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Revision of Air Quality Standards

 Government has notified National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 12 pollutants in 2009 to protect public health and environment from air pollution.

Review of the existing standards, criteria governing these standards as well as incorporating new parameters with advances in scientific research is a continuous process. With changes in fuel, technology and demographics as well as advances in air pollution measurement techniques, risk and exposure assessment, review of Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are carried for better improvement in public health. Review of NAAQS has been sanctioned to a joint team lead by IIT Kanpur.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 stipulates functions of Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board as given below:

Section 16(2)(h) – Central Pollution Control Board may lay down standards for quality of air.

Section 17(1)(g) – State Pollution Control Board shall lay down, in consultation with the Central Pollution Control Board and having regard to the standards for the quality of air laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board, standards for emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere from industrial plants and automobiles or for the discharge of any air pollutant into the atmosphere from any other source whatsoever not being a ship or an aircraft.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has published WHO’s Air Quality guideline (AQG) in September, 2021, The guideline makes recommendations for air quality levels to protect health of population and specifically mention that national standards should be decided in due consideration of other governing factors like background level, socio-economic status, national goals and further scientific research based outcome.

However, these guidelines for ambient air quality are guidance to policy makers and not legally binding. Periodic revision of NAAQS is undertaken to include new advancements in air pollution monitoring and its health impact.

Blue Economy is the sixth dimension of Government of India’s Vision

 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the Government of India’s Vision of New India by 2030 enunciated in February 2019 highlighted the Blue Economy as the sixth dimension of its vision. He said, Rs. 150 Cr has been provisioned during 2021-22 under Deep Ocean Mission.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today, Dr Jitendra Singh said, a Draft Policy document on Blue Economy has been prepared by MoES taking into consideration the reports of the expert working groups which emphasizes holistic development and growth of India’s Blue Economy. The following seven thematic areas or pillars are identified:

  • National accounting framework for the blue economy and ocean governance.
  • Coastal Marine Spatial Planning and Tourism.
  • Marine fisheries, aquaculture, and fish processing.
  • Manufacturing, Emerging industries, trade, technology, services, and skill development.
  • Logistics, infrastructure and shipping, including trans-shipments.
  • Coastal and deep-sea mining and offshore energy.
  • Security, strategic dimensions, and international engagement

 

 

         

Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to artistes’ to improve financial and socio-economic status

 The Ministry of Culture administers a Scheme by the name of ‘Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to artistes’.  The objective of the Scheme is to improve financial and socio-economic status of the old aged artistes and scholars who have contributed significantly in their specialized fields of arts, letters etc. but are in penury condition.  The amount is being given to eligible beneficiaries (both professional and non-professional artists) who are above 60 years and whose annual income is less than Rs.48000/-. Further, Ministry of Culture also administers a Scheme namely ‘Scheme of Scholarship & Fellowship for promotion of art and culture’ having following three components: –

  1. ‘Award of Scholarships to Young Artists in Different Cultural Fields (SYA)’–  Scholarship of Rs.5000/- per month is provided to selected beneficiaries in the age group of 18 -25 years, in four equal six monthly installments for a period of 2 years. The candidates should have undergone training under any Guru or Institution for a minimum period of five years. The scholars are selected on the basis of their performance in a personal interview/interaction before an Expert Committee for Scholarship constituted by the Ministry;
  2. Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to outstanding persons in different cultural fields – Senior Fellowship is provided to selected Fellows in the age group of forty years and above in four equal 6 monthly instalments @ Rs.20,000/- per month for 02 years for cultural research. Junior Fellowship is provided to selected Fellows in the age group of twenty five to forty years in four equal 6 monthly installments @ Rs. 10,000/- per month for 02 years.  Upto 400 Senior & Junior Fellowships are awarded in one batch year. The Fellows are selected by an Expert Committee for Sr/Jr Fellowship constituted by the Ministry.
  3. Award of Tagore National Fellowship for cultural research – The candidates are selected under two categories viz. Tagore National Fellowship and Tagore Research Scholarship to work on cultural research by affiliation under different participating institutions in 4 different groups.  The final selection is made by the National Selection Committee (NSC) specially constituted by the Ministry.

Apart from the above, financial assistance is also provided to professional and non-professional artists through other schemes such as Repertory Grant, Cultural Function Production Grant, etc.

