, and assessments for Vocational Education for all stages of schooling. The curriculum proposes engagement in the three different forms of work – work with life forms (agriculture, animal husbandry), work with materials and machines, and work in human services.
  • Multilingualism and Indian Languages. The NCF-SE has given the necessary emphasis on multilingualism and on learning languages native to India. Given the rich multilingual heritage of India, it expects all students to be proficient in at least three languages, at least two of which are native to India. It expects students to achieve a “literary level” of linguistic capacity in at least one of these Indian languages.
  • Conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in Mathematics. The school subject of Mathematics & Computational Thinking has emphasis on conceptual understanding along with procedural fluency – with a goal to appreciate the beauty and universality of mathematics and reduce fear of the subject. Higher order curricular goals such as problem solving, mathematical thinking, coding, and communication are given due importance.
  • Capacities for Scientific Inquiry. Science Education emphasises the development of capacities for scientific inquiry along with acquiring knowledge of fundamental theories, laws, and conceptual structures of science in disciplines such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science.
  • Interdisciplinary understanding of Social Science through themes. The social science curriculum expects students to systematically study human societies and explore the relationships between individuals, society, the natural environment, social institutions, and organizations. This is to be studied through themes in an interdisciplinary manner in the Middle Stage and developing disciplinary depth in the Secondary Stage.
  • Flexibility and Choice in Secondary Stage. The Secondary Stage has been significantly redesigned to offer more flexibility and choice for students. There are no hard separations between academic and vocational subjects, or between science, social science, art, and physical education. Students can choose interesting combinations of subjects for receiving their school-leaving certificates.
  • Interdisciplinary Areas of Study. Interdisciplinary Areas of Study has been introduced as a separate subject of study in the Secondary Stage. In this subject, students develop the ability to reason about contemporary challenges using knowledge from multiple disciplines including moral and ethical concerns. They are expected to use these abilities to understand and respond effectively to the concerns of environmental degradation that include climate change and biodiversity loss.

The NCF-SE is organised into five parts.

  • Part A articulates the broad aims of school education, and the desirable values and dispositions, capacities and skills, and knowledge that are required for achieving these aims. It also lays down the principles and approaches for content selection, pedagogy, and assessment and gives the rationale and design principles for the four stages of schooling.
  • Part B focuses on some of the important cross-cutting themes of NCF-SE, viz., rootedness in India, education for values, learning and caring about the environment, inclusive education, guidance and counselling, and use of educational technology.
  • Part C has separate chapters for each school subject. Each of these chapters have Learning Standards defined for all the relevant stages of schooling along with specific guidelines for content selection, pedagogy, and assessments appropriate for that subject. The part also has a chapter on the Foundational Stage and one on design and range of subjects in Grades 11 and 12.
  • Part D handles school culture and processes that enable a positive learning environment and inculcate desirable values and dispositions.
  • The last part, Part E, outlines the requirements for an overall ecosystem of schooling that would enable the achievement of the aims of the NCF-SE. This includes aspects of teacher capacities and service conditions, physical infrastructure requirements, and the role of the community and family. 

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33 Khelo India Centres across Rajasthan

 The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sh. Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated 33 Khelo India Centres in the State of Rajasthan this morning at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The Union Minister announced that a National Center of Excellence with a dedicated Sports Science Centre will be set up in Rajasthan along with additional 18 Khelo India centres, thus taking the total number of Khelo India centres in the State to 51.

 

 

It was also announced that  Competitions will be organised  between the Khelo India Centers while Coaching the Coaches programme will also be extended to the Khelo India Center.  Coaches as well & the KIC coaches will be trained by getting them attached with our national & international coaches.

Also present in the event was Sh. Ashok Chandna, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. Of Rajasthan, as well as other eminent dignitaries from the State, YAS Ministry and SAI.

Addressing the event, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur mentioned, “We want all States to grow in terms of sports. When State Governments work in tandem with Central Govt with a unanimous vision for sports, more medals will come for India.

“Success of the Khelo India scheme as well as the Target Olympic Podium scheme has resulted in the highest number of medals internationally over the last few years, be it in Olympics or Paralympics or Commonwealth Games or a historic event like a Thomas Cup win. Antim Panghal too created history by becoming U20 wrestling world champion twice. In chess too, Praggnanandhaa reached the final of the FIDE World Cup. This is an unbelievable phase for Indian sports. In 60 years, there were only 18 medals at the World University Games. This year itself, we won 26 medals in the tournament.”

