OPERATIONAL DEMONSTRATION ON NAVY DAY AT VISAKHAPATNAM

India celebrates December 04 as Navy Day, every year, to acknowledge the role of the Indian Navy and commemorate its achievements in ‘Operation Trident’ during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

This year, as India ushers in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ with the commencement of the celebrations of 75 years of her independence, the Indian Navy is all set to demonstrate India’s combat prowess and capability through an ‘Operational Demonstration’ at Visakhapatnam on Sunday, December 04, 2022. The Hon’ble President of India and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Smt. Droupadi Murmu would witness the event as the Guest of Honour. Several dignitaries from the Central and State Governments are expected to attend the event, which will be hosted by Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff.

Traditionally, the Navy Day celebrations are conducted at New Delhi in the presence of the Hon’ble President and other dignitaries. This year, for the first time, Navy Day Celebrations are being conducted outside the National Capital. Indian Naval ships, submarines, aircraft and Special Forces from Eastern, Western and Southern Naval Command would showcase the capability and versatility of Indian Navy. The event will culminate with a sunset ceremony and illumination by ships at anchorage.

The Navy Day celebrations are aimed at fostering greater outreach, renewing maritime consciousness amongst our citizens and highlights the Navy’s contributions towards national security.

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VM/JSN

“Swar Dharohar Festival”- to showcase the iconic art &amp; culture, rich literary Art &amp; Heritage of Indian States, at Central Vista

Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with “Swar Dharohar Foundation,” inaugurated three day “Swar Dharohar Festival” under Kalanjali. “Swar Dharohar Festival” is a Music, Art & Literature Festival to showcase the iconic art and culture of India and, the rich literary Art & Heritage of Indian States.

Swar Dharohar festival was Inaugurated today by Chief Guest Sh. Mehtab Ali (Sitar Player) and Pt. Lalit Prasad (Classical Vocal). On the first day Classical Performance, Ghazal, Kavi Sammelan, Mushaira, Sufi Performance were organised. Ghazal was performed by Sh. Diwakar Meena, Sh. Hamsar Hayat and Athar Hayat performed Sufi Music.

Under Kalanjali, cultural programmes are being organised at Central Vista every week. The 3 days festival will continue to be organized on 3rd and 4th of December 2022 at the Central Vista, India Gate, New Delhi, Delhi.

Swar Dharohar Utsav started in the morning with Ragaas, and many celebrities performed.

In this program the upcoming local Artists will perform with Legend Artist on the same platform to showcase their talents. The National as well as Local Poets will exhibit their artistry through Kavi Sammelan.

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“Swar Dharohar Festival”- to showcase the iconic art & culture, rich literary Art & Heritage of Indian States, at Central Vista

Swar Dharohar Utsav started in the morning with Ragaas, and many celebrities performed.

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All states should establish price monitoring centres in all districts: Centre

All states should establish price monitoring centres in all districts, urged Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary Department of Consumer Affairs during a day-long workshop in Guwahati, Assam today. He said that that the Centre intends to achieve target of having 750 price monitoring centres by March 31st 2023 for which financial support will be assured.

The Secretary explained that through Price Monitoring Division, the Centre is making all efforts to control prices of essential commodities thereby, keeping check over inflation. The Department of Consumer Affairs regularly generates data about price and has the system of collecting prices of 22 essential food commodities in the country.

The workshop was organised in association with Government of Assam to address the issues concerning consumer protection in North Eastern States.

The Secretary during his inaugural address informed how the Department, National Commission, State Commissions and District Commissions and the whole ecosystem in terms of quality, quantity, standards, testing and benchmarks through BIS, NTH, Legal Metrology and National Consumer Helpline are working together towards protection of consumer interests.

He further highlighted the role of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India, in developing Indian Standards and implementation of voluntary and mandatory standards such as Quality Control Orders and how through Legal Metrology and Weights and Measures consumers are assured that what is being offered, the quantity being offered is exactly same as claimed on the product.

Speaking about the domain of consumer protection he underlined that infrastructure of commissions, human resource in consumer commissions and use of technology are three verticals through which the whole eco system of consumer protection is made robust and responsible.

