4th National Water Awards Launched on Rashtriya Puraskar portal

The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the 4th National Water Awards on the Rashtriya Puraskar portal. All the applications will be received through the online Rashtriya Puraskar portal (www.awards.gov.in) only. General public may refer to this portal or the website of this Department (www.jalshakti-dowr.gov.in) for further detail. The last date for submitting application is 15th September, 2022.

Eligibility for the awards:

Any State, District, Village Panchayat, Urban Local Body, Media, School, Institution, Industry, Non-Governmental Organisation, or Water User Association that has done exemplary work in the field of water conservation and management are eligible to apply.

Trophy and Citation:

For the categories – ‘Best State’ and ‘Best District’, winners will be felicitated with a trophy and citation. In the remaining categories – ‘Best Village Panchayat’, ‘Best Urban Local Body’, ‘Best Media’, ‘Best School’, ‘Best Institution for campus usage’, ‘Best industry’, ‘Best NGO’, ‘Best Water User Association’ and ‘Best Industry for CSR activities’, winners will be felicitated with cash prize along with trophy and citation. The cash prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rank winners are Rs.2 lakhs, Rs.1.5 lakhs, and Rs.1 lakh, respectively.

Selection Process:

All applications received for the 4th National Water Awards are placed before the Jury Committee which is constituted by the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation. No Award is conferred except on the recommendation of the Jury Committee. The recommendation of the Committee is submitted to the Union Minister (Jal Shakti) for approval. Thereafter, the names of the winners are announced on a suitable date.

Details of the awards:

Sl. No.	Name of category	Eligible Entity	Award	No. of Award
1.	Best State	State Government/UT	Trophy with Citation	3Awards
2.	Best District	District Administration/ DM/ DC	Trophy with Citation	3 Awards
3.	Best Village Panchayat	Village Panchayat	Cash Awards & Trophy with Citation	3 Awards: First award: Rs.2 lakh Second award: Rs.1.5lakh Third award: Rs.1lakh
4.	Best Urban Local Body	Urban Local Body	-do-	-do-
5.	Best Media (Print & Electronic)	Newspaper/Magazine/ TV Shows	-do-	-do-
6.	Best School	School	-do-	-do-
7.	Best Institution for Campus usage	Institution/ RWA/ Religious/ Higher Education organization	-do-	-do-
8.	Best Industry	Small/Medium/ Large Scale Industry	-do-	-do-
9.	Best NGO	Registered NGOs	-do-	-do-
10.	Best Water User Association	Water User Association	-do-	-do-
11.	Best Industry for CSR Activities	Large/ Medium/Small Industry	-do-	-do-

The National Water Awards (NWAs) were introduced to recognize and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by States, Districts, individuals, organizations, etc. across the country in accomplishing the government’s vision ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’. It aims to sensitize the public about the importance of water and motivates them to adopt the best water usage practices. The award winners in different categories will be presented with a citation, trophy, and cash prize. The objective of the National Water Awards is to encourage the stakeholders to adopt a holistic approach toward water resource management in the country as surface water and groundwater play a significant role in the water cycle. In order to embrace these objectives, the first edition of the National Water Awards was introduced in the year 2018 by the Department. The distribution ceremony was successfully organized on 25 February 2019 in New Delhi, and 82 winners under 14 categories were awarded. Thereafter, the 2nd National Water Awards 2019 was successfully organized, and 98 winners under 16 categories were awarded by the Vice President of India on 11-12 November 2020. The 3rd National Water Awards were successfully organized on 29th March 2022 and 57 winners under 11 categories were felicitated with awards by the President of India.

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Expression of essence of India not possible without Doordarshan and All India Radio

Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) today launched a serial Swaraj – Bharat Ke Swatantrata Sangram ki Samagra Gatha at Akashwani Bhawan in presence of Union Minister of State for I&B Dr. L. Murugan , Secretary of I&B Shri Apurva Chandra and CEO Prasar Bharati Shri Mayank Agarwal.

Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur while speaking on the occasion remarked that Doordarshan and All India Radio had done a commendable job of reviving the valiant stories of over 550 freedom fighters and enabling the acquaintance of the younger generations with these unsung heroes.

Speaking about the serial the Minister said that it is aimed at reimagining the vision behind the idea of swaraj and tell the stories of the leaders that moulded that idea into a reality. The serial is a manifestation of our pride in these heroes from the past. With satisfaction in his expressions the Minister stated that intense research had gone into making of the serial and information and documents have been collected from all the corners of the country to bring to life these stories from our freedom struggle.

Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah while speaking about the role played by the public broadcaster recalled the time stalwarts like Pandit Jasraj and Ustal Bismillah Khan had said that if it had not been for Akashwani, they would not have existed. He said “It is not possible to spread the expression of the essence of India without Doordarshan and All India Radio.”

The Minister deliberated on the meaning of celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and said it is not just a celebration of our freedom struggle but also of the achievements of the past seventy-five years since independence, of the sacrifices of the sung and unsung heroes of our freedom struggle. This is also a time when we are visualizing the contours of the future of India and India is only going to attain greater heights of excellence from here, he added.

Swaraj is an intricate concept and Shri Amit Shah dwelled on the idea and said Swaraj is not just limited to the idea of self-rule. It is the process of governing the country in our own unique way and this includes own languages and own culture and till the time we cannot imbibe this all-encompassing idea of swaraj, India has not really achieved it. In the centenary year, it will be important to preserve our languages and pass on our historic legacies and our culture to the future generations, he added.

The Minister credited the crew behind the serial for their diligence. He said that from education to wealth, from culture to governance, historically India was much more advanced than the colonial powers, but a false narrative was manufactured about India and an inferiority complex created in the people. He said that the serial Swaraj will eliminate all inferiorities from the collective conscience of the people of the country.

Various Members of Parliament, Senior officials of the Ministry, Doordarshan and All India Radio news were present on the occasion.

Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati Shri Mayank Agarwal said that the serial will be broadcast on Akashwani along with Doordarshan. Shri Agarwal expressed his gratitude to the team behind the production of this serial for their extensive research and diligence.

About Swaraj – Swatantrata Sangram ki Samagra Gatha

Swaraj is a 75-episode serial produced in 4K/HD quality and will air every Sunday from 9 to 10 pm on Doordarshan National from August 14. It is being dubbed in nine regional languages along with English. The serial in regional languages Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Oriya, Bengali and Assamese will be broadcast on Doordarshan’s regional channels from August 20. Starting from the landing of Vasco-da-gama in 1498 the serial presents a rich saga of the heroes of this land. This includes many unsung heroes of the likes of Rani Abbakka, Bakshi Jagabandhu, Tirot Sing, Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu, Shivappa Nayaka, Kanhoji Angre, Rani Gaidinliu, Tilka Majhi etc. along with famous freedom fighters like Rani Lakshmibai, Maharaj Shivaji, Tatya Tope, Madam Bhikaji Kama etc.

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Doordarshan's Serial “Swaraj: Bharat ke Swatantrata Sangram ki Samagra Gatha”

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah attended the launch and special screening program of Doordarshan’s“Swaraj: “Bharat ke Swatantrata Sangram ki Samagra Gatha” serial as the Chief Guest in New Delhi today. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, ShriApoorva Chandra, Chief Executive Officer of PrasarBharati, Shri Mayank Kumar Agrawal and many other dignitaries were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Amit Shah said Doordarshan and All India Radio have stirred up the country from time to time through various programmes by cultivating and channelizing emotions and finally bringing together creative power. Shri Shah said only All India Radio and Doordarshan can express the feeling of India.

The Union Home Minister said today’s programme has a special significance in itself because under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav which is very important for the Nation. We are glorifying our Independence in the country and abroad and our national achievements over the last 75 years. Millions of people, knowingly or unknowingly, sacrificed their lives so that we got ourFreedom, and we are also rememberingthem. At the same time, we are resolving to make a great India during the period from the AmritMahotsav to the Centenary of our Independence, and we are also expressing our strong willingness to put in the ideal efforts to fulfill these resolutions. Shri Amit Shah said that after the leap that the country is about to take,no one can stop India from becoming great. Doordarshan has undertaken production of75 episodes of the “Swaraj” serial under the leadership of Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.

Shri Amit Shah said that the meaning of the word Swaraj in India is not limited to self-government. The word Swaraj in itself means to make the whole of India Independent and to run our affairs in our own way. The word Swaraj means swa-bhasha, swa-dharm and swa-sanskriti and our own arts. Unless we understand the spirit of Swaraj literally, India cannot achieve Swaraj in the true sense. He said that over the past 75 years, everyone has made efforts to take the nation forward. But if we are not able to save our languages when the Centenary of Independence is celebrated, if we cannot pass on our history to the next generation and if we cannot save our culture which has been continuous for thousands of years, then can we achieve Swaraj? He said those who ruled us had destroyed our excellently developed systems. They could rule over us only if they created an inferiority complex in us, because we were ahead of them in every field. We were far ahead of them in humanitarian and governance values. The India which has given the Gita, the Vedas, the numeral zero and astronomy to the world. Those who ruled over us also tried to create myths about the knowledge we possessed, they created an inferiority complex about our languages, our culture, and our ability to govern.

The Union Home Minister said the 75-week long “Swaraj” serial will be translated and shown in all Indian languages. The purpose of the serial should be to uproot every inferiority complex and bring a sense of pride in our people, it is only then that will we be able to fulfill the objectives of Swaraj and this will be the biggest achievement of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Shri Shah told the youth gathered at the function, that those who do not glorify the positive aspects of their history, can never create a great future for themselves. If the country has to have a great future, then our great history has to create pride in the youth. The Home Minister said he has complete faith that this serial will move our youth and create pride amongst them about our history and we will move forward with greater speed towards the creation of a great Indiaunder the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Free Diagnostics Service Initiative’ (FDSI)

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India supports ‘Free Diagnostics Service Initiative’ (FDSI) programme under National Health Mission. The programme was launched in July 2015 with the aim to provide accessible and affordable pathological and radiological diagnostics services closer to the community which in turn reduces the Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE). A minimum set of essential diagnostic tests has been recommended as per the Essential Diagnostic List at each level of public health facility.

A guidance document for implementing laboratory services has been shared with all states and UTs. The guidelines also recommend expanded range of diagnostics at all levels of public health facilities (14 tests at Sub Centres (SCs), 63 tests at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), 97 tests at Community Health Centres (CHCs), 111 tests at Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and 134 tests at District Hospitals (DHs).

Under NHM, ‘Free Diagnostic Service initiative’ is delivered through in-house, Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Hybrid mode by the States/UTs in the country. Free Laboratory service is operational in 33 States, out of which 11 States/UTs (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Tripura, and Uttarakhand) are providing the services through PPP/hybrid mode and 22 States/UTs (Andhra Pradesh, A&N Island, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, D&N Haveli-Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Puducherry, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal) provide the services through In-house mode.

Further, free Tele-Radiology (Tele-reporting of X-rays) service is operational in 13 states/UTs (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, Tripura). Free CT Scan service is operational in 27 States/UTs out of which 17 States (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal) are providing it in PPP mode and 10 states (A&N island, Bihar, D&N Haveli-Daman & Diu, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana) provide through In-house mode.

Preparedness and response activities against biological emergencies

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides requisite guidance and logistic support to the States/UTs. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme through its State and District units conducts disease surveillance in the country through a decentralized State based surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases to detect the early warning signals, so that effective public health actions can be initiated in response to health challenges in the country.

For preparedness and response against health emergencies, the National Disaster Management Authority in 2008 has issued detailed guidance on management of biological disasters (available at https://ndma.gov.in/sites/default/files/PDF/Guidelines/biological_disasters.pdf).

Further, National Disaster Management Authority has also issued and widely circulated National Disaster Management Plan 2019 which provides an all-hazard plan with clarification on roles and responsibilities for preparedness and response activities against biological emergencies.

As per the information received from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the DBT has notified a “List of Infective Microorganisms corresponding to different Risk Groups, 2021” which provides the list of Infective Microorganisms corresponding to different Risk Groups, which determine the operational practice and minimum physical containment requirements and accordingly, allows selection of appropriate biosafety level facilities. The list can be accessed from https://dbtindia.gov.in/sites/default/files/Updated%20Risk%20Group13122021.pdf .

Furthermore, 138 bio-safety laboratories have been set up across the country under the Department of Health Research (DHR)’s Scheme- Setting up of Nation-wide network of Laboratories for managing Epidemics and Natural Calamities (VRDL). Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has a well-established laboratory infrastructure, to combat biosafety and biosecurity threats to the country, including apex lab at National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune

DBT has notified the “Guidelines for the Establishment of containment facilities: BioSafety Level 2 (BSL-2) & 3 (BSL-3) and Certification of BSL-3 facility” and Regulations & Guidelines for Recombinant DNA Research and Biocontainment, 2017. The guidelines encompass biosafety standards laid by various international agencies. All the biosafety laboratories specifically BSL-4 and BSL-3 established at ICMR and its network laboratories are trained in Biosafety laboratory operationalization. The key scientific staff of ICMR-NIV, Pune has also been trained at Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA in biosafety practices.

Steps to strengthen the Healthcare System in India

The healthcare system of the country involves a three-tier system with Sub Health Centre (Urban and Rural), Primary Health Centre (Urban and Rural) and Community Health Centre (Urban and Rural) as the three pillars of Primary Health Care System in India. Rural Health Statistics (RHS) is an annual publication, based on Health care administrative data reported by States/UTs.

Similarly, District Hospital (DH), Sub-District Hospital (SDH) and First Referral Unit – Community Health Centres provide secondary care services whereas Medical Colleges and State-level Institutions provide tertiary care services.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India provides technical and financial support to the States/UTs to strengthen the public healthcare facilities. To address the healthcare challenges, particularly in rural areas, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in 2005 to supplement the efforts of the State/UT governments to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to all those who access public health facilities. Currently, NRHM is a sub-mission of National Health Mission (NHM).

Support is provided to states/UTs under the National Health Mission (NHM) for strengthening of health care facilities as per norms based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) and within their overall resource envelope. Under NHM, States are supported for several interventions towards strengthening the primary healthcare services in the country.

XV-Finance Commission Health Grants through Local Government announced as part of Union Budget 2021-22, for strengthening the healthcare system at primary healthcare level, has recommended grants aggregating to Rs. 70,051 Crores over the period of five years (2021-2026) through local government to strengthen the healthcare system in states.

Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) with an outlay of Rs. 64,180 Crores aims to fill critical gaps in public health infrastructure especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with some Central Sector components. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) Components includes support for infrastructure development for Sub-Health Centres, Urban Health and Wellness Centres, Support for Block Public Health Units, Integrated District Public Health Laboratories and Critical Care Hospital Blocks.

National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP)

The Government is implementing the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) with the goal of making India leprosy free. NLEP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the umbrella of National Health Mission (NHM). This programme is implemented in all the States/UTs.

The major focus of the Programme is to detect the cases of leprosy at an early stage and to provide complete treatment, free of cost, in order to prevent the occurrence of disability.

Major initiatives under NLEP are as follows:

Leprosy Case Detections Campaign (LCDC) in high endemic districts.
Focused Leprosy Campaign (FLC) in low endemic districts for case detection.
Special plans for Hard-to-Reach areas for early case detection and treatment.
ASHA Based Surveillance for Leprosy Suspects (ABSULS).
Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign on 30th January every year.
Active Case Detection and Surveillance both in rural and urban areas.
Convergence of leprosy screening under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) for screening of children (0-18 years) and under Ayushman Bharat for screening of people above 30 years of age.
Monitoring of the programme by Joint Monitoring Investigation and Advisory Group (JMIAG).
Certificate, award and performance linked financial incentive are given to the districts for achieving leprosy elimination.
Contact tracing is done and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) with Single dose of Rifampicin (SDR) given to the eligible contacts of index case in order to interrupt the chain of transmission.

Further, 12 packs of MDT (Multi Drug Therapy) blister packs are given to Multi Bacillary Leprosy cases as per the Standard Treatment Protocol.

India has achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem as per WHO criteria of less than 1 case per 10,000 population at the National level in 2005. However, there are few districts within States where leprosy is still endemic.

As per Monthly Progress Report of Central Leprosy Division, Directorate General of Health Services (as on 31st May 2022), 72,914 leprosy patients, as informed by the States/UTs, are under treatment in the country.

IMPLEMENTATION OF PMFME

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing a centrally sponsored “PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme” for providing financial, technical and business support for setting up / upgradation of micro food processing enterprises in the country. The scheme is operational for a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore. The details of assistance available under the scheme is placed at Annexure.

MoFPI does not set up Food Processing Industries on its own. However, it assists entrepreneurs in establishing such Industries across the country including Tamil Nadu through its Central Sector Umbrella Scheme Pradhan MantriKisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and Centrally sponsored PMFME Scheme.

ANNEXURE

The details of assistance available under PMFME Scheme

(i). Support to Individual / Group Category Micro Enterprises: Credit-linked capital subsidy @35% of the eligible project cost, maximum ceiling Rs.10 lakh per unit;

(ii). Support to SHGs for seed capital: Seed capital @ Rs. 40,000/- per member of SHG engaged in food processing for working capital and purchase of small tools subject to maximum of Rs. 4 lakh per SHG Federation.

(iii). Support for Common Infrastructure: Credit linked capital subsidy @35% subject to maximum of Rs. 3 crore to support FPOs, SHGs, Cooperatives and any Government agency for setting up of common infrastructure. The common infrastructure will also be available for other units and public to utilize on hiring basis for substantial part of the capacity.

(iv). Branding and Marketing Support: Grant upto 50% for Branding and Marketing to groups of FPOs/ SHGs/ Cooperatives or an SPV of micro food processing enterprises.

(v). Capacity Building: The scheme envisages training for Entrepreneurship Development Skilling (EDP+): program modified to meet the requirement of food processing industry and product specific skilling.

STEPS TAKEN TO BOOST EXPORTS OF PROCESSED FOOD

The efforts being made by Government for promoting exports of processed food products include:

(i) A comprehensive “Agriculture Export Policy” has been introduced to harness export potential of Indian agriculture.

(ii) Products Specific Export Promotion Forums set up by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to give impetus to the export of potential products as well as to remove the bottlenecks in the supply chain.

(iii) APEDA has also formed Export Promotion Forums (EPFs) for the products, viz., Grapes, Onions, Mango, Banana, Pomegranate, Floriculture, Rice, Dairy Products and Nutri cereals.

(iv) A Farmer Connect Portal has been set up for providing a platform for farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperatives to interact with exporters.

(v) Assistance provided through several other schemes to promote exports, including food products export, viz. Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES), Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme, Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP), Export Promotion schemes of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)& Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), etc.

(vi) District as Export Hubs (DEH) scheme is being implemented using ODOP(One District One Product) approach with an objective of converting each District of the country into a Manufacturing and Export Hub by identifying products with export potential in the district.

(vii) Under the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme for food products, marketing and branding support is provided by Ministry of Food Processing Industries for enhancing global visibility of Indian food products.

INS Sumedha visits Bali, Indonesia

As part of the Indian Navy’s Long Range Deployment in the South Eastern Indian Ocean, INS Sumedha, is on a visit to Port Tanjung Benoa, Bali, from 04 Aug to 06 Aug 2022. The ship is en route to Perth, Australia, to coincide with India’s Independence Day and celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The visit to Bali is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, enhancing military cooperation and improving interoperability with the Indonesian Navy. During her stay at Bali, the ship’s crew will engage in professional interactions, cross-deck visits and sports fixtures with their Indonesian Navy counterparts.

Prior to entering Bali, the ship undertook a Maritime Partnership Exercise with KRI Sultan Hasanuddin, a Sigma class corvette of the Indonesian Navy on 02 August 2022. The exercise which included seamanship evolutions, tactical manoeuvres and communication procedures provided an opportunity for sharing professional experiences and strengthening maritime cooperation between the two navies.

INS Sumedha is an indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel and is deployed for multiple roles independently and in support of fleet operations. She is part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and functions under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

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Production of Defence Products

Government has taken several steps to enhance self-reliance in indigenous design, development and manufacturing of defence products. Three Positive Indigenisation lists comprising of 310 (101, 108 and 101 respectively) items have been promulgated by Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Ministry of Defence on 21st August 2020, 31st May, 2021 and 07th April 2022, respectively with the timelines indicated against them beyond which the items would be procured from indigenous sources. The products have been offered to the industry to come forward for design & development.

Further, in continuous pursuit of self-reliance in defence manufacturing and to minimize import by DPSUs, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence has notified two Positive Indigenisation Lists (PILs) of sub-systems/assemblies/sub-assemblies/components on 27th December, 2021 and 28th March, 2022. The 1st list contains 2500 items, which are already indigenized and 351 items which have been taken up for indigenisation. The 2nd list consists of 107 strategically important Line replacement units/major sub-assemblies. The list of these items and their details are available on SRIJAN portal for Industry to show their interest. The items are notified with a timeline beyond which there would be an embargo on their import. Till date, 154 items out of 235 items from the 1st Positive Indigenisation List and 4 items out of 107 items from the 2nd Positive Indigenisation List have already been indigenized.

With focus of Government on indigenisation and procurement of defence products from the domestic resources, the expenditure on defence procurement from foreign sources has reduced from 46% to 36% in the last 4 (four) years i.e. from 2018-19 to 2021-22. Moreover, the Government, in the last four years i.e. from 2018-19 to 2021-22, has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to 162 proposals worth Rs 2,51,130 crore approximately, under various categories of Capital procurement from domestic sources.

Further, the timelines for embargo on imports has been spread from December, 2020 to December 2028, so the assessments of savings on foreign exchange and opportunities for employment cannot be done at this stage.

Tejas Fighter Aircraft

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a Defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence responded to a Request for Information (RFI) received from Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Malaysia in February, 2019 for LCA class aircraft. Subsequently, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited responded in October, 2021 to Request for Proposal (RFP) issued against tender released by Royal Malaysian Air Force, Malaysia for 18 nos of Fighter Lead In Trainer – Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT – LCA) and HAL offered LCA Tejas twin seater variant. Other countries which have evinced interest in LCA aircraft are: Argentina, Australia, Egypt, USA, Indonesia, and Philippines.

The Government has taken several policy initiatives in the past few years and brought in reforms to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country, thereby expanding their production. These initiatives, inter-alia, include:

According priority to procurement of capital items from domestic sources under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020.
The announcement of 18 major defence platforms for industry led design & development in March, 2022.
Notification of three ‘Positive Indigenisation Lists’ of total 310 items of Services and two ‘Positive Indigenisation Lists’ of total 2958 items of the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timelines indicated against them.
Simplification of Industrial licensing process with longer validity period.
Liberalisation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy allowing 74% FDI under automatic route.
Simplification of Make Procedure.
Launch of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme involving start-ups & Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Implementation of Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017.
Launch of an indigenisation portal namely SRIJAN to facilitate indigenisation by Indian Industry including MSMEs.
Reforms in Offset policy with thrust on attracting investment and Transfer of Technology for Defence manufacturing by assigning higher multipliers.
Establishment of two Defence Industrial Corridors, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Opening up of Defence Research & Development (R&D) for industry, start-ups and academia with 25 percent of defence R&D budget earmarked to promote development of defence technology in the country; and
Progressive increase in allocation of Defence Budget of military modernisation for procurement from domestic sources, etc.

Application of Science and Technology in Defence Sector

The Government has undertaken a number of policy initiatives for indigenous manufacturing of state-of-the-art defence products by utilising the applications of science and technology in defence sector. These initiatives, inter-alia, include: –

In order to promote indigenous design and development of defence equipment ‘Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)}’ category has been accorded top most priority for procurement of capital equipment.
An innovation ecosystem for Defence titled Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) has been launched in April, 2018. iDEX is aimed at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Start-ups, Individual Innovators, Research & Development (R&D) institutes and Academia and provide them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs.
To enable adoption of Artificial Intelligence in defence, Defence AI Council (DAIC) and Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA) has been created. Further, an AI roadmap has also been finalized.
Specific provisions have been introduced in DAP-2020under ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ and ‘Buy (Global – Manufacture in India)’ category, wherein indigenous production is carried out with Transfer of Technology (ToT) from foreign OEM.
Discharge of offset obligations by foreign OEMs through ToT to Indian enterprises including government institutions has been incorporated.
Government has notified the ‘Strategic Partnership (SP)’ Model which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process, wherein they would tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.
Defence Research & Development (R&D) has been opened up for industry, start-ups and academia with 25 percent of defence R&D budget earmarked, to promote development of defence technology in the country.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) identified nine thrust areas for focused research, namely Platforms, Weapon System, Strategic Systems, Sensors & Communication Systems, Space, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, Material &Devices and Soldier Support.
Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme also funds industries, especially – Start-ups and MSMEs up to an amount of Rs. 10 Crore, for innovation, research and development of defence Technologies in the field of defence and Aerospace.

As a result of these initiatives, many State-of-the-art products including 155mm Artillery Gun system ‘Dhanush’, Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’, Surface to Air Missile system ‘Akash’, Main Battle Tank ‘Arjun’, T-90 Tank, T-72 Tank, Armoured Personnel Carrier ‘BMP-II/IIK’, Su-30 MK1, Cheetah Helicopter, Advanced Light Helicopter, Dornier Do-228, High Mobility Trucks, INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Chennai, Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette (ASWC), Arjun Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Bridge Laying Tank, Bi-Modular Charge System (BMCS) for 155mm Ammunition, Medium Bullet Proof Vehicle (MBPV), Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), Software Defined Radios (SDR), Lakshya Parachute for Pilotless Target Aircraft, Opto Electronic Sights for Battle Tanks, Water Jet Fast Attack Craft, Inshore Patrol Vessel, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Fast Interceptor Boat, Landing Craft Utility, 25 T Tugs, etc. have been produced in the country during the last few years.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle designed and developed by DRDO, has been successfully tested in fully autonomous mode. This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is a significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies.

Performance and Efficiency Audit of Armed Forces

The Government has set up an apex committee to conduct “performance and efficiency” audit of the armed forces. The members of the committee include the Defence Secretary as Chairman, Vice Chiefs of the three Services, Secretary Defence (Finance)/FA(DS), Chief of Integrated Staff Committee (CISC), Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Director General (Acquisition) and other senior officials of Ministry of Defence and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Performance /Efficiency Audit will be aimed at providing valuable inputs to the Top Level Management by way of providing reliable, objective and independent information, highlighting shortcomings in planning, implementation, systems affecting outputs/outcomes in specific and quality of expenditure/management in general.

The mandate to carry out Performance and Efficiency Audit was given to CGDA on 14th July, 2022. The broad areas that have been identified for the conduct of this Audit include Defence Capital Procurements, provisioning, logistics, inventory levels, maintenance of platforms/assets, role and performance of Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) etc. The Apex committee can also recommend any other specific area for Performance and Efficiency Audit. This will constructively promote economy, effectiveness and efficiency in governance by creating the necessary environment of accountability and transparency in the organization and ensure that the operations are effectively carried out through continuous improvement.

Modernization of Defence Armed Forces involves the acquisition of new state-of-the-art platforms, technologies and weapon systems to upgrade and augment Defence capabilities and is a continuous process based on threat perception, operational necessities and technological changes to keep the Armed Forces in a state of readiness to meet the entire spectrum of security challenges. Government attaches highest priority to ensure that the Armed Forces are sufficiently equipped to meet any operational requirement which is achieved through induction of new equipment and technological upgradation of capabilities.

The equipment requirements of the Armed Forces are planned and progressed through a detailed process which includes Ten Years Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP), Five Years Defence Capability Acquisition Plan (DCAP) and Annual Acquisition Plan (AAP) and deliberations by the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the Raksha Mantri.

Government is pursuing a large number of initiatives to achieve higher levels of indigenization and self-reliance in the defence sector by harnessing the capabilities of the public and private sector industries in the country. These measures include according priority and preference to procurement from Indian vendors and liberalization of the licensing regime.

The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)- 2020 has been driven by the tenets of Defence Reforms announced as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan of the Government of India by promoting indigenous design, development and manufacturing of defence equipment, platforms, systems and sub-systems. DAP 2020 accords the highest priority to Buy Indian (Designed, Developed and Manufactured) (IDDM). To encourage production of these weapons/platforms in India, lists of weapons/platforms for ban on import have been notified. A new category of Buy (Global-Manufacture in India) has been introduced to enable ab-initio indigenization of spares. This category encourages Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to set up ‘Manufacturing/ maintenance entities’ through its subsidiary in India. The definition of Indian Vendor has also been aligned to the new FDI policy. The Government has introduced Make II & Make III categories with the objective of self-reliance by involving greater participation of Indian industrial eco-system including private sector. The simplified Make-II procedure has been notified for Industry funded development projects. Reservation on Orders up to Rs. 100 Crores/ year for MSMEs and Small Shipyards has been provided. Government has also promulgated the policy on Strategic Partnership in the Defence Sector to encourage broader participation of the private sector in manufacture of major defence platforms and equipment.

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