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IMPACT OF WESTERN CULTURE ON INDIA

India is a diverse country. Our country has many different languages, faiths, customs, and traditions. Indian literature on philosophy, Indian food, yoga, and other aspects of Indian culture has made an effect all over the world. Western culture is sometimes referred to as European civilization, Western civilization, or Western way of life. It is founded on particular belief systems, practices, and moral and ethical principles. The word refers not just to European countries, but also to areas where European civilization is spreading. India is a country rich in legacy and culture, however, we are witnessing the fading of Indian culture in many parts of the country, particularly in metropolitan communities.

Western culture has had a significant impact on our conventions, traditions, social and moral behaviour, and love and respect for others. Nowadays, people want to be free and do not want to be bound by Indian norms and traditions. We are seeing the breakdown of a combined family and the growth of the nuclear family daily. Few people are interested in making changes and sharing their possessions with other family members; the concept of privacy is becoming more important, and love and respect for others, particularly the elderly, are dwindling. People are too busy in this digital era to care for others. Western civilization has planted the roots of selfishness in Indian minds.

These are in direct opposition to Indian culture, which has always taught us to live in peace with one another and to love and respect everyone in our homes. A youngster who lacks the experience of a nuclear family owing to the absence of his grandfather and grandmother, as well as both parents working, fails to learn ethical or moral ideals and instead learns whatever little he sees and understands from the world and his instructors. As a result, we end up raising a child who has little ethical standards and is not afraid to engage in unethical behaviour since no one is there to educate him on good or evil or to stop him from doing anything wrong.
We must understand what is good and wrong for ourselves. Western society is not all negative; while it has made our lives quicker, it has also made them easier and more pleasant.
We must value our Indian culture, which taught us to live in peace and harmony with others by improving our tolerance and patience. Many people from other nations recognize the value of Indian heritage and are adopting aspects of Indian culture such as yoga and meditation, wisdom and teachings passed down from old saints, and so on. The study of Indian wisdom may assist people of any ethnicity better their lives.
It is time to recognize both the positive and negative effects of Indian and Western culture and to promote positive cultural traditions while eliminating those that are diminishing the quality of human existence.

What is noise pollution, and why should you be concerned about it?


What is noise pollution, and why should you be concerned about it? 

Noise Pollution, like any other pollution, is harmful to all humans and animals alike. 

Noise pollution is considered to be a sound that is loud, loud and unbearable. Impetuous and constant exposure to high decibels of sound can damage your overall hearing ability for life. 


If you were to close your eyes for a minute and cautiously try to hear everything around you, you would listen to at least 5 to 6 different sounds (unless you’re not sitting under a rock). Sounds of cars, horns, drilling, people chatting, the noise of footsteps, your quirky neighbour playing the drum, or simply you breathing. This shows how we are constantly under exposure to ‘unwanted’ sounds. This can increase stress levels, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and whatnot. 


Do you know the name of your body’s smallest and softest bone? It is known as Stripe. It is located inside your ear. This tiny bone can seriously be damaged by noise pollution. Which further results in loss of hearing and intense pain in one’s ear. Noise pollution causes serious harm to your ear drums, and to the hair cells in your linear ear. This renders your hearing ability to be completely hampered. 


Another cause of concern is that this ‘noise pollution is not restricted to land only. It’s inside the sea as well. And the marine life is not having a very good time with it. Ships, Seismic tests, Oil drills, and Naval Sonar devices, all play their part in making the once peaceful ocean a living hell. Marine animals, mainly Dolphins and Sharks, use a specialized mechanism called ‘echolocation’ to hunt for food, communicate, and find mates. The process of ‘echolocation’ is badly disrupted by noise pollution, and as a result, they fail to find food and communicate effectively. 


Therefore, it is binding upon everyone to make efforts, and take adequate measures to reduce the noise that harms everyone. Make your surroundings more peaceful, and noise-free. Plant trees, turn off the appliances, make use of noise absorbents, and don’t forget to wear an earplug. 

Let’s silence the noise that pollutes our Earth!

Mission LiFE unites the people of the earth as Pro Planet People

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), in the presence of the UN Secretary General António Guterres, at the Statue of Unity, Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. First proposed by the Prime Minister at COP 26, Mission LiFE is envisioned as an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment.

The Prime Minister and UNSG unveiled the LiFE logo and tagline, and released the Mission Document at the event. Union Minister of External Affair Dr S. Jaishankar and Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel were also present at the event.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of unity in the fight against climate change. He pointed towards the prevailing notion that climate change is an issue related only to policy and highlighted that climate change goes beyond only government responsibility and needs contributions from individual, families and communities.

The Prime Minister underlined that Mission LiFE makes the fight against climate change democratic, in which everyone can contribute with their respective capacities.