It was assured that Department will provide its complete support to all State and District Commissions for having necessary infrastructure for effective functioning of consumer commissions as per the policy which states that 50% will be funded by State government and 50% will be funded by Central Government and requested all the representative of the State Government to provide its Utilisation Certificates of previous year, if pending, without which centre cannot release the funds for subsequent year.

Talking about the appointment of Hon’ble President’s and Members and the issue of vacancies in Consumer Commissions, he proudly stated that position of North East is the best in the country in terms of less number of vacancies in consumer commissions.

Highlighting the facility of online filing of consumer complaints through e daakhil, he informed that, Department has recently finalised a format/template for the consumer to file a complaint which comprise of standard fields and once all the mandatory information is provided, commissions can easily admit the genuine cases. He assured that the template will be very soon deployed and proliferated in the system and thereby commissions may expect rise in number of cases being filed through e daakhil throughout the country.

Shri Singh further highlighted the change of paradigm in consumer protection with advent of e commerce and mentioned that with changing equation between consumer and supplier, especially through e commerce, there has been steep rise in consumer grievances registered in e commerce sector at National Consumer Helpline. Out of the 90,000 complaints registered in NCH every month, 45-50% of the total complaints pertain to e commerce, it was informed.

He further stressed that, as a required measure, Department is taking necessary action through Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) headed by Ms. Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs. However, it is upon consumers to be more aware and more assertive of their rights and challenge the actions of e commerce companies he urged.

Talking about the various recent initiatives of the Department, he informed about the launch of BIS standard IS 1900/2022 on fake reviews wherein e commerce companies need to adhere to these standards within their policy of generating and publishing reviews on their platform.

Highlighting the role of Consumer Commissions in reducing the pendency of cases, he informed that one third of the pending cases pertains to insurance sector and therefore, by participating in lok adalats and engaging intensively with Insurance companies, Department of Financial Services and IRDAI, department is endeavouring to target the genesis of complaints and requested commissions to function effectively in reducing pendency of cases.

The Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, Shri Paban Kumar Borthakur emphasized that effective functioning of consumer commissions are utmost necessary for protection of consumers and if consumer commissions are not functioning properly, instead of consumer being a king, they become king in exile. Further, stressing on the need for consumer awareness, he pointed out that, unless consumers are enlightened about their rights, they cannot ascertain it, therefore, awareness is vital. He further urged all the Consumer Commissions of North Eastern States to work harder, come together and active part in national campaign for reducing the pendency of cases.

Additional Secretary, Ms. Nidhi Khare welcomed the gathering and highlighted that the objective of the workshop is to throw light and discuss the importance of consumer affairs in the north-eastern part of India. Emphasising on the various initiatives taken, she stated that the Department of Consumer Affairs has taken numerous initiatives in the matters of consumers across National level, State level and District level, ranging from establishing mediation cells, conducting lok adalats, use of e-filing for hassle-free consumer grievance redressal and many more.

Shri Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs delivered vote of thanks and expressed his gratitude to Chief Secretary, Government of Assam and his team for extending a huge support in making the even a grand success.

Inaugural session was followed by panel discussion on reducing the pendency of cases in consumer commissions, strengthening infrastructure, use of mediation for speedier resolution of consumer grievances, use of e-filing for hassle-free consumer grievance redressal etc., and separate technical sessions were held to discuss the use of National Test House, Guwahati in the material used in government projects, the utilisation of ISI quality mark products in projects of state governments, the implementation and enforcement of the Legal Metrology Act and Issues concerning monitoring of retail and wholesale prices of key commodities were discussed in the workshop.

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ram Surat Ram Maurya, Member, NCDRC, Hon’ble Mr. Subhash Chandra, Member, NCDRC, Hon’ble Ms. Justice Deepa Sharma, Member, NCDRC, Hon’ble Dr. S. M. Kantikar, Member, NCDRC, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arindam Lodh, President, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Tripura, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prasanta Kumar Deka, President, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Assam, Th. Saimon Singh, Acting President, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Manipur, Ms. Ramdinliani, Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Mizoram, Ms. Chubasangla Anar, Commissioner & Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Nagaland and other senior officials of North Eastern States attended the workshop and presided over various panel discussions.