Steps taken to address the shortage of pilots

 The Government has taken several steps to address the shortage of pilots in the country. These include the following:

  1. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has brought out a liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy wherein the concept of airport royalty (revenue share payment by FTOs to AAI) has been abolished and land rentals have been significantly rationalised.
  2. AAI issued award letters on 31 May 2021 and 29 October 2021 for nine FTOs to be established at five airports i.e. two at Belagavi (Karnataka), two at Jalgaon (Maharashtra), two at Kalaburagi (Karnataka), two at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) and one at Lilabari (Assam).
  3. DGCA has introduced Online-On Demand Examination (OLODE) for the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) and Flying Crew (FC) candidates with effect from November 2021. This facility allows candidates to choose the date and time from the available exam slots.
  4. DGCA has modified its regulations to empower Flying Instructors with the right to authorise flight operations at FTOs. This was hitherto restricted to the Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) or Deputy CFIs only.
  5. India’s largest flying academy – Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi (IGRUA) at Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) – has been permitted to carry out pilot training in Gondia (Maharashtra) and Kalaburagi (Karnataka) to enhance its flying hours and aircraft utilisation, which get severely affected during winter months due to low visibility. IGRUA has commenced operating on weekends and all holidays. It completed 19,019 flying hours during the year 2021 as compared to 15,137 hours in the pre-Covid year 2019, an increase of over 25%.

The number of CPL holders produced by Indian FTOs in 2021 is 504 which is higher than the 430 CPLs holders produced by Indian FTOs in the pre-Covid year 2019.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Of Civil Aviation (Gen. (Dr) V. K.Singh (Retd) in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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Employment opportunities in Drone sector

 As per Drone Rules, 2021, any person who intends to obtain the authorisation to establish a Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) shall submit an application to the Director General of Civil Aviation in Form D5 on the Digital Sky Platform, along with the specified fees. As on 31 December 2021, nine remote pilot training organisations have been set up by entities under Government or private ownership. The State-wise list of RPTOs is attached as Annexure –I.

Any person between 18-65 years of age and with a class tenth certificate from a recognised Board can obtain a remote pilot licence after successful completion of training from authorised remote pilot training organisation. Students passing out of drone schools can look for employment opportunities in drone operations, maintenance, design, manufacturing and data analytics, etc. depending on the courses successfully completed by them.

An authorised remote pilot training organisation is free to have collaboration with foreign entities while ensuring strict compliance with the requirements specified by the Director General of Civil Aviation in respect of training syllabus, infrastructure, instructors, equipment and infrastructure etc.

Annexure- I

State-wise list of remote pilot training organisations

 

S No

State

Name of the remote pilot training organisation

1

Jharkhand

Alchemist Aviation Pvt. Ltd.

2

Maharashtra

Redbird Flight Training Academy Pvt. Ltd.

3

Maharashtra

The Bombay Flying Club

4

Tamil Nadu

CASR Anna University

5

Telangana

Flytech Aviation Academy

6

Telangana

Telangana State Aviation Academy

7

Uttar Pradesh

Ambitions Flying Club Pvt. Ltd.

8

Uttar Pradesh

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademy

9

Uttar Pradesh

Pioneer Flying Academy Pvt. Ltd.

Civil Aviation urges various ministries to promote use of drones.

 Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested several Ministries including Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to encourage various entities under their administrative control to promote use of drones.

Drones offer tremendous benefits to almost all sectors of the economy like -agriculture, medicine delivery, mining, infrastructure, surveillance, emergency response, transportation, geo-spatial mapping, defence and law enforcement etc. An illustrative list of drone applications under different Ministries is attached herewith as Annexure- I.

As per Drone Rules, 2021, operation of drones in zones marked red and yellow on the drone airspace map zones requires permission from the Central Government and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) authority respectively. No permission is required to operate a drone in a green zone which is where most of the drone operations currently happen.

Annexure -I

Illustrative list of drone applications under different Union Ministries

S No

Ministry

Illustrative drone applications
  1.  

Agriculture & Farmers

Welfare
  1. Crop and soil health monitoring
  2. Irrigation estimation and scheduling
  3. Requirement and efficacy assessment of fertilizer and pesticide spraying
  4. Anti-locust operations
  5. Crop output estimates
  6. River and canal erosion; restoration tracking
  7. Insurance claim surveys
  1.  

Health & Family Welfare
  1. Delivery of medicines, equipment and other
  2. supplies
  3. Pathology tests – sample collection from remote or epidemic/ pandemic affected areas
  1.  

Panchayati Raj
  1. Land records and property rights (SVAMITVA Scheme)
  1.  

Defence
  1. Surveillance
  2. Combat          
  3. Communication in remote areas
  4. Swarm drone solutions
  5. Counter drone solutions
  1.  

Home Affairs

Surveillance, situational analysis, public

announcements and evidence gathering for:

  1. Security of sensitive installations
  2. Raids and counter-terror operations
  3. Crowd management
  4. Crime control
  5. VVIP security
  6. Disaster management; search and rescue; transportation of food, medicines and essentials
  7. Traffic management
  1.  

Housing and Urban Affairs
  1. Urban planning and management
  2. Construction planning and monitoring
  3. Incident reporting
  4. Prevention of encroachment and land-use alteration
  1.  

Transportation: Road Transport and Highways; Railways; Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  1. Surveillance
  2. Incident response
  3. Inspection and maintenance
  4. Project monitoring
  5. Disaster management
  1.  

Mining
  1. Monitoring and Inspection
  2. Automatic surveying and mapping
  3. Stockpile assessment and management
  4. Haulage road optimisation
  1.  