The Prime Minister elaborated that Mission LiFE emboldens the spirit of the P3 model, i.e. Pro Planet People. It functions on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’.

He also threw light on the concept of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ and circular economy and mentioned that it has been a part of the Indian lifestyle for thousands of years.

The Prime Minister noted that whenever India and the United Nations have worked together, new ways of making the world a better place have been found. He said, “India had proposed the International Day of Yoga, which was supported by the UN. Today it is inspiring millions of people around the world to lead a healthy life.” Giving the example of the International Year of Millets, the Prime Minister said that the International Year of Millets will be observed in 2023 and will become a global conversation. He added, “Mission LiFE can be successful only when it reaches every corner of the world. We have to remember this mantra—Prakriti Rakshati Rakshita—that is, those who protect nature, nature protects them. I believe we will build a better world by following Mission LiFE,” the PM concluded.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that in these perilous times for our planet, we need everyone’s support. “The LiFE initiative is designed to highlight essential and hopeful truths. All of us, individuals and communities, can and must be part of the solution of protecting our planet and our collective futures. After all, over-consumption is at the root of the triple planet emergency of climate, change, biodiversity loss and pollution,” he said. “I am immensely encouraged by the commitment that India has made to pursue environmentally sound policies and I look forward to working with India in driving this agenda forward,” he added.

France President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Mary Truss, Guyana President Irfan Ali, Argentina President Alberto Fernandez, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina, Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadure Deuba, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Georgia Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Estonia Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and others have extended support to the movement.

 

 

As many as 500 people participated in the event, including 116 Indian Heads of Missions abroad, UN Heads of Agencies in India, Union Minister of External Affairs, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, senior government officials, development partners, and others.

NITI Aayog and MoEFCC, in collaboration with Government of Gujarat, organized the global launch of Mission LiFE. 

NITI Aayog will curate and incubate Mission LiFE in the first year, and it will subsequently be implemented by MoEFCC. The mission is a 5-year programme.

About LiFE

The concept of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister at COP26 at Glasgow on 1 November 2021. On 5 June 2022, on World Environment Day, India furthered the vision of LiFE by launching the LiFE Global Movement, inviting academicians, researchers and start-ups across the world to think about specific and scientific ways in which the full potential of collective action can be harnessed to address the environment crisis. The movement received record support from global leaders.

Mission LiFE will action the ideas and ideals of LiFE through a mission-mode, scientific and measurable programme and demonstrate India’s commitment to walk the talk on climate change.

Mission LiFE is designed with the objective to mobilise at least one billion Indians and other global citizens to take individual and collective action for protecting and preserving the environment in the period 2022 to 2027. Within India, at least 80% of all villages and urban local bodies are aimed to become environment-friendly by 2028.

Watch the full event here: https://pmindiawebcast.nic.in

Read the full speech of the PM here: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1869466

Read the Mission document here: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-10/Brochure-10-pages-op-2-print-file-20102022.pdf

 

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Special Campaign 2.0 : Cleanliness campaign for quality disposal through coordination among all offices

 As part of the “Special Campaign 2.0”, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is carrying out various activities across the country – from disposing of pending files to maintaining cleanliness at field offices of MoRTH, NHAI, NHIDCL, IRC and IAHE.

The campaign, launched on 2 October, in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision, making working places clean and reduce the pendency of MP references, PMO references, Public Grievances, Parliament Assurances etc, in order to provide better services to the people.

 

 

As part of the Campaign, monitoring of disposal of pending MP references, Public Grievances, record management of files etc is being done by MoRTH on a daily basis through a dedicated portal. Efforts are being made for their quality disposal through coordination among different offices.

Accordingly, till 19 October, 347 MP references, 871 Public Grievances have been disposed of while 484 physical files have been weeded out so far. Cleanliness campaigns have been carried out at 2,433 locations, which include toll plazas, Regional Offices & PIU/PMUs of MoRTH/NHAI/NHIDCL.

 

 

As part of the campaign, Union RTH Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari himself inspected the Ministry premises recently and gave necessary instructions to the officials to ensure that the area is clean. He also took a review meeting in this regard. MoS RTH General (Dr) V.K. Singh also held a review meeting to see the progress of the campaign.

Reports have been pouring in from different parts of the country, where officials and workers are seen to be working in tandem to ensure cleanliness at various toll plazas and Way Side Amenities.

 

 

Shri Giridhar Aramane, Secretary, MoRTH while administering Swachhta pledge to the officers and staff of this Ministry, had directed to strictly follow the directions regarding maximum of 4 level of the channel of submission in decision making by Ministry and all its subordinate offices. He advised the officers to maintain absolute integrity and utmost cleanliness in all official dealings to ensure corruption free system.