Mentioning the importance of Khelo India, the Minister added, “The Khelo India games have a big role to play in all of this success. Every year, so many athletes participate in the Youth, University and Winter Games, and the exposure is taking them to big competitions. Through these Khelo India Centres, I am hopeful that more and more athletes from Rajasthan will be moulded from here. The present, past and future athletes are also getting equipped through these.”

Currently, over 17,000 Athletes are getting trained in KICs and 699 Past Champion Athletes are already hired across the country. The total number of Khelo India Centres currently notified across India is 960, out of which 715 are operational KICs. The total number of KICs notified in Rajasthan is 33, out of which 32 KICs are operational. These KICs are specific training centres looking after sports disciplines like cycling, basketball, wushu, hockey and more.

In order to augment the utilisation of existing sports infrastructure available at schools, organizations and other eligible agencies at the block or district level, the small Khelo India Centres assist in the strengthening of the sports ecosystem at the grassroots level. In the KICs, Past Champion Athletes become coaches and mentors for youngsters, run the sports training centre in an autonomous manner and earn their livelihood. Under the Khelo India Scheme, initial and annual financial support is also provided to these past champions as well as these centres for running the sports training, coaching and operations.

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Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS)

 As part of an educational visit organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and NESTS on 22nd September 2023, Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) students interacted with the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda at the Dr BR Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

During the day, the students also received the opportunity to visit Rashtrapati Bhawan and meet with the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu. In addition, the students received a guided tour of the Amrit Udyan, Rashtrapati Bhawan Museum and Library.

 

460 students and 40 teachers from  Eklavya Model Residential Schools from six states, namely Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh participated in the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister, Shri Arjun Munda remarked, that tomorrow is an important day and Chandrayaan 3 will land on the moon and by this landmark feat India will reach the skies. He urged the students they should have the courage to aim for the sky but keep their feet on the ground. He also asked the students to watch the landing of the Chandrayaan 3.

He added that the Culture of tribals  is inspired from the connectivity they feel for the mother earth.  He also added that Constitution ensures new opportunities for tribals and their empowerment and in the similar terms, EMRS aims to give opportunities for all round development of students and provide quality education to the tribal students.

 

He asked students to meet their seniors who have benefitted from the scholarship schemes and are pursuing higher education in field of medical, education, or are preparing for civil services, and add their own hard work in the guidance received to touch the sky. He urged the students to reflect on their goals and achieve these with the hard work and patience. He asked the students to have personal and collective goals for society and nation also.

He mentioned that EMRS number will reach 740 and which will help education reach the grassroots level. He also said that teachers are being recruited for old and new schools.

On the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Shri Anil Kumar Jha said that our Ministry is focused on giving impetus for the overall education of tribal youth through our Eklavya Model Residential Schools in various states. He added that students are invited to explore our educational schemes and opportunities to the fullest, as these will benefit you in the future.

During the interaction, the students and scholarship recipients from the various EMRSs shared their experiences in a candid manner with the Ministers, dignitaries, and the students. EMRS Students and EMRS Scholarship beneficiaries also put forth various questions and concerns to the Ministers.

Further, Shri Asit Gopal, Commissioner, NESTS delivered a brief background about the objective of establishing Eklavya Model Residential Schools across the country.

This was followed by a brief overview about Scholarship Schemes of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs by Dr Navaljeet Kapoor, Joint Secretary, MoTA.

EMRS students of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh presented scintillating performance in a Cultural Program organised at the venue in the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.

A photo session of the students with the Ministers during the closing ceremony was also organised.

The students are scheduled to visit the Parliament House on August 23, 2023, in the morning hours. Their visit to this prestigious institution will provide them with a unique opportunity to familiarise themselves with Parliament House’s functioning and gain a comprehensive understanding of the duties and responsibilities related to the Parliament.