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Workshop-cum-Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) organized in Aizawl to promote organic agricultural products of Mizoram and North Eastern Region (NER)

As a part of its strategy to give a boost to the export of organic agricultural products of Mizoram and North Eastern Region (NER),Centre through Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized Workshop-cum-Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) at Mizoram University in Aizawl.

After the BSM, a consignment of Hatkora (local variety of citrus) sourced from farmers of Mamit district of Mizoram was exported to London and another consignment of Hatkora is being exported to Bangladesh.

APEDA, which is the apex agricultural products export promotion organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, organized the buyer seller meet in association with Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce & Industries, Govt of Mizoram and North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC).

The BSM was organized to promote the exports of the potential agri-horti products from Mizoram and provide market linkage to farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies from the north-eastern state.

The potential crops for the export from Mizoram are pineapple, hatkora (citrus), dragon fruit, oranges, passion fruit, squash, anthurium flower, Mizo Ginger, Mizo chilli and grape wine.

Seventeen exporters and 58 FPOs participated in the BSM while 14 exhibitors representing the state government, coffee board, spices board, NABARD and NERAMAC attended the meet.

The exclusive BSM provided an opportunity to the producers and processors of Mizoram to showcase their products and promote the exports as well as their wholesale and retail sales.

The workshop-cum-buyer seller meet was inaugurated by Hon’ble Agriculture Minister Pu C Lalrinsanga of Mizoram.

With the intervention of APEDA, there is a tremendous increase in the export of agricultural produce from NE states like Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. NE region witnessed an 85.34 percent growth in the export of agricultural products in the last six years as it increased from USD 2.52 million in 2016-17 to USD 17.2 million in 2021-22.

The major destination of export has been Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Middle East, the UK and Europe.

To provide potential market linkages, APEDA organised field visits of importers to have first hand information about the qualitative cultivation practices being followed by farmers by inviting the importers from the neighbouring countries, the Middle East, far Eastern countries, European nations and Australia, etc. The field visits were carried out in all eight states of NER.

APEDA, in association with the Department of Commerce and Industry, Government of Assam, organised an export promotion conference-cum-buyer seller meet at Aizawl, Mizoram in March 2021.

Besides, APEDA organized international buyer seller meet (BSM) in Guwahati, Assam on March 10, 2022 wherein exhibitors from across the state displayed a wide range of agri-horti products, including GI products such as fresh fruits, vegetables, processed food products, black rice, red rice, joha rice, spices, tea, coffee, honey, processed meat, spices & organic products. Importers from Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bangladesh, Oman, Netherlands, Singapore and Greece participated along with exporters from NER and other states.

A national buyer-seller meet was organized by APEDA in Guwahati on June 24, 2022, to promote the export of organic products grown in Assam. APEDA also signed an MoU with Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat to conduct various training programmes on pre-harvest and post-harvest management and other research activities for the promotion of export from the region.

Even during the Covid-19 period, APEDA continued to push its export plans through Virtual Buyer Seller Meet in association with the Embassy of India located in different countries with exporters and FPOs/FPCs from NER regarding the sourcing of pineapple, ginger, lemon, orange, etc. APEDA also organised Virtual Trade Fairs during the pandemic and facilitated the export to foreign countries.

APEDA has also planned to undertake several other projects like capacity building of 80 budding entrepreneurs and exporters from the region, the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) and the state govt. officials, organize skill development and training in food processing, value addition on horticultural produce, etc.

APEDA also extended its support to NER to undertake branding and promotion of North East products such as KIWI Wine, processed foods, carrying out a wet sampling of Joha Rice Pulao, Black Rice kheer, etc.

As a part of capacity building, APEDA organised skill development programmes for manufacturers, exporters and entrepreneurs to utilise the local produce for value addition and export. Training programmes are being held in different states of the Northeast in association with the Central Food Technology Research Institute, Mysore (CFTRI) and Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), for five days.

APEDA, in association with the Industries and Commerce Department, Govt of Assam, organised an Export Conclave on February 19, 2021, in Guwahati.

With the APEDA’s intervention, Tripura’s Jack fruit was exported to London, and Nagaland’s King Chilli to London through a local exporter for the first time. Also, Assam’s local fruit called Leteku (Burmese Grape) was exported to Dubai and Assam’s Betel leaves have been regularly exported to London.