 

MJPS

Special Swachhta Campaign 2.0

As part of Special Campaign 2.0 being conducted by all the Ministries across Government of India between 2nd October and  31st October, the activities for the Ministry Mines was launched by Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj on 2nd October at Khanij Kaksh where all the organizations under the Ministry joined through V.C. The Ministry has identified 84 site offices throughout India for implementing 116 swachhta campaigns.

During the preparation phase from 15th to 30th September Secretary and Additional Secretary of Mines ministry visited field offices of GSI and IBM to inspect and guide these offices for the Campaign.

NALCO vermicompost

The goal set by the Ministry this year is “giving back to the environment in the form of rainwater harvesting, compost pits, cleaning lakes/ponds and eco-disposal of waste.” As part of best practices the buildings owned by the offices of Ministry of Mines is setting up rainwater harvesting structures. Three sites have been identified for Compost Pit projects.

 

   Innovative idea HCLVermicompost (jharkhand)(1)

 

Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj recently visited GSI Headquarter office in Kolkata and inspected the work being done under Special Campaign 2.0 and instructed the employees to take up the campaign with utmost sincerity to make it a grand success.

     waste gsi

Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs  Shri Pralhad Joshi and Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj visited the site identified by the Ministry for conversion of space into Wellness Café and encouraged the employees for taking full benefits of the same. Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi also visited GSI headquarters in Kolkata and inaugurated the Wellness Cafeteria there under the special campaign 2.0.

GSI CANTEEN INAUGURATION

 

The Ministry utilized the campaign for better record management by identifying pending MP references, references from the State Governments, Inter Ministerial references, Parliamentary Assurances, PMO references, Public Grievance and PG appeals.

While reviewing the works done under special campaign,  Minister  Shri Pralhad Joshi suggested segregation of waste in departmental canteen which is being implemented by the Ministry of Mines. Ministry of Education which is the nodal ministry is also requested to issue similar guidelines for the departmental canteen and they have taken up the matter with all the departmental canteens based in Shastri Bhawan for waste segregation and using the bio waste for making compost pits.

 

                                                    

 

GSITI, Hyderabad also as a best practise started waste segregation in its hostel canteen and using bio waste for making compost. Compost Pit has been created in GSITI, Hyderabad.

Ministry of  Mines in special campaign 1.0 has weeded out around one lakh files. This year as the emphasis is on field offices, through its attached and subordinate offices M/o Mines has kept the target of reviewing 3.32 lakhs files under record management. During the campaign the field offices are removing scrap as old as 20 years from their  offices spread across India.

So far, Ministry of Mines and its field organizations have achieved 90.51% of the cleanliness campaign and generated revenue of Rs. 1,58,40,266/- from scrap disposal. About 92,199 square feet space has been freed through efficient records management. It is expected that the Ministry would achieve 100% of the target set for the Special Swachhta Campaign 2.0 by 31st October, 2022.

 

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Citizen participation in the national campaign for segregation of waste at source

The goal of the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0’ is to make cities garbage free. One of the key aspects is to segregate waste at source. This key step will help to reduce the amount of waste that goes to legacy dumpsites. Sustainable waste management being one of the critical challenges, the priority is to shift from the current practice of dumping and burning to sustainable waste management practices that promote segregation, collection, recycling and a circular economy. With rapidly changing urban landscapes, ecosystems, population migrations, and ever-increasing households and establishments, it is essential that behaviour change is reinforced from time to time among citizens.

October is the month of festivals and with behaviour change at the centre of the campaign, MoHUA launched thematic activities to propel segregation of waste at source campaign. The core activities involve dissemination of key messages to the citizens through public outreach, door-to-door messaging and engagement with schools.  

Traditionally on Diwali, most households undertake home cleaning. Children as change agents have been long established under Swachh Bharat Mission and are known to impact overall community behaviors. This Diwali the school children can gift swachhta ka uphaar to their family and friends.

 

Urban Local Bodies are being encouraged to organize public outreach activities to garner the attention of the residents to promote the practice of segregation. The core activities include – door-to-door messaging with support from NGOs, SHGs, schools, colleges, youth organizations, RWAs, other civil societies, volunteers, etc demonstrating proper segregation covering all wards. ULBs can arrange separate storage systems to be fitted in the collection vehicles – wet (green), dry (blue) and any means of the collection – partitions, large bags, cane baskets, plastic/metal bins, or others. These core activities will ensure collected segregated waste remains segregated until processing facilities.

The special activities engaging school children have begun and will go on till 30th of October. Selfie points are being created using installations representing pair of bins -green (for wet waste) and blue (for dry waste). ULBs will engage with the public/school children through tongue-twister challenges. Participants can be challenged to repeat quickly ‘Hara Geela Sookha Neela’ as many times as possible. Mobile Vans/trucks can play “Humein Garv Hai” song and promote messages on clean/SUP free Diwali.