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Global Maritime India Summit 2023

 As part of series of roadshows under the guidance and direction of Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways for inviting and attracting clients and various stakeholders to participate actively in forthcoming Global Maritime India Summit scheduled to be held in October in New Delhi, Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL) organized a virtual roadshow today. This had a pan India presence involving corporate and regional & site offices of IPRCL across various States in India. Representatives from Zonal Railways, State Maritime Boards, MoRTH, Major Ports, major Government sector units like Coal India Ltd., NICDC, NTPC, OMC, NALCO participated in the roadshow. Various industrial bodies and corporate units like JSW, Vedanta, Tata Steel, Jindal Power, Thriveni, Pipava Port, Rungta Mines, Legacy Warehouse, Ennore Tank Terminal, URC and various other units were active participants in the roadshow. More than 190 participants were available in the roadshow consisting of Central and State Government agencies, Railways, Ports, Maritime Boards and various officials from different corporate and industrial units related to maritime, infrastructure, logistics and other sectors.

The Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) Shri Shantanu Thakur virtually graced the occasion inspiring the stakeholders to join and participate in GMIS – 23. He said that GMIS-23 will provide viable opportunity to connect with industry leaders, innovators and business experts in maritime sector around the world and to collaborate and discuss. He further highlighted that the summit will also offer an unparallel opportunity to showcase talent and forge new partnership for gaining insights into national and global port related industrial, infrastructure and logistics opportunities. He mentioned that this event is inspired by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s inspiring vision of making Indian maritime sector as a leading blue economy of the world.

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In his inaugural speech Managing Director, IPRCL Shri Anil Kumar Gupta emphasized that the roadshow will be an enlightening experience, focused on providing stakeholders with comprehensive insights into forthcoming GMIS-23 involving global participation. Summarizing business opportunities in the GMIS-23, Shri Gupta explained that by attending this event, clients will gain access to a wealth of knowledge, expert perspectives, opportunity to collaborate and build a wider network.

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A presentation was shown to all clients highlighting the professional profile of IPRCL and essential information about GMIS-23. Presentation widely covered the success journey of Indian Maritime sector and the growth trajectory since last decade in various areas of maritime industry. The smart port, green shipping, capacity enhancement through automation, ship building & recycling, maritime tourism, inland waterways grids, maritime safety & security were deliberated for the knowledge of clients. Corporate video of GMIS was also presented to enlighten clients about business opportunities in GMIS. Shri Anang Pal Malik, Director Works and Shri R.K. Lal, CGM Business Development, IPRCL interacted with clients flagging advantages for business growth and collaboration by participating in Global Maritime India Summit 2023.

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Senior officers from South-Eastern Coalfields Ltd. and JNPA represented their companies as Guest speakers and highlighted business opportunities which companies will gain during GMIS-23.

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Deliberating on the growth prospects of Indian maritime industry, the Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal extended a warm invitation to all the Indian Ambassadors from the East and the West Zones to explore the investment opportunities in the domestic maritime sector.

The meeting saw a remarkable display of collaboration and commitment to maritime excellence with participation from more than 45 Indian missions including USA, UK, France, Canada, Singapore, Russia, UAE, Australia, Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Brazil etc. to name a few. Indian missions from the Commonwealth of Independent States, BIMSTEC, Middle east, Gulf and other neighbouring countries on eastern side were also present.

Shri Sonowal alluded to the upcoming Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 and urged ambassadors to leverage their positions to drive participation from respective governments and corporates in various countries across the globe. Highlighting India’s emergence as the 5th largest economy in terms of GDP and the 3rd largest in purchasing power parity, Shri Sonowal outlined that the nation’s progress in the maritime domain, characterised by a commitment to 100% Foreign Direct Investment through automatic routes.

“With a potential investment of more than INR 10 lakh crore (US$12,000 million), we can drive economic transformation that resonates within our borders and reverberates globally. We recognize the importance of robust international trade relations for its economic growth and are taking various initiatives to enhance global cooperation on the maritime front” the Minister noted.

The emphasis on the blue economy was visible as the Minister invited investors to participate in diverse industries, creating an expansive canvas for growth. From cruise tourism to shipbuilding and maritime education, the vision encompasses multiple domains that present opportunities for international collaboration.

Reflecting on the collaboration potential, Shri Sonowal concluded, “India has already entered bilateral agreement & MoUs with 34 countries on maritime transport & cooperation and signed MoUs on recognition of certificates of seafarers with 40 countries. We have also been an active participant in various multinational maritime forums for equitable and sustainable development. Through your support, we shall attain mutual growth and reap the rewards, cultivating a legacy of collaboration, innovation, and prosperity”

Shri T K Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways discussed the goals of the upcoming Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) during his introductory remarks. He underlined the global aspect, emphasising three key elements: advancements in ports and interior waterways, partnerships with foreign businesses for technology and project execution, and the unique trade requirements of many nations.