APEDA under its Agricultural Export Policy is encouraging states to harness the potential of Agri produce exports. APEDA aims to create a platform for the buyers to get the products directly from the producer group and the processors.

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Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurates direct international flight from Pune to Singapore

Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated a direct international flight from Pune to Singapore on 1st December 2022.

The flight will operate from 2nd December, 2022 as per the following schedule:

Flight No.	Sector	Departure	Arrival	Frequency	Aircraft
UK 111	PNQ – SIN	2:10	10:30	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun	Airbus A321neo
UK 112	SIN – PNQ	11:50	15:10	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun	Airbus A321neo

In his inaugural address, Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the city of Pune, with its rich historical and cultural heritage, is constantly growing to become a hub for innovation, education, and development. He added that giving an impetus to this growth, the government has planned a gamut of activities to increase Pune’s connectivity, such as enhancing connectivity to domestic and international locations, developing a new terminal, and providing infrastructural support to the city by providing a separate cargo terminal.

The Minister further added that the initiation of the Pune – Singapore flight is an important landmark in the history of Pune. He also mentioned about the newly launched flight route between Pune and Bangkok and said that these two routes will not just connect the city to important global destinations but also provide an edge to the development of the city by linking it to a wide range of opportunities related to employment, education, trade, and business.

Looking at its increasing capacity, the new terminal is being built with a cost of Rs. 475.39 Cr and will expand its current area from 22,500 square meters to 48,500 square meters. To boost exports from Pune, a new International Air Cargo Terminal is also being built which will be completed by December 2024. A newly built multi-level parking facility worth Rs. 120 crores was recently launched on 25th November, 2022 at the Pune Airport.

The inauguration was graced by the presence of H.E. Gavin Roch, Vice Consul, Consul General of the Republic of Singapore, Shri Prashant Girbane, Director General, MCCIA, Shri Deepak Karandikar, President, MCCIA, Shri Sunil Tingre, MLA, Air Marshal Bhushan Gokhale, Chairperson & Director, MCCIA, Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director, Pinnacle Industries Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Vinod Kannan, CEO, Vistara. Mr. Moinuddin Wasil, Head – Regulatory Affairs, Vistara, and other dignitaries from Vistara.

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ECI felicitates Indian Deaf Cricket team ‘T20 Champions Trophy winners’ to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities

On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Election Commission of India, felicitated the Indian Deaf Cricket Team, today at Nirvachan Sadan. Welcoming the team, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar said that the Election Commission salutes the resilience and tenacity demonstrated by the players. The team has brought laurels to the country by winning the T20 Champions Trophy held in UAE by Deaf International Cricket Council. Sh Kumar said it’s important to accord due publicity and visibility to the winners. ECI will explore the possibility of sponsoring a match of the Indian Deaf Cricket Association team with mainstream cricket teams.

The Commission also organised a sensitization training workshop for officers of the Commission on ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ by Padma Shri awardee Dr. Niru Kumar, ECI National Icon to mark the International Day of PwDs.

Speaking on the occasion Sh Kumar said that ECI is committed to mainstream and deeply embed the concept and practice of accessibility in ensuring a new normal of enabling environment in the entire election process ecosystem from registration to voting.

Shri Kumar elaborated that with administrative and technological innovations ECI has developed a one stop solution in the form of an APP – Saksham App – for enabling and facilitating the PwDs from enrolment to poll day facilities. The PwD electors can avail various services provided by the ECI enabling their participation in the election process, thus making them Saksham. The App can be downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple store.

ECI has been implementing several measures to ensure accessible facilitation at the polling stations, making them conducive for Persons with Disabilities to cast their vote without any hassles. Notified checklist for provisions such as polling stations on ground floor, standardised ramps, wheelchairs, volunteers, EVM with braille and ballot paper, braille EPIC, accessible toilets, tactile signage, sign language interpreters and pick up drop facility are made available in polling stations. The Commission has also provided the option of postal ballot facility to PwDs with 40% benchmarked disability to vote from the comfort of their homes.