To encourage student participation in promoting segregation of waste both at school and at home, some of the activities planned are ‘Bins Out of Waste’ – Students can be encouraged to collect a bin from home and create art out of it at school using different painting media, students can participate in the Toycathon challenge (Register on https://innovateindia.mygov.in/swachh-toycathon/) where they can be asked to bring in 5-6 segregated dry waste items from home and create toys out of waste. To encourage Home to School Connect, students can create two labels each – green for wet waste and blue for dry waste with messages on segregation at source written on them. The finished labels can be taken back home and pasted on their bins meant for wet and dry waste. Students can also create labels for their homes that can be stuck outside their house proclaiming ‘My house segregates waste’. This can serve as an indirect platform to remind and motivate their visiting friends and family to segregate.

In a massive drive, in the first 72 hours more than 10 lakh children have already been engaged. Participating schools can register on the website sbmurban.gov.in. Each school can be awarded a certificate of participation after the activities.

Celebrating eight years of accomplishments of SBM-Urban, the Hon’ble President of India Droupadi Murmu, on 1st Oct 2022, urged the citizens of India to join in the ‘Segregation of waste at Source’ campaign that focuses on reinforcing correct waste segregation practices among the different sections of the society. As a part of the two-week long Swachh Amrit Mahotsav, MoHUA rolled out the national campaign for segregation of waste at source on 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti.

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KASHI TAMIL SANGAMAM

 Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan along with MoS, I&B and Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri L. Murugan today announced the “KASHI TAMIL SANGAMAM” to be held from 16th Nov to 19th Dec 2022. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also launched the website for registering for “KASHI TAMIL SANGAMAM”.

Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti (BBS) has come up with a proposal to   rediscover, reaffirm and celebrate the age-old links between the Tamil culture and Kashi that has existed since centuries. A month long “Kashi Tamil Sangamam” is to be organized in Varanasi (Kashi)  from 16th November to 19th December,2022  during which academic exchanges – seminars, discussions etc will be held between experts/ scholars on various facets of the two ancient manifestations of Indian Culture, with focus on bringing out the links and shared values between the two.  The broader objective is to bring the two Knowledge and Cultural traditions closer, create and understanding of our shared heritage and deepen the people-to-people bond between the regions.

While addressing the press conference, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that India is a symbol of civilizational connectivity. The Kashi-Tamil Sangamam shall be an ideal platform to understand the unity in India’s civilizational assets through two historic centres of knowledge & culture. The Sangamam to be organised under the overall framework and spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat” will create a bridge between ancient India and contemporary generation. Kashi Sangamam will rediscover the link between these two ancient centres of knowledge, culture and heritage, he further added.

Shri Pradhan informed that Kashi-Tamil Sangamam will be centred around a series of themes that cover various facets of knowledge – literature, ancient texts, philosophy, spirituality, music, dance, drama, yoga, Ayurveda, handlooms, handicrafts as well as the modern innovations, trade exchanges, edutech and other gen next technology etc. Seminars, discussions, lectures, lec-dems etc will be held on these themes, for which subject experts will be invited. This shall be unique learning experience for students, scholars, academics, practising professionals, etc. on various facets of Indian Knowledge Systems, Education & Training Practices, Arts & Culture, Language, Literature, etc, he added.

 

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To ensure that the benefit of these discussions reaches the actual practitioners of these knowledge streams, it is proposed that in addition to experts, common practitioners from various groups from different parts of Tamil Nadu, can be brought for an 8-day visit of Varanasi and its neighbouring areas. Tentatively, 12 such groups have been identified including students, teachers, literary (authors, poets, publishers), cultural experts, professionals (practicing arts, music, dance, drama, folk art, yoga, Ayurveda), entrepreneurs, (SMEs, start-ups) business people, (community business groups, hoteliers,) artisans, heritage related experts (archaeologists, tour guides, bloggers etc) spiritual, rural, sampradaya organizations. These people will participate in the academic programs, interact with people of Varanasi associated with the same field, and visit places of interest in and around Varanasi.

It is proposed that around 210 people from different parts of Tamil Nadu can be taken in one group for a period of 8 days. 12 such groups, comprising around 2500 people can visit over a month.

At the end of the Sangamam event, people of Tamil Nadu shall get an immersive experience of Kashi and the people of Kashi shall also get to know the cultural richness of Tamil Nadu through a healthy exchange of knowledge sharing experiences – events, visits, conversations, etc.