Additionally, Shri Periasamy Kumaran, Additional Secretary (ER & DPA), Ministry of External Affairs provided an overview of the transformative phase in India’s ports and shipping, focusing on potential for domestic and foreign investment. He went on to discuss how Indian missions aid in business networking and matchmaking, encouraging participants to find possible investors and partners, promote conversations, and serve as information hubs for the sector.

About Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS), 2023:

GMIS 2023 is a premier maritime sector focussed event to bring together pivotal figures from the industry to explore opportunities, understand challenges, and stimulate investment within India’s maritime sector. Building upon the legacy of its preceding editions, this third instalment aims to unveil broader prospects for domestic and international maritime stakeholders and investors. Ready to make its presence felt on the global stage and spotlight India’s maritime industry, the Maritime India Summit has now evolved to the ‘Global’ Maritime India Summit this year. The summit is slated for 17th to 19th October 2023, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

For more details on the Global Maritime India Summit 2023, including a complete agenda and registration details, please visit the official website at www.maritimeindiasummit.com

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India is set to achieve $150 billion Bio-Economy by 2025

 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said, India is set to achieve $150 billion Bio-Economy  by 2025, which stood at over $100 billion in 2022.

The Minister was speaking, while overseeing the signing up of the ‘Implementation Arrangement’ between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the United States-National Science Foundation (US-NSF) today in New Delhi.  This was a follow-up of the discussion meeting held between Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale. Secretary, DBT and Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director, NSF in June, 2023 to discuss opportunities for developing ‘Strategic Partnership’ between DBT and US-NSF.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US in June 2023, the leaderships of the both the countries called on their administrations to extend the existing partnerships to advanced biotechnology and biomanufacturing, and enhance biosafety and biosecurity innovation, practices, and norms.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India’s ever-growing Bio-Economy graph is going to contribute significantly to India’s Overall Economy. He said, India has a 3-5% market share in the global biotechnology industry and it ranks 12th in the world in biotech and 3rd in Asia-pacific.

 The Minister said, India has the 3rd largest Startups ecosystem globally; and the largest vaccine manufacturer. Moreover, India’s ranking in global science and technology indices continues to rise and India has been ranked 40th among the innovative economies as per Global Innovation Index, 2022.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the Department of Biotechnology has created and nurtured a strong foundation in biotechnology innovation, research and manufacturing across segments such as bio-pharma, bio-services, agri biotech, industrial biotech, and bioinformatics through public-private partnership, Make-in-India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiatives of the Government.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, Indian Government has always supported technology-driven innovation towards the creation of a ‘future-ready’ technology platform in line with the Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Aatmanirbharta and he congratulated DBT and NSF for building on the bilateral collaborations between India and USA through this Implementation Arrangement.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the climate change, inadequate resource utilization, an unsustainable pattern of material consumption and waste generation are global threats and require concerted sustainable interventions and therefore called for futuristic research and innovation strategies for accelerating Biomanufacturing are essential to address global sustainable goals. He said, accordingly, DBT has undertaken a major initiative on “Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing- An integrated approach towards promoting circular economy for Green, Clean and Prosperous India” and added that it exemplifies ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LIFE)’launched by Prime Minister that urges all stakeholders to pursue green and friendly environmental solutions in every aspect of life to effectively achieve climate and energy goals;

The Minister said, the ‘Implementation Arrangement’ will lay the foundation for collaboration between the two countries on accelerating innovations in the area of ‘Biotechnology Innovation and Biomanufacturing’.This will advance knowledge, technologies, and innovation through supportive collaborative research to empower biotechnology industries and promote bioeconomy of both the countries, he added.

Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director, NSF, said that “USA and India can together address pressing global needs such as climate mitigation and energy goals through biotechnology innovation and biomanufacturing”.

Dr Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, DBT added that “this partnership will be an important step to mutually address the challenges in the innovation space as well as for enhancing technological opportunities. This will also bring synergy to DBT’s initiatives for fostering high performance Biomanufacturing- an integrated approach towards promoting circular economy for Green, Clean and Prosperous India”.

About Department of Biotechnology (DBT)The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology,Government of India creates and nurtures strong foundation in biotechnology innovation, research and development across segments such as bio-pharma, bio-services, agri-biotech, industrial biotech, and bioinformatics.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (US-NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in the United States. It was established to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure national defence, through administering grants.

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