The Commission has carried out milestone initiatives such as:

1. Setting up of the National Advisory Committee on Accessible Elections.
2. A module on sensitization of election personnel.
3. Deploying Accessibility Observers during elections
4. Appointing achievers with disabilities as election ambassadors/icons
5. Developing awareness films on inclusive elections starring achievers with disabilities

The Commission is dedicated to the goal of inclusive and accessible elections and shall endeavour to increase the participation of PwDs in the electoral process for a truly representative and robust democracy. So far, over 83 lakhs electorate have been mapped as PwDs in the electoral roll across the country.

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Vice President’s speech at 8th LM Singhvi Lecture

We are the world’s most vibrant democracy that is representative to an ideal level.

We started with the Constituent Assembly in which members were enormously talented from all sections of society. But progressively with each election our parliament reflects authentically the mandate of people …wisdom of the people. And now what we have in the parliament is fairly representative. at a global level we do not have a parallel on that count.

We must keep only one thing in mind –interest of Bharat – above everything else.

It is indicated in the preamble of our constitution – we the people. That means the power resides in the people – their mandate, their wisdom. Indian parliament reflects the minds of the people.

In the year 2015-16, the Parliament was dealing with a constitutional amendment act and as a matter of record the entire Lok Sabha voted unanimously. There was no abstention and no dissention. And the amendment was passed. In Rajya Sabha it was unanimous, there was one abstention. We the people – their ordainment was converted into a constitutional provision.

Power of the people, which was expressed through a legitimate platform, that power was undone. The world does not know of any such instance.

I appeal to the people here, they constitute a judicial elite class, thinking minds, intellectuals – please find out a parallel in the world where a constitutional provision can be undone.

Our Indian constitution provides in explicit terms Art 145 (3). Interpretation of the constitution when a substantial question of law is involved can be done by the court. Nowhere it says that a provision can be run down.

If a constitutional provision that carries the ordainment of people at large in such a vibrant democracy, is undone, what will happen?

I’m appealing to everyone that these are the issues that should not be viewed on partisan lines. I expect everyone to rise to the occasion and be part of the growth story that is India at the moment.

I’m startled that after this verdict, there was no whispering in the parliament. It was taken as such. This is too serious an issue.

We are proud of our judiciary. It has contributed to the growth of promoting the rights of the people.

After 9/11, US had passed the Patriot Act. Not with this majority. And it was taken as. That is why primacy of national interest prevails.

Imagine if 73rd and 74th amendments were to be undone. What will happen?

Now friends I put it to you the basic of the basic structure is primacy of the will of the people. In democracy, there can be nothing more basic than the prevalence of the rights of the people. And the ordainment of the people should be reflected through a legitimised mechanism which is the legislature in a sanctified manner.

I’m sure it is never too late to reflect and think. Our judiciary is one of the critical institutions of governance long with the executive and legislature. The doctrine of separation of powers is fundamental to our governance. The harmonious working of these institutions is vital for the growth of democracy. Any incursion, howsoever subtle, in the domain of one by another has the capacity to unsettle the apple cart of governance.

We have a parliament that is far more representative at the moment.

I have an appeal that as a true citizen of this country, generate a public opinion that political stance should be distanced from sublimity of our constitutional functioning.

It is never too late. The basic structure doctrine, we have lived with it. We have taken as such. It was by a majority of 7 to 6.

As a student of law, can parliamentary sovereignty be ever compromised? Can a succeeding parliament have to be bound by what has been done by an earlier parliament?

I leave you with this thought.

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Coal Ministry to conduct Investor Conclave in Mumbai

After the successful auction of 64 coal mines in the first five tranches, Ministry of Coal had launched the process for auction of 133 coal mines under 6th round of commercial auctions of which 71 coal mines are new coal mines and 62 coal mines are rolling over from earlier tranches of commercial auctions held in November 2022. Additionally, eight coal mines under 2nd attempt of 5th round of commercial auctions were also launched where single bids were received in the first attempt.

Under commercial auctions, there is no technical or financial eligibility criteria and hence, several bidders who were not into coal mining earlier, became successful bidders and were awarded the coal mines. To boost bidder participation in the commercial auction of coal mines, Ministry of Coal is organising an investor conclave on December 01, 2022 in Mumbai. Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi will Chair and Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde will be the Chief Guest. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis will be the Special Guest and Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways, Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve and Minister of Mining for Maharashtra, Shri Dadaji Bhuse will be the Guest of Honour of the function. Shri Amrit Lal Meena, Secretary, Ministry of Coal and Shri Vivek Bhardwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Mines will also participate in the Conclave.

The list of mines has been finalized post detailed deliberations. Mines falling under protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, critical habitats, having forest cover greater than 40%, heavily built-up area etc. have been excluded. The block boundaries of some of the coal mines where there was presence of dense habitation, high green cover or critical infrastructure etc. have been modified basis comments received during stakeholder consultations to enhance bidders’ interest and participation in these coal blocks.

Key features of the auction process include reduction in upfront amount and bid security amount, permission to relinquish part of the coal mine in case of partially explored coal mines, introduction of National Coal Index and National Lignite Index, ease of participation with no entry barriers, full flexibility in coal utilisation, optimized payment structures, efficiency promotion through incentives for early production and use of clean coal technology.

The sale of tender document commenced on November 03, 2022. Details of the mines, auction terms, timelines etc. can be accessed on MSTC auction platform. The auction shall be held online through a transparent 2 stage process, on the basis of Percentage Revenue Share.

SBI Capital Markets Limited, the sole Transaction Advisor to Ministry of Coal for the commercial coal mine auctions, is assisting the Ministry of Coal in conduct of the auction.

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18th Convocation of National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced the 18th convocation of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra today (November 29, 2022).

The President said that today the whole world is going through a phase of rapid change. Due to the technological revolution, the nature of jobs as well as the basic needs of the people is changing. These changes are also challenging the existing methods of engineering. In view of changes taking place due to the technological shift, it becomes very important that our technical institutions including NIT Kurukshetra become ‘future-ready’. She was happy to note that NIT Kurukshetra is moving towards introducing futuristic-courses like artificial intelligence and data science, robotics and automation and industrial internet of things. She was also happy to note that NIT Kurukshetra has established a state-of-the-art ‘Siemens Centre of Excellence’ in which special emphasis is being laid on smart manufacturing and automation designs and e-mobility. She said that it is a matter of pride that NIT Kurukshetra is the first NIT in North India and second in the country to establish such a centre. She noted that the establishment of this centre has led to increase collaboration with industry, academia and Research and Development organizations such as DRDO and BHEL.

The President said that the region of Haryana and Punjab has made a very important contribution in the development of Indian agriculture. The progressive farmers of this region have made the green revolution possible by using modern technology and provided food security to the country. But today, increasing air and land pollution and depleting ground water level in the region have emerged as a major problem. She said that it is the responsibility of NIT Kurukshetra to find technical solutions to these problems. During the pandemic, it became clear that the common citizen of India is technology friendly. If technology is for the betterment of the society, then it gets full cooperation from the public. The success of digital payment is an example of this.

The President said that technology is not only a by-product of science and engineering, but it also has a social and political context. We all have to move forward with the thought of ‘Technology for Social Justice’. We should make efforts so that the deprived class is not left behind in this. Technology should be used for building an egalitarian society.

Pointing to the trend of making salary packages as the criteria for success in education, the President said that getting more salary packages is a good thing, but it does not mean that the student who does not get a good salary package is less qualified. She advised students to never judge their success on the basis of the package. She said that they have not to be limited by traditional notions of success and societal pressures. They have to decide what they want to do in their life. She urged them to choose a career that gives them satisfaction and a sense of meaning in life. She also urged parents to motivate their children for excellence. She said that in striving for excellence, achievements will automatically come their way.

The President said that NIT Kurukshetra which was established in 1963 is one of the first NITs in India. It has played a very significant role in spreading the scientific temper in the region. Over the past six decades, it has carved a niche for itself among technical institutions of higher-learning in the country and abroad. She said that more than 40,000 alumni of this institute have contributed in nation-building and have also played an important role in enhancing the reputation of India all over the world. She noted that students of NIT Kurukshetra have made their place in all fields from Singapore to Silicon Valley, from civil society to civil services.

Please click here to see the President’s speech –

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Manthan Platform Wins the Best Tech Initiative Award

The Manthan platform won NSEIT the Best Tech Initiative of the Year at the Dun & Bradstreet Business Excellence Awards 2022 on 29th November 2022 during an event in Mumbai. The award was presented for building the technology infrastructure to support Manthan, a platform that promotes collaboration at scale between industry and the scientific research and development ecosystem. The development of the platform was conceptualized and implemented by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. The award was received by Dr. Sapna Poti, Director of Strategic Alliances Division, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and Shri. Anantharaman Sreenivasan, MD & CEO, NSEIT.

Manthan is aimed at promoting collaboration between industry and the scientific research and development ecosystem. Launched on India’s 76th Independence Day, Manthan empowers multiple stakeholders to collaborate for co-creating solutions aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and our national scientific missions.

The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay K. Sood launched the platform and noted that the creation of Manthan will be crucial for “building, nurturing, and celebrating the outcome of partnerships between various stakeholders of science, technology, and innovation ecosystem in India.” Emphasising the mandate of Manthan, he added, “This will give an impetus to the government’s efforts to improve participation of industry in terms of GDP. In the last few years, the partnerships between academia and industry have been encouraging and it has worked well when two sides have come together to solve the problems or the challenges faced.”

Congratulating the teams behind Manthan, Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of PSA, said, “Manthan is a unique platform enabling public-private-academia collaboration to achieve sustainability goals, and the goal is to play a transformative role in doing that. It is giving a thrust for innovative ideas and inventive minds to seamlessly collaborate and work towards making India a global innovation hub. This recognition commemorates the larger vision of Digital India and highlights the contributions of the teams behind Manthan’s success.”

Dr. Sapna Poti, Director of the Strategic Alliances Division, Office of PSA, said, “As the nation takes rapid strides towards becoming a global innovation hub, a platform to cater to the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem specifically is essential. Manthan – India’s Platform for Research and Innovation will allow industries to source their project and innovation partners for both CSR and Industry R&D, facilitating the exchange of ideas, enhancement of communities’ support, and co-development of solutions that will fuel scientific research and development in the country. Congratulations to the entire NSEIT team who designed and implemented Manthan.”

“The Manthan platform is visionary and is a true enabler for the Government of India’s Digital India vision. I congratulate the teams from the Office of the PSA and NSEIT for their meticulous contributions toward making this ingenious and innovative platform a reality. This award is an outcome of teamwork and rigorous pursuit of excellence”, said Shri. Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO of National Stock Exchange of India Limited.

On receiving the award, Shri. Anantharaman Sreenivasan, MD & CEO of NSEIT, said, “This award is a validation of NSEIT’s commitment to delivering high-impact and complex projects for customers. I thank the jury members and the organizing team at Dun & Bradstreet for recognizing NSEIT’s efforts in providing innovation excellence and driving robust business outcomes. I also express gratitude to the Office of PSA to the Government of India for entrusting us with the honor of being a strategic technology partner. The teams behind the successful launch of Manthan deserve all the credit for fructifying this global innovation platform.”

Dun & Bradstreet Business Excellence Awards 2022:

Dun & Bradstreet is a global provider of B2B data, insights, and AI-driven platforms for organizations around the world. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. The Dun & Bradstreet SME and Mid-Corporate ‘Business Excellence Awards 2022’ is an endeavor to acknowledge and recognize the achievements and performance of SMEs and Mid-Corporates. The award covers 23 categories largely based on business performance parameters. The award nominations were reviewed by a distinguished jury panel featuring experts from the banking and energy development sectors.

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Workshop on Development of Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations

The workshop witnessed wide participation of senior Government officials and Tourism industry stakeholders of States/ Union Territories of Central and Western region viz. Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman & Diu and Goa
Ministry of Tourism’s Travel for LiFE campaign was also introduced in the workshop

In order to develop sustainable and responsible tourist destinations and promote sustainable tourism in the Country, Ministry of Tourism in association with IITTM, UNEP and RTSOI organised a first regional workshop on Development of Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations at Khajuraho on 29th November, 2022. The workshop witnessed wide participation of senior Government officials and Tourism industry stakeholders of States/ Union Territories of Central and Western region viz. Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman & Diu and Goa.

Keynote address at the workshop was delivered by Shri Prashant Ranjan, Director, Ministry of Tourism. He highlighted the need of sustainability in tourism and significance of Centre, State and Industry collaboration in achieving the objective. He also spoke about the Prime Minister’s vision for environmental sustainability. He underscored how tourism can be aligned with LiFE Mission. He introduced the Travel for LiFE campaign launched by Ministry of Tourism.

Shri Uttank Joshi, Assistant Director General, Ministry of Tourism shared success stories of Swadesh Darshan 1.0, a flagship centrally sponsored scheme of Ministry of Tourism for creating tourism infrastructure in the country. He also gave an overview of Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and how it integrates sustainability in destination development.

Shri Anirudh Chaoji an eminent eco-tourism practitioner and representative of RTSOI deliberated with the participants on sensitising the tourist and creating a demand for responsible travel.

Ms. Manisha Chaudhary shared some landmark efforts like the Global Tourism Plastics initiative and the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism launched in November 2021 in climate change CoP 26. She encouraged stakeholders to join such initiatives and set targets to address triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss in alignment with national and global commitments for sustainable development.

Presentations were also made by representatives of State Tourism Departments Central and Western region, calling attention to their best practices in sustainable tourism.

Central Nodal Agency for Sustainable Tourism, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management briefed the participants about the salient features of Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India (STCI). The participants also took the Travel for LiFE pledge to commit themselves towards travelling responsibly.

Grassroot industry stakeholders also presented their innovative ways of implementing sustainable tourism in different regions of central and western regions to create tangible positive impact.

The workshop strengthened the engagement among the Ministry of Tourism, State Governments/ UT Administrations and Industry stakeholders towards achieving Sustainability Goals.

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skill training certificates to Taxi/ Cab/Coach drivers under Tourism Awareness Programme

299 candidates attended the training, out of them 165 are male as compared to 134 female beneficiaries
Candidates have been given inputs on soft skills, behavioural skills, personal and workplace hygiene, places of tourist importance in Delhi, First Aid, COVID Protocol, Foreign language, etc. via theoretical as well as practical means during the training

“India is presiding over the G-20 summit for the next one year from 1st December 2022. Emerging economies of the world are participating in this summit. More than 200 meetings will be held in more than 55 different places during this summit. People of the world are eager to see India, they are not just tourists for us, but also influencers of India. I think this training programme before the G-20 summit will act as a milestone in the development of Indian tourism.” Union Tourism Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy said this during the skill training certificate distribution programme for Taxi/ Cab/ Coach drivers under Tourism Awareness Programme today in New Delhi.

Under the Capacity Building for Service Provider programme of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management-AIH&TM, HRD division of ITDC conducted the training of Taxi/Cab/Coach drivers under Tourism Awareness Program (fully sponsored by MoT) on Behavioural & soft skills with one basic foreign language viz. French and German and Arabic. Managing Director of ITDC Shri G. Kamala Vardhana Rao and other officials of ITDC were also present on this occasion.

During his address Shri G. Kishan Reddy congratulated Ashoka Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management, HRD Division of ITDC for conducting this training programme. Shri Reddy said that the aim of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is to take tourism to New heights in India. For this, the Modi government has implemented many types of training programmes and schemes. The objective of this training is to honecthe Personal & Professional Skills of Taxi/Cab Drivers, so that they can interact and communicate effectively with Domestic and International Tourists. Our Taxi/Cab Drivers are Brand Ambassadors in the promotion of tourist places of India. “I have been informed that candidates have been given inputs on soft skills, behavioural skills, personal and workplace hygiene, places of tourist importance in Delhi, First Aid, COVID Protocol, Foreign language, etc. via theoretical as well as practical means during the course. Trade Experts from the industry conducted their classes and literature in the form of booklet was also distributed”, he added.

Shri Reddy informed that 299 candidates attended the training. Out of the total candidates, 165 are male beneficiaries as compared to 134 female beneficiaries. Candidates who successfully completed the course are provided with a stipend of Rs. 300/- per day as per the scheme.

This training programme was inaugurated by Chairman of ITDC Dr. Sambit Patra on 18.06.2022 at the Ashok Hotel. Various industry experts along with leading Taxi associations and approx. 300 no. drivers were also present during the inaugural function. The programme was conducted in various batches by AIH&TM, HRD division of ITDC at its campus located at Samrat Hotel in association with Rajdhani Taxi association and others who supported in mobilizing the drivers, wherein AIHTM has trained 299 candidates under the scheme.

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