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“KASHI TAMIL SANGAMAM” and launches the website for the registration process

 Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan along with MoS, I&B and Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri L. Murugan today announced the “KASHI TAMIL SANGAMAM” to be held from 16th Nov to 19th Dec 2022. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also launched the website for registering for “KASHI TAMIL SANGAMAM”.

Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti (BBS) has come up with a proposal to   rediscover, reaffirm and celebrate the age-old links between the Tamil culture and Kashi that has existed since centuries. A month long “Kashi Tamil Sangamam” is to be organized in Varanasi (Kashi)  from 16th November to 19th December,2022  during which academic exchanges – seminars, discussions etc will be held between experts/ scholars on various facets of the two ancient manifestations of Indian Culture, with focus on bringing out the links and shared values between the two.  The broader objective is to bring the two Knowledge and Cultural traditions closer, create and understanding of our shared heritage and deepen the people-to-people bond between the regions.

While addressing the press conference, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that India is a symbol of civilizational connectivity. The Kashi-Tamil Sangamam shall be an ideal platform to understand the unity in India’s civilizational assets through two historic centres of knowledge & culture. The Sangamam to be organised under the overall framework and spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat” will create a bridge between ancient India and contemporary generation. Kashi Sangamam will rediscover the link between these two ancient centres of knowledge, culture and heritage, he further added.

Shri Pradhan informed that Kashi-Tamil Sangamam will be centred around a series of themes that cover various facets of knowledge – literature, ancient texts, philosophy, spirituality, music, dance, drama, yoga, Ayurveda, handlooms, handicrafts as well as the modern innovations, trade exchanges, edutech and other gen next technology etc. Seminars, discussions, lectures, lec-dems etc will be held on these themes, for which subject experts will be invited. This shall be unique learning experience for students, scholars, academics, practising professionals, etc. on various facets of Indian Knowledge Systems, Education & Training Practices, Arts & Culture, Language, Literature, etc, he added.

 

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-20 at 5.59.32 PM.jpeg

 

WhatsApp Image 2022-10-20 at 5.59.36 PM.jpeg

 

To ensure that the benefit of these discussions reaches the actual practitioners of these knowledge streams, it is proposed that in addition to experts, common practitioners from various groups from different parts of Tamil Nadu, can be brought for an 8-day visit of Varanasi and its neighbouring areas. Tentatively, 12 such groups have been identified including students, teachers, literary (authors, poets, publishers), cultural experts, professionals (practicing arts, music, dance, drama, folk art, yoga, Ayurveda), entrepreneurs, (SMEs, start-ups) business people, (community business groups, hoteliers,) artisans, heritage related experts (archaeologists, tour guides, bloggers etc) spiritual, rural, sampradaya organizations. These people will participate in the academic programs, interact with people of Varanasi associated with the same field, and visit places of interest in and around Varanasi.

It is proposed that around 210 people from different parts of Tamil Nadu can be taken in one group for a period of 8 days. 12 such groups, comprising around 2500 people can visit over a month.

At the end of the Sangamam event, people of Tamil Nadu shall get an immersive experience of Kashi and the people of Kashi shall also get to know the cultural richness of Tamil Nadu through a healthy exchange of knowledge sharing experiences – events, visits, conversations, etc.

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rivate sector to take advantage of Government’s policies & contribute to Nation Building by modernising the Armed Forces

 India must set new goals according to the constantly-evolving global scenario and research & development, with active private sector participation, is the way to achieve the preparedness required to deal with future challenges. This was stated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh while addressing a seminar ‘Aatmanirbharta in Defence R&D – Synergistic Approach’ organised by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on October 20, 2022.

Shri Rajnath Singh listed out a number of policy reforms undertaken by the government to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence crucial for staying ready to deal with future security challenges. He made special mention of the announcement of fourth positive indigenisation list of 101 made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the opening ceremony of DefExpo 2022, terming it as a matter of great pride that now over 400 defence items will be procured from domestic vendors.

The Raksha Mantri also spoke about the decision to dedicate one-fourth of the defence R&D budget to industry led R&D, saying that these are just some of the many steps which have laid the foundation of a strong self-reliant defence industry, sufficient to equip the Armed Forces with latest weapons/equipment. He exuded confidence that with the active participation of the private sector, the Armed Forces will be better prepared to deal with security challenges faced by the nation.

“India has embarked on a journey of self-reliance of R&D in defence. Private sector will play a crucial role in taking us to the destination. Both public and the private sectors are the wheels, with which the R&D vehicle will move towards complete self-reliance. With collaborative efforts of the Government and the industry, we will realise the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” Shri Rajnath Singh said.

The Raksha Mantri also highlighted the crucial role played by DRDO in synergising the efforts of the industry, academia and Defence R&D towards fuelling India’s mission of ‘Aatmanirbharta’. He lauded DRDO for contributing towards enhancing the capability of the Armed Forces by developing various futuristic and first-of-its-kind innovations and technologies. He added that the organisation is no longer a sole service provider for defence R&D, but has also become a facilitator for in-house R&D and the private sector.

On the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh felicitated the ‘Dare to Dream 3’ winners and launched the ‘Dare to Dream 4’ contest to encourage innovation through the Indian scientific community. He congratulated the winners of Dare-to-Dream 3 and said that the contest promotes new ideas and innovative thinking in individuals and start-ups.

The Raksha Mantri also presided over the signing of MoUs with academic institutions and Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO), Indian Navy for the formation of DRDO-Industry-Academia – Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoEs).  The academic institutions included IIT Roorkee, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU and Bharatiya University. These centres act as research nodes for the country in identified subjects which are building blocks for futuristic technologies. The MoUs with academic institutions will initiate the work in the focussed areas for advanced research in defence. Long term and short-term research areas will be balanced to address the current needs and lay the foundations for futuristic technologies.

In addition, Rotary Wing Research & Design Centre division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and M/s Accord Systems and Software were awarded the design organisational approval certificates. Guidelines on the Human Reliability Factors and Human Reliability Assessment was released by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt for the benefit of all the stakeholders of the ecosystem. Two monographs authored by the former scientists of DRDO were also released by the Raksha Rajya Mantri. Design Organisation Approval Scheme certificates were also handed over to the industries on the occasion.

A book titled ‘Compilation of 8 years major achievements of DRDO, Ministry of Defence (2014-2022)’ was also released by Shri Rajnath Singh. The book contains various achievements of DRDO giving brief descriptions of major launches, flight trials, ToTs, DRDO-industry-academia partnership, etc.

The second session was chaired by Secretary DDR&D Dr Samir V Kamat wherein presentations were made by all stakeholders of the defence R&D. Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri Dr G Satheesh Reddy chaired the panel discussions. The seminar was also attended by senior distinguished service officers, officials from Ministry of defence, IIT Directors, industry representatives, academia, DRDO scientists and others.

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CSIR-NIScPR Organises Fit India Freedom Run 3.0

 National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research NIScPR), New Delhi is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) which serves the Nation with its mandates of policy research and science communication related studies. To strengthen the ‘Fit India Mission’ of Government of India, CSIR-NIScPR is organizing ‘Fit India Activities during 2-31 October 2022. Many sports activities are scheduled under this endeavor.

Dr. Sujit Bhattacharye, Director In-Charge, CSIR-NIScPR flagging off ‘Fit India Freedom Run 3.0’

Today, CSIR-NIScPR organizes ‘Fit India Freedom Run 3.0’ of 3 Kilometer distance for its staff members, Project Associates, Research Interns, AcSIR Students, Outsource manpower, friends and family members. NIScPR’s Director In-Charge Dr. Sujit Bhattacharya flagged off this Fit India Freedom Run from its New Delhi Pusa Campus at 10:30 AM. On the occasion, Dr. Bhattacharya says that Fit India Run is an innovative gesture to make aware the staff members and other human resources of the institute for health and fitness. The Chairman of CSIR-NIScPR Committee for the Fit India Mission, Shri Ashwani Kumar Brahmi briefed all the participants of Fit India Freedom Run about the concerned guidelines of the Govt. of India. In this activity, Dr. Mohammad Rais, Dr. Naresh Kumar, Dr. L. Pulamte, Dr. B. L. Garg, Dr. Sandhya Wakdikar, Dr. Madhulika Bhati, Dr. Suman Ray, Dr. Puspanjali Tripathy, Dr. Shiv Narayan Nishad, Dr. Arvind Meena, Dr. Manish Mohan Gore, Dr. Meher Wan, Dr. Paramananda Barman (Scientists of CSIR-NIScPR), Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh Roshan, Controller of Administration, Shri Ajay Kumar, Controller of Finance & Accounts, Shri Pankaj Goswami, Administrative officer and other staff members of the Institute actively participated in this Fit India Run. The number of participants was more than 200.

Staff members of CSIR-NIScPR are participating in Fit India Freedom Run

CSIR-NIScPR is very active in sports activities and it regularly participates in Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Memorial Tournaments (SSBMT) along with the in-house sports activities. The SSBMT is a platform created by CSIR Sports Promotion Board to bring together the participation of different CSIR institutes to build a committed CSIR family and create team spirit, leadership and zeal to excel against all odds. Under SSBMT, competitions in games of Cricket, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Chess, Carrom and Bridge are organized. CSIR-NIScPR is an active member of SSBMT.

 

under-utilization of CRMs and application of bio-decomposer in Punjab

 An Inter-Ministerial meeting under the co-chairmanship of Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying on the issue of Parali Management of crop residue burning in Delhi NCR, was held today.

 

 

Discussions were held regarding status of implementation of the respective action plans of the NCR States and NCTD, utilization of machinery for in-situ and ex-situ management, extensive use of bio-decomposers for in-situ management of paddy straw, arrangement for supply of paddy straw to various industrial, commercial, bio-energy and other applications, facilitation of farmers, aggregators, manufacturers, entrepreneurs for setting up of paddy straw baling / raking operations, storage, pelletizing and transport infrastructures, co-firing in Thermal Power Plants (TPPs), using non-basmati Parali as Fodder in Fodder deficient areas in Gujarat and Rajasthan among others.  Monitoring and control action taken by States on the reported fire incidences etc. were also discussed.

MoA&FW made a brief presentation on the actions taken by DoAH&D for Management of Crop Residue Burning. He highlighted that the status of Parali management in Haryana is significantly better than that in Punjab. 9 out of 22 districts in Punjab and 4 out of 22 district in Haryana are major contributors of stubble burning in these states. So, these 13 districts need to be focused upon more.  Sangrur, Moga, Tarn Taran and Fatehabad are among them. Till 15th October, the trend for fire events was less as compared to last year but now it has started growing rapidly, especially in Punjab. Early harvesting is the reason for high fire counts in Amritsar and Tarn Taran. It was also apprised that the coverage of land for the application of Pusa decomposer is less in Punjab which needs to be promoted and enhanced.

Representative of Ministry of Power informed that it has mandated 5% blending of biomass pellets with the coal for co-firing in Thermal Power Plants (TPPs). The co-firing also helps to prevent CO2 emissions. Till now, 0.1 million MT CO2 emissions have been prevented.

Chairman, CAQM informed that they have prepared a detailed framework for in-situ and ex-situ management of parali and the States have been advised to implement the same to contain stubble burning. It was mentioned in the meeting that in spite of several meetings and efforts by CAQM, the steps taken by Punjab are inadequate.   

It was mentioned in the meeting that one of the main concerns is the delayed delivery of CRM Machines in Punjab and Haryana. The NCT of Delhi and NCR States are expected to utilize the funds effectively and for the maintenance of the provided CRM machines. Pusa decomposer application needs to be promoted. A proper supply chain management also needs to be developed by the States for utilization of pellets in TPPs. 

 For reducing the paddy straw generation, promotion of basmati variety and crop diversification are effective ways to reduce the menace. The State’s Comprehensive Action Plans to curb air pollution need to be strictly implemented. There must be a coordinated ecosystem for collection, aggregation, storage and transportation of the paddy straw for effective ex-situ management of parali, as discussed in the meeting.

It was informed that efforts of ISRO and MoA&FW have helped to get the accurate data on co-firing by TPPs.

Chief Secretary, Govt. of Punjab was asked to enhance the application of Pusa decomposer and control the increasing rate of Active Fire Events in Amritsar and to ensure 50% reduction in cases of Active Fire Events in the State in comparison to last year.

Chief Secretary, Govt. of Haryana reported a 55% reduction in Active Fire Events in the state in comparison to last year. With the help of Remote sensing monitoring and experts from Haryana Agriculture University (HAU), the farmers are being trained about the desired farm practices and prevention of stubble burning.

Chief Secretary, Govt. of UP was advised to carry on with their positive efforts and ensure maintenance of progress achieved so far in the field of parali management.

Chief Secretary, NCT of Delhi informed about the increase in the coverage of land area under Pusa application coverage.

Minister of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry & Dairying mentioned that there is a shortage of fodder in various part of the country and suggested that an efficient system is essential to be developed for transportation of the stubble available in NCR region to the fodder deficient regions.

Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare further informed that an event on Pusa decomposer application is being organized on 4th November 2022 for educating the famers about the details. The event is likely to include an open discussion with the scientist of ICAR.

 

 

Speaking during the meeting Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that it is heartening to note that Government of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have done remarkable work towards control of stubble burning. They have implemented the framework in the States which includes in-situ management, ex-situ management, effective monitoring and enforcement and IEC activities which have resulted in less events of stubble burning. 

Shri Yadav expressed concern that Government of Punjab had not been able to take coordinated actions to contain stubble burning in the state. He reiterated that the State had been provided sufficient number of equipment and farm machineries under CRM scheme of MoA&FW and also adequate funds have been provided yet there has not been sufficient progress in implementation of the action plan.

HMEF&CC stated that sufficient number of machineries have been distributed for parali management. He further directed Government of Haryana to ensure 24 hour supply of electricity in Sonipat, Panipat, Faridabad and Gurugram.

HMEF&CC hoped that coordinated actions will lead to significant improvement of air quality in the region.

The Senior officers of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, CAQM and Chief Secretaries and officers from Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, NTPC etc. attended the meeting.

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Crop Residue Management

 The Union Inter-Ministerial Meeting with the States on the issues of Crop Residue Management was chaired by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar with the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupendra Yadav and the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala in co-chair. The three ministers held intense discussions with the states to check the burning of stubble. Shri Tomar said that there is a need to fix the accountability of the collectors in the affected districts by the respective State Governments, while Shri Yadav said that the states should implement effective measures immediately. Shri Rupala stressed on proactive steps, especially for the problem of stubble burning in Punjab.

 

 

In the high-level review meeting, senior officials of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi state government and top officials of all the three central ministries as well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Central Pollution Control Board, Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Ministry of Power and senior officials of other central ministries and departments participated. It was informed in the meeting that the states need to ensure effective utilization of 2.07 lakh machines already supplied by the Center during the last 4 years and 47,000 machines being provided during the current year. Under the Central Scheme on Crop Residue Management, the Government is already providing financial assistance to Punjab, Haryana, U.P. and NCT Delhi to combat air pollution in Delhi NCR due to stubble burning. Rs. 601.53 crore has already been released by the Center during the current year so far. Also, out of the amount given in the last four years, about Rs 900 crore is available with the states. The need for effective utilization of funds provided by the Government of India to the states for stubble management was emphasized in the meeting.

Shri Tomar said that the states should promote widespread use of bio-decomposer developed by the Pusa Institute for effective in-situ decomposition of stubble. He said that the Central Government has tried its best to fulfil the expectations of states. If the state governments also work diligently in the same way, it will bring good results. Especially, if effective checking is done on stubble burning in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts of Punjab, then half the job will be done, because these two districts are facing the maximum problem. Effective control in these four states will also help contain the problem from spreading to other states. If we work with holistic efforts in a planned manner, the availability of fodder for cattle will also be easy. Shri Tomar said that a workshop is being organized in Pusa, Delhi on 4th November, in which farmers from Punjab and adjoining areas have been called for this purpose, senior officers of Punjab should also participate in this workshop so that their doubts regarding the Pusa decomposer are cleared. Shri Tomar said that Pusa decomposer is the cheapest and most effective solution for Crop Residue Management, which needs to be promoted.

 

 

Environment Minister Shri Yadav said that more than two lakh machines given by the Center are sufficient, it is necessary that they should be fully utilized for addressing the problem. Other contributing factors of pollution have also been considered by the Center. Emphasizing on effective control to prevent stubble burning, especially in Punjab, Shri Yadav called upon the state’s Chief Secretary to take immediate and appropriate action as well as to promote the use of Pusa decomposer.

During the meeting, explaining the need to implement appropriate IEC activities for the targeted farmers, the states have been advised to make a strategic plan by deploying all the necessary resources and deal with the situation. Considering the benefits of bio decomposer, states have been advised to demonstrate this technology in farmers’ fields on a large scale. During the current year, a target has been set to bring more than 8.15 lakh hectares of land in the states under the ambit of this technology. To promote and disseminate the ex-situ use of stubble by mapping the demand of stubble from biomass-based power plants, bioethanol plants and nearby industries as well as to reach out to all the stakeholders through Kisan Melas, publications, seminars, consultations, it has been urged to undertake IEC activities for awareness among farmers through intensive campaigns with their participation. This will effectively control stubble burning.

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Television Watching

Television-watching
is a wonderful source of delight. The youngsters and the aged alike find
recreation at their own homes. When a man is tired of daily work, he retires to
a room and starts listening to the television music, watching dances and adds
to his knowledge by listening to the news and other commentaries. Thus, television
watching gives both instruction and joy.

Television-programmes
were introduced in India more than a decade ago. Therefore, the expansion of
television net-work in India is yet to take place. Efforts are being
ceaselessly made and much success has been achieved. The people watch this
programme in the tele-clubs, which have become very popular these days. The
children watch their lessons on their school television-sets and they
understand these lessons very nicely.

Television-programmes
have become very popular in schools. The best instructors may speak to
thousands of students and thus teach the lesson in an interesting manner. The
laboratory experiments are performed and the science students also usually
benefit form such programmes. There are certain lessons. Sometimes, very
uncommon things are shown to the students on the T.V which are not possible in
the classrooms and they are managed on the T.T. and the students understand
their lesson very easily. The television lessons give both instruction and
enjoyment to the students. The students sometimes watch certain films based on
educational themes very clearly on the television screen. Such films give
instruction and entertainment both, at a stretch.

In
India we find a large number of tele-clubs in big cities, where children and
elders throng to watch the films.