Power
  1. Real-time surveillance of assets and transmission lines
  2. Theft prevention and incident response
  3. Visual inspection and maintenance
  4. Construction plannlng and management
  1.  

Petroleum and Natural

Gas
  1. Real-time surveillance of assets and pipelines
  2. Theft prevention and incident response
  3. Visual inspection and maintenance
  4. Construction planning and management
  1.  

Environment, Forests

and Climate Change
  1. Monitoring of forests and wildlife
  2. Afforestation through seed-balls, irrigation and real-time monitoring
  3. Anti-poaching actions
  4. Pollution assessment and evidence-gathering
  1.  

Information and Broadcasting
  1. High quality videography of events and
  2. difficult-to-reach-places at a fraction of the cost and approvals required
  3. Low altitude shooting without noise and-dust  pollution and risk of accidents
  4. Complete replacement of costly helicopter- based videography

 

Note:

  1. The above list is illustrative and not exhaustive. New applications may evolve with time, usage and further innovations.
  2. The above list has been prepared in consultation with academia, drone startups and industry bodies.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Of Civil Aviation (Gen. (Dr) V. K.Singh (Retd) in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

***

216-feet tall ‘Statue of Equality’

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Hyderabad on 5th February 2022. At around 2:45 PM, Prime Minister will visit the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus in Patancheru, Hyderabad and kickstart the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT. At around 5 PM, Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation the ‘Statue of Equality’ in Hyderabad.

The 216-feet tall Statue of Equality commemorates the 11th century Bhakti Saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living including faith, caste and creed. The Statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zync and is among one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position, in the world. It is mounted on a 54-ft high base building, named ‘Bhadra Vedi’, has floors devoted for a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing many works of Sri Ramanujacharya. The statue has been conceptualised by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.

During the programme, 3D Presentation Mapping on the life journey and teaching of Sri Ramanujacharya will also be showcased. Prime Minister will also visit the identical recreations of 108 Divya Desams (ornately carved temples) that surround the Statue of Equality.

Sri Ramanujacharya worked tirelessly for the upliftment of people with the spirit of every human being equal regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste or creed. The inauguration of the Statue of Equality is a part of the 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramanujacharya.

Earlier during the visit, Prime Minister will kickstart the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT. Prime Minister will also inaugurate ICRISAT’s Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and ICRISAT’s Rapid Generation Advancement Facility. These two facilities are dedicated to the smallholder farmers of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Prime Minister will also unveil a specially designed logo of ICRISAT and launch a commemorative stamp issued on the occasion.

ICRISAT is an international organisation that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia & sub-Saharan Africa. It helps farmers by providing improved crop varieties and hybrids and also helps smallholder farmers in the drylands fight climate change.

***


Exhorts IIM students to align their careers with the aspiration of the country

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the permanent campus of IIM Sambalpur today via video conferencing. Governor and Chief Minister of Odisha, along with Union Ministers Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the permanent campus of the IIM Sambalpur will not only showcase the culture and resources of Odisha but will also give Odisha a global recognition in the field of management. He said that recently the country witnessed a trend of Indian multi-nationals as opposed to the earlier trend of outside multi-national coming to India. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are seeing startups and India has seen more ‘unicorns’ in recent troubled times, rapid reforms are taking place in agriculture field. In such a scenario the Prime Minister asked the students to align their career with the aspiration of the country. In this new decade, it is your responsibility to give Brand India a global recognition, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister dwelled at length on the students’ role in making the local rise up to the global level. He asked students to work on the ideas of improving tourism in the light of the immense local potential in the Sambalpur area. He asked them to work on the local products which have great potential such as local handicraft, textiles and tribal art. He also asked them to work on the better management of abundant minerals and other resources of the region as all this will contribute to the Aatamnirbhar Bharat Campaign. IIM students will need to find innovative solutions for making local global as they can work as a bridge between Aatamnirbharta Mission, local products and international collaboration.  “You have to show your management skills with the mantra of Innovation Integrity and Inclusiveness”, Shri Modi said.

The Prime Minister talked about the new management challenges in the light of new technologies like additive printing, changing production techniques, logistics, and supply chain management. These technologies coupled with digital connectivity, and work from anywhere concept have turned the world into a global village. India has undertaken rapid reforms in recent months and has tried not only to keep pace with the changes but also tried to anticipate and surpass them, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister said that that the changing work styles are impacting demands on management skills and top-down or top-heavy management skills are being replaced by collaborative, innovative and transformative management. With bots and algorithms in picture, technological management is equally important as human management.

Shri Modi asked the student to research the way Covid crisis was handled in India with innovation and collaboration at such a big scale. He asked them to study how capacity and capability was expanded in such a short time. He expressed happiness that the country is coming out of the short-term approach of problem solving and how the focus now is on long term solutions. He gave example of Jan Dhan accounts and how LPG connection coverage in the country