Day: August 23, 2023

India's Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Mission

 Chandrayaan, India’s lunar exploration program, has been a trailblazing endeavour launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Chandrayaan represents India’s dedication to unravelling the mysteries of the Moon and contributing to the global space community’s understanding of lunar geology, atmosphere, and resources.

 

As India’s Chandrayaan- 3 mission approaches a crucial milestone – a successful lunar landing, National Level Workshops were organized under the aegis of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) by the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts,(NTCPWC) IIT Madras and Centre for Inland & Coastal Maritime Technology, (CICMT) IIT Kharagpur to increase awareness, understand the significance and delve into the intricacies of Chandrayaan-3 mission. The workshop aimed to shed light on the profound importance of India’s lunar mission in advancing scientific knowledge and technical innovation in the realm of space exploration.  The workshop was attended by participants from all walks of life including scientists, researcher, academicians, students, government officials and general public.

The distinguished speakers, including Dr. Syed Maqbool Ahmed, Mr. Leo, Dr. K. Muthukkumaran, and Dr. Tapas Kumar Nandi, shared insights gained from previous Chandrayaan missions, discussed the complexity of the current mission and its propulsion systems, and highlighted India’s achievements in planetary science and technological innovation.

The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 will not only mark another historic achievement for India but will also unlock new avenues of scientific discovery and exploration, shaping the future of lunar research.

On this occasion, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said “The achievements of Chandrayaan missions exemplify India’s dedication to advancing the frontiers of human knowledge and exploration. The journey of discovery continues with upcoming landing of Chandrayaan- 3 which will unlock the mysteries of the cosmos and pave the way for future generations to reach for the stars.”

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Annual Capacity Building Plan of Department of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources and Ministry of Panchayati Raj

 Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh launched the Annual Capacity Building Plan of Department of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources and Ministry of Panchayati Raj in New Delhi today. While launching the ACBP, Shri Giriraj Singh said that this Plan will play a Pivotal role in service delivery, program implementation and performing core governance functions and will enhance the abilities of the officials by attending need based training to acquire relevant competencies to enable them to perform better so that the Ministry/Department can achieve the objectives set out with citizens centricity for improved performance.

With an objective to achieve PM’s Vision New India @ 2047, Capacity Building Commission has devised the approach for preparation of Annual Capacity Building Plan through 3 lenses namely National Priorities, Citizen Centricity, Emerging Technology and 3 Pillars- Individual, Organizational and Institutional, that are used as the guiding light for development of an ACBP to positively contribute for achievement of the objective. ACBP will have a profound impact in improving the efficiency and work ethics of all Departments, thereby, expedite the achievements of PM’s Vision for New India @2047.

Annual Capacity Building Plan (ACBP) is a plan document that is developed based on the competency enhancement requirements of the officials of the Ministry/Department/Organization (MDO), that is ascertained through carrying out Competency Need Analysis (CNA) and prioritization of the competencies based on requirement of the officials and also importance of the competency to the ministry so that the resources invested by MDO on Capacity Building are optimized.

A Capacity Building Unit (CBU) has been notified in all three Departments to implement and sustain ACBP. A budgetary outlay of 2.5 % of salary head of the Department will be ear-marked for implementation of ACBP. CBU will prioritize the training needs of officers for Quarter 2, Quarter 3 & Quarter 4. The trainings will be both in online and offline mode. CBC has identified institutes and knowledge partners to impart trainings in various issue to officers. The Ministry will also assess the impact of the trainings imparted to various officials and staff to ascertain the efficacy of ACBP.

On this Occasion, Secretaries and Officers of Department of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources and Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Member(Human Resource), Capacity Building Commission were present.

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Mentor young generations to embellish efforts in the march toward Viksit Bharat of 2047

 The three-day Chintan Shivir of the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs concluded in Kevadia, Gujarat, today. Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the Chintan Shivir in presence of Union Ministers of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary and Dr. Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad.

The Chintan Shivir was attended by senior officials of Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The Finance Secretary, Secretaries from D/o Economic Affairs (DEA), D/o Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), D/o Revenue (DoR), D/o Financial Services (DFS) and Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Chief Economic Advisor, Chairmen of CBDT and CBIC were also part of the deliberations.

Free and frank discussions were held by more than 100 senior officers of MoF and MCA on how to re-orient to achieve the Amrit Kaal goals by embracing the Panch Pran as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Interactive sessions were held on the “Role of Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs in Amrit Kaal”, “Building our Capacities”, and “Improving our Efficiencies”.

Smt. Sitharaman advised the officers to optimally utilise the vast pool of resources and experience at disposal in the Government. The Finance Minister underlined mentoring of young generations to embellish efforts in the march toward Viksit Bharat of 2047 in the Amrit Kaal.

Smt. Sitharaman urged the officers to go beyond to explore frontiers beyond their set roles and make an extra impact on other domains as well so that synergistic thoughts emerge which can be useful for the overall Ministry.

In her concluding remarks during the Chintan Shivir, the Union Finance Minister stated that both effectiveness and efficiency are long-term phenomenon and consistency in reform policy, with focus on both, individual and institutional efficiencies, are vital ingredients in public service delivery.

Referring to phenomenon of information overload as counter-productive to effectiveness and efficiency, the Union Finance Minister emphasised that both MoF and MCA must strive for simplification of processes with focus on not just the whole-of-Government-approach, but also whole-of-the-country approach to maximise delivery and engagement.

Smt. Sitharaman urged MoF and MCA senior officers to continuously mentor the new entrants/younger colleagues to develop the wherewithal in delivering results in the Amrit Kaal and beyond making Viksit Bharat by 2047. The Union Finance Minister also emphasised on the need to continuously reorient policy in the cultural context and to instil a sense of ownership in decision-making, to enhance effectiveness with efficiency.

During the discussions, Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary called for ambitious target-orientation for productively achieving goals towards India’s journey in becoming a developed country by 2047.

In his remarks during the session, Union Minister of State for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad emphasised on building self-confidence through knowledge and skilling. Dr. Karad said that decisions must be made in consultation with knowledgeable partners and stakeholders besides developing appropriate feedback mechanism for real-time assessment of delivery.

The Session on the “Role of Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs in Amrit Kaal” focused on enabling growth and stability, and focused on the following four themes:

  1. Capital Formation and Retention
  2. Inclusive Growth
  3. Aatmanirbhar Bharat
  4. Strengthening Public Finance

During the session on “Building our Capacities”, discussions revolved around:

  1. Building Professional Capacity
  2. Building Personal Capacity
  3. Work-life Balance Capacity
  4. Institutional Capacity

The discussions during the session were focused on various aspects of capacity-building in the areas of human resource and institutions, role of technology and software-enabled systems, intra and inter-ministerial consultations, importance of training at various levels, and mentoring young blood for leading roles in Amrit Kaal in the journey towards building strong and resilient India Viksit Bharat by 2047.

During the session on “Building our Efficiencies”, in-depth discussions were held on:

  1. Enabling skilled and motivated workforce
  2. Robust internal processes
  3. Coordination and engagement with internal stakeholders
  4. Focus on external stakeholders
  5. Changing organisational culture

The discussions in the session revolved around skilling, maintaining robust organisational processes, streamlining file management systems and expediting decision-making in MoF and MCA, onboarding of stakeholders from the start, citizen-friendly technology tools, leveraging technology and use of AI for future-readiness, whole-of-Government-and-holistic approach towards public service delivery, time-bound delivery of citizen-centric services, removing duplicity of effort, and leveraging technology and use of AI for future-readiness.

On the sidelines of the Chintan Shivir, Union Finance Minister also interacted with the G20 Finance Track India Team. The G20 Finance Track Team shared thoughtful introspections with Smt. Sitharaman on various aspects of navigating the first nine months of Indian G20 Presidency.

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Union Education Minister questions rationale of Karnataka Government over scrapping of NEP in the state

 Union Education & Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan while addressing media today raised serious concerns over the Karnataka Government’s decision to scrap NEP in the state. The Minister asked about the repercussions, which such a decision will have for the younger generation.

He asked whether the Karnataka Government was opposed to early childhood care and education as a part of formal education, wondering if the State Government did not want children to achieve Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by the time they complete grade 2. He questioned if the State Government opposed Indian toys, games, play-based learning and ‘Chennemane’ in Karnataka.

He further asked if the State Government opposed education in Kannada and other Bharatiya Bhasha, along with the conducting of examinations, like NEET, CUET, JEE in Kannada, in a transparent manner.

He questioned if the State Government opposed multidisciplinary education, integration of vocational education, physical education, arts and sports as critical areas of study in school education. Does the State Government not want youth of Karnataka to avail world-class research facilities through the National Research Foundation, he further asked.

He questioned the decision of the State Government as to why it did not want students to learn about new and emerging technologies and consequent life skills in the 21st century, while utilising new textbooks relevant for 21st century education. He expressed concerns over the missed opportunities for earning while learning for Karnataka students.  Does the State Government not want teachers’ capacity building to be strengthened through reimagining DIETs and SCERTs as centers-of-excellence, Shri Pradhan further questioned. It’s a decision which would impact the collective future of the state,known for its IT prowess, in the future.

He asked the State Government not to weaponize Education, as such statements on NEP compromise the interests of students of Karnataka.

MoU signed between Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and UNDP

 On 22nd  August, 2023, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and UNDP, in the presence of  Minister of State for Ministry of DoNER and Ministry of Cooperation,  Shri B.L.Verma and UN Assistant Secretary-General & Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), Ms Ulrika Modéer,   entered into an MoU wherein UNDP would provide MDoNER with technical support on fast-tracking progress on the SDGs; monitoring, evaluation and capacity building; support Aspirational districts and blocks; support in the deployment of emerging technologies in governance and in scaling up good practices.

 

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Minister of State, MDoNER, Shri B.L. Verma   addressed the delegates and said, Prime Ministers’ main focus is development of Social and Infrastructure connectivity in NER and hope UNDP will help the Ministry in achieving this goal.  He also said, “The Ministry of DoNER has taken remarkable strides across critical sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, health, education, climate change and economic growth to transform the lives of the people in the region. In this journey, UNDP has been our key partner in promoting data-driven decision-making, especially through the North East Region District SDG Index”

MoS also stated that the NER District SDG Index helped in forming the flagship PM-DevINE scheme, which provides infrastructure and social development funding to boost livelihood opportunities in the region, especially for women and youth.

 

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Ms. Ulrika Modéer appreciated the Government of India’s efforts towards fast-tracking the development of the North Eastern Region. She said, “UNDP is privileged to sign this MoU with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. We are committed to supporting national and sub national efforts to accelerate progress on the goals by providing technical support on SDG localization and improved capacities towards implementation and monitoring of programmes.”

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Defence Correspondents Course – 2023 Commences at ENC, Visakhapatnam

 The 2023 edition of Defence Correspondents Course (DCC), a three week course conducted by the Ministry of Defence for select journalists from National and Regional Media organisations, commenced at Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Visakhapatnam on 21 August 2023. Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena AVSM, NM Chief of Staff, ENC delivered the inaugural address and Shri A Bharat Bhushan Babu, Spokesperson (MoD) and Additional Director General (Media & Communication) gave an insight into Defence Journalism of the course at the Maritime Warfare Center. The aim of DCC is to bring media and military closer and enable a pool of journalists at all levels to have better appreciation of the Armed Forces and are cognizant of the domain when reporting on stories relating to the maritime environment.

 During the one-week naval attachment, the participants will be addressed by subject matter experts from within the Navy and the Coast Guard. They will acquaint the journalists with various aspects of the Navy including naval operations, naval diplomacy, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and the organisational structure of the Navy and Coast Guard. As part of the course, the participants visited the Indian Naval ship and submarine on 21 Aug 2023 and they were briefed on various facets of life onboard. The participants will also have a scheduled tour at Naval Dockyard, Naval Air Station and onboard Coast Guard ships at Visakhapatnam in this week.  A sea sortie onboard a front-line warship of the Indian Navy is the highlight of the naval leg of the course, which will provide the journalists an insight into naval operations at sea.

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INS SUNAYNA ENTERS DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

 INS Sunayna entered port of Durban, South Africa on 21 Aug 23. The ship undertook passage exercise with South African Navy Ship SAS King Sekhukhune I off Durban. Post exchange of pleasantries at sea, the ship entered Durban harbour. The ship was received by Cdr Kenneth Singh officiating Flag Officer Commanding Naval Base Durban and HCI Pretoria Officials.

The visit apart from commemorating 30 years of diplomatic partnership between India and South Africa is aimed at enhancing interoperability, jointness and mutual cooperation between both Indian Navy and South Africa Navy. During the port call, the two navies will share best practices and experiences through professional interactions, subject matter expert exchanges and cross deck visits, additionally social interactions with senior military and civil dignitaries are also planned.

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Indian Coast Guard signs MoU with Philippines Coast Guard

 In a significant step towards bolstering the bilateral cooperation between India and Philippines, Indian Coast Guard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on enhanced maritime cooperation. The MoU was signed by DG Rakesh Pal, Director General Indian Coast Guard and CG Admiral Artemio M Abu, Commandant, PCG at the Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi on 22 August 2023. Both the sides held their first bilateral meeting on a range of maritime issues.

The MoU inked today seeks to enhance the professional linkage between the two Coast Guards in the domain of Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), Maritime Search & Rescue (M-SAR) and Marine Pollution Response (MPR). The implementation of this MoU will enhance bilateral maritime cooperation between the two nations for ensuring safe, secure and clean seas in the region.The first ever bilateral meeting between both the maritime agencies signifies the dedication in strengthening the professional bonds by sharing best practices, conducting joint exercises and enhancing training collaborations.

A five member delegation of PCG is on an official tour of India from 20-24 August 2023.  Earlier, the delegation visited Goa on 21 August, where they witnessed the operational capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. During the visit, the delegation was also provided with a customer demonstration flight on the Indian Coast Guard Advance Light Helicopter MK-III. The delegates also visited Indian Coast Guard Ship Sujeet built by Goa Shipyard Limited.

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G20 Culture Working Group (CWG)

 The 4th G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting will begin tomorrow in Varanasi culminating in the Culture Ministers’ Meeting (CMM) on 26th August 2023. Delegates from G20 member nations, invitee countries, and various international organizations will attend the meeting.

 Building upon the success of the previous three CWG meetings in Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar and Hampi, as well as the four Global Thematic Webinars, the 4th CWG meeting in Varanasi, from 23-25th August 2023, aims to arrive at actionable outcomes while positioning culture at the heart of policy making.

The insights and recommendations from the expert-driven Global Thematic Webinars on the priority areas of the CWG have been collated in a comprehensive report titled “G20 Culture: Shaping the Global Narrative for Inclusive Growth”. This insightful report, by India’s G20 presidency’s Culture Working Group, will be launched in Varanasi as a part of the Culture Ministers’ Meeting.

 The Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi will aim to catalyze collective actions for accelerating progress on the four priority areas articulated by the Indian Presidency- Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property, Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future, Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy, and Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture.

The CWG, under India’s G20 presidency, had launched the ‘Culture Unites All’ campaign to highlight India’s unwavering belief in multilateralism based on peaceful coexistence among diverse cultures and communities. The CWG is releasing a special stamp to commemorate the campaign on 26th August 2023. The ‘Culture Unites All’ postage stamp has been crafted as a distinctive emblem combining the ideas of connectivity, communication, and journey representing a cultural exchange and establishing cultural context.

 During the meet, the delegates will have the opportunity to experience world-renowned Ganga Aarti on the banks of the river Ganga, and explore the beautiful history of the lion capital of Sarnath. The G20 Global Orchestra performance titled “Sur Vasudha” celebrating the rich musical knowledge and heritage of G20 member nations and invitee countries will be presented in Varanasi. The delegates will also witness cultural performances including Indian classical music and dance forms during their time in Varanasi.

In 2020, under the Saudi Arabian Presidency, the Culture Ministers’ met for the first time on the side-lines of the G20. In 2021, Culture was formalised as a Working Group during the Italian Presidency, leading to the inaugural G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting and the consequential ‘Rome Culture Ministers’ Declaration’. The ‘Bali Declaration’ of 2022 under the Indonesian presidency further stressed the role of culture in sustainable development. In Varanasi, this would be the fourth time that the Culture Ministers of the G20 members and invitee countries would be meeting.

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One Day National Seminar on Rice Fortification

 The Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution organised a one-day National Seminar on Rice Fortification” here today.

While addressing the seminar, Secretary, DFPD, Shri Sanjeev Chopra mentioned, “We are on track to achieve the target of 100% distribution of fortified rice across all rice consuming districts in the country.”

Government of India is committed to ensure the nutritional security of the country through fortified rice distribution across government food safety net schemes. The seminar served as a dynamic platform for multistakeholder discussions where besides government stakeholders, technical experts from institutions and academia provided meaningful insights on different aspects of rice fortification programme such as evidence, safety of consumption, operational challenges and quality assurance and quality control. The prevailing challenges and queries of states were addressed by the group of experts and deliberations were made to derive a roadmap to the programme for the coming year. 

 

From Left to Right: Dr. Kapil Yadav (AIIMS), Shri Ashok K K Meena (CMD, FCI), Shri Sanjeev Chopra (Secretary, DFPD), Ms. Elisabeth Faure (Country Director WFP India), Sunil Bakshi (Advisor FSSAI) and Dr. Sirimavo Nair (MSU Baroda)

The seminar was divided into four technical sessions, each deliberating on discussions held in prior working group meetings focussing on key aspects of rice fortification. The first of these sessions emphasised on concerns regarding safety of consumption of fortified rice for the general population as well as individuals with Haemoglobinopathies and SCD. Dr. Reena Das, Dept. of Haematology, PGIMER, Chandigarh recommended on behalf of the panel that fortified rice consumption is safe and addressed the prevailing myth regarding toxicity from its consumption. The second session led by Dr. Prashant T., Associate Professor at St. Johns Research Institute, Bangalore aimed at providing evidence-based insights from National and International experiences on rice fortification. He shared numerous studies which pointed out the effectiveness of iron fortification in the reduction of anaemia. In the third technical session, a group of experts from organisations like FSSAI, FCI, BIS, WFP, Microsave and IIT Kharagpur working at the national level as well as at the field, engaged in a discussion to explore strategies to address on-ground operational challenges to streamline the distribution process. Concluding the day’s discussions, the last technical session led by Dr. Balasubramaniam, Joint Director, FSSAI focussed on providing insights into the quality aspects and recommended strategies that may be adopted to improve the quality of fortified rice being distributed.

The seminar witnessed the launch of a national IEC campaign developed by the Department for awareness generation at the beneficiary level and release of a guidance handbook on rice fortification which will act as a ready reckoner for all guidelines, notifications and orders related to rice fortification.

The event brought together technical experts, leaders from government ministries, research institutes and international organizations fostering an enriching dialogue to build a common understanding and leverage universal supply of fortified rice in food safety net schemes.

Food Secretaries from States/UTs across the country along with technical experts in the domain and development partners working on-ground participated in the Seminar jointly reflecting upon the challenges and opportunities together for achieving the transformation of food and nutrition security ecosystem in the country.

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India Post Payments Bank continues profit streak with sustained growth

 Making a transformative milestone in the realm of banking services, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) proudly declares the continuation of its profit streak, reiterating its steadfast dedication to sustainable financial inclusion and citizen empowerment. Celebrating maiden profit journey last financial year and continuing of a successful profit run with the close of first-quarter this financial year, the IPPB is wholeheartedly committed to driving the Digital India initiative, ensuring no one is left behind, even in the remotest corners of the country.

Since its foundation, the IPPB has been motivated by the dream of extending doorstep banking services to millions of households nationwide. The journey began with pilot branches launched in Ranchi, Jharkhand and Raipur, Chhattisgarh in the year 2017 and witnessed unprecedented success in a remarkably short span to make it a dominant banking service provider at the last mile.

The IPPB is delighted to share the extraordinary accomplishment of generating a net profit of Rs. 20.16 crore during financial year 2022-23, culminating in a year of tremendous progress for the bank. A growth of 66.12 per cent in overall revenue was witnessed, which surpassed an increase in overall operating costs of 17.36 per cent, were the main factors in this accomplishment, demonstrating the power of IPPB’s customer-centric and cost-effective banking model.

“The IPPB’s success story is a testament to the collective efforts of our dedicated team, stakeholders, and most importantly, the trust of our family consisting of more tthan seven crore valuable customers,” quoted Shri J Venkatramu, MD & CEO, India Post Payments Bank. “Thanks to the slew of policy initiatives like Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, India Stack, etc & regulatory push like differentiated banking category, e-KYC, etc in the domain of financial inclusion that contributed tremendously in propelling IPPB’s success story. The bank’s prudent financial management, backed by regulatory support, has paved the way for exponential growth in customer base and product offerings,” he added.

Today IPPB has become the Most Accessible, Affordable and Trusted Bank for the unbanked & underbanked common man in India by leveraging the World’s Largest Postal Network comprising 1,55,000 Post Offices (1,35,000 in rural areas) and 3,00,000 postal employees, aided amply by the country’s Digital Public Infrastructure in delivering citizen centric financial services to the common man at their doorstep. Thus, a PHYGITAL Banking Service platform at a national scale has been created, with a differential positioning, envisaged to operate where traditional banking failed to catch up owing to conventional barriers.

This journey to profit with a purpose has been a collective effort. IPPB is indebted to tireless services of the Postmen/Gramin Dak Sevaks who have immensely contributed to the journey. IPPB will continue to sow seeds of financial prosperity with newly introduced services including loan referral services, low cost health & accidental products like Antyodaya Shramik Suraksha Yojana for Shramyogis registered on e-Shram portal, Digital Life Certificate to pensioners, citizen services initiatives like Aadhaar-mobile update, child Aadhaar enrolment, Aadhaar based banking transactions (AePS), enabling citizen access to govt. Direct Benefit Transfer programmes like PM KISAN etc. It’s initiatives like ‘Niveshak Didi’ has been able to reach to women beneficiaries across countries and helped them in providing much needed financial literacy to lay strong foundation of empowered India of the future.

Going forward, the IPPB aims to transform itself into a Universal Service platform bridging the last mile accessibility gaps using Digital Public Infrastructure.

About India Post Payments Bank

Communication with 100 per cent equity owned by Government of India. The IPPB was launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on September 1, 2018. The bank has been set up with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable and trusted bank for the common man in India. The fundamental mandate of India Post Payments Bank is to remove barriers for the unbanked & underbanked and reach the last mile leveraging the Postal network.

The IPPB’s reach and its operating model is built on the key pillars of India Stack – enabling Paperless, Cashless and Presence-less banking in a simple and secure manner at the customers’ doorstep, through a CB—integrated smartphone and biometric device. Leveraging frugal innovation and with a high focus on ease of banking for the masses, IPPB delivers simple and affordable banking solutions through intuitive interfaces available in 13 languages.

It is committed to provide a fillip to a less cash economy and contribute to the vision of Digital India. India will prosper when every citizen will have equal opportunity to become financially secure and empowered. Our motto stands true – Every customer is important, every transaction is significant and every deposit is valuable.

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Bharat Internet Utsav

 Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the “Bharat Internet Utsav”, a celebration that brought together citizens from all corners of the nation to share their stories/videos about how the internet has transformed their lives. The event conducted in collaboration with MYGOV for 45 days (07.07.2023 to 21.08.2023), witnessed an overwhelming response with over 24,000 participations highlighting the profound impact of the internet on socio-economic development.

The DoT in partnership with MYGOV, extends its deepest gratitude to every participant who shared their stories/videos to the Bharat Internet Utsav. The sheer volume   (24,128 entries) reflects the widespread recognition of the internet’s impact on individual lives, communities, and the nation’s progress as a whole.

Since its launch on July 7, 2023, the Bharat Internet Utsav garnered an extraordinary influx of stories/videos from individuals, communities, and organizations across India. These heartwarming videos showcase on how the internet has become an integral part of daily life, enabling progress, connectivity and knowledge-sharing like never before. The event captured stories that spanned diverse sectors, ranging from education and healthcare to entrepreneurship and cultural preservation

As the event concludes, the evaluation process to select the most impactful stories/videos has begun. The jury will meticulously review each submission to determine the winners. As a part of appreciation participants will be felicitated as:

A)   Best three (3) stories/videos will be given certificate and cash prize of Rs.15,000, Rs.10,000 and Rs.5000 respectively.

b)        Rs. 1,000 cash prize along with certificate will be given to one best story/video from each state/UTs.

c)         In addition, 10 more best stories/videos will get the appreciation certificate.

d)        These stories/videos shall be displayed on various social media handles of Ministry of Communications, Government of India.

The overwhelming success of the Bharat Internet Utsav reaffirms the Department of Telecommunication’s commitment to provide secure, reliable, and affordable telecommunications services to every citizen, ensuring that the benefits of the digital age reach the farthest corners of the country.

For more updates and information about the Bharat Internet Utsav please visit https://innovateindia.mygov.in/bharat-internet-utsav/.

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Permanent Diversion of Paravanar River Course

 The long pending and vital work of permanent diversion of Paravanar river course (Tamilnadu) has been completed yesterday, i.e., 21st August 2023. The major portion of 10.5 kms out of the total 12 kms had already been completed and from 26th July 2023, NLCIL took up the pending portion of 1.5 kms.

The temporary alignment of Paravanar river course is just 60 meters away from Mine-2 cut face. This Paravanar river has to handle storm water from the catchment area of more than 100 sq. kms from the north-west and southern areas. As several villages are involved in this area, it has become of paramount importance to safeguard the habitats as well as agricultural fields from inundation during incessant and heavy rains. Taking the accountability and responsibility of safeguarding the villages around mines, NLCIL took up the critical task of providing an adequate and permanent water way through the work of permanent diversion of Paravanar.

The approximate area involved for the permanent diversion of Paravanar for the total length of 12 kms is 18 hectares. Already, several acres of lands are being irrigated with the Paravanar river water being let out by NLCIL mines throughout the year. With the commissioning of present Paravanar permanent river course, additional extent of agricultural lands will now get water for irrigation for several acres. Also, the continuous source of water in Paravanar river will help augmenting of ground water availability.

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SECL to provide free residential coaching for national medical entrance exam – NEET

 Chhattisgarh-based Coal India Subsidiary, SECL will provide free residential medical coaching to students of Class 12th Under its CSR initiative, “SECL ke Sushrut”, the company will mentor and provide coaching to students to help them prepare for the national medical entrance exam – NEET.

The move will greatly benefit students from poor economic background, especially in villages in coal belt areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, aspiring to become doctors but are unable to afford medical coaching.

The selection of students for the coaching will be through a competitive exam based on the same pattern as NEET. Under the programme coaching will be provided to a total batch of 35 students in partnership with a Bilaspur-based private coaching institute. The program will be residential with regular national-level test series and mentoring and will include lodging and boarding facilities.

For detailed terms and conditions and to register for the programme students will need to visit SECL website – https://secl-cil.in/index.php. The last date for online registration is September 6th, 2023. The selection test will be held on September 10th.

To be eligible to apply for the coaching the student must have passed Class 12th  in 2023 with minimum 60% marks.

The applicant must be domiciled in MP or Chhattisgarh, and they must reside in or their school must be located within 25 km radius of SECL Establishment in the Operating Districts of Korba, Raigarh, Koriya, Surguja, Surajpur, Balrampur & Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur Districts of Chhattisgarh & Umaria, Annuppur & Shahdol Districts of Madhya Pradesh only.

In addition to above Gross Income of the Parents/Guardians of the applicant should not be more than ₹ 8,00,000/- (Rupees Eight lakhs per Annum). Income Certificate from appropriate Government authority/Income Tax Return of Parents or Ward’s Name registered in Below Poverty Line (BPL) Card/ Antyodaya Anna Yojana Card will have to be submitted before admission to coaching programme.

In the total seats offered for coaching reservation will also be implemented as per Ministry of Coal’s policy whereby 14% seats for SC, 23% for ST, and 13% seats for OBC will be reserved.

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Availability and use of fertilizers in India

 Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Health & Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya interacted with State Agriculture Ministers on the availability and use of fertilizers in the country, here today. During the meeting he also reviewed progress of nano urea, nano DAP and promotion of alternate fertilizers at the field level and steps initiated by the States in this regard.

At the outset, Dr. Mandaviya informed all the States that there is adequate availability of fertilizers in the country with the present level of 150 LMT stocks. This stock will not only take care of ongoing Kharif Season but will also ensure comfortable opening for the forthcoming Rabi Season.

Dr Mandaviya highlighted the necessity of reducing the excessive use of chemical fertilizers to save soil. He reiterated that Union Government has already taken a step in the form of PM PRANAM scheme. The efforts also include introduction of slow-release Sulphur Coated Urea (Urea Gold), nano urea, nano DAP etc. to promote use of alternate fertilizers to save the mother earth. The State Government expressed their willingness to be active participants in this resolve.

There was a discussion on the initiative of PMKSKs across the country which are acting as One-Stop-Shop catering to all the needs of farmers at one place. He made an appeal to all the State Agriculture Ministers and State Government Officials to regularly visit these PMKSKs and spread awareness among farmers.

Hon’ble Minister made an earnest appeal to the States/ UTs about the need to keep a check on diversion of agriculture grade urea for non-agricultural purpose. He further asked the States/ UTs to run awareness campaigns, thereby, reducing the possible diversion of Agriculture Urea and to take strict action against the defaulters. It is recalled that based on the Joint Inspections by the Fertilizer Flying Squad of Centre Government and various State Agriculture Departments, State Governments have registered 45 FIRs against defaulting Urea Using Units, cancelled licenses of 32 Mixture Units and de-authorized 79 mixture units along with strict actions under Essential Commodities Act & Prevention of Black Marketing Act. The State Government also echoed the sentiment of Zero Tolerance against such culprits.

The Meeting concluded with Centre and States on board to take all necessary steps forward to promote use of alternate fertilizers, reduce the excessive consumption of Chemical Fertilizers. The recently launched initiatives like PM-PRANAM, Urea Gold, Nano-Urea, Nano-DAP were well recognized by the States with equal resolve to achieve the desired results in the larger interests of the farming community.  

State Agriculture Ministers from various States and senior officers from State Governments  and senior officials of Department of Fertilizers & Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare attended the meeting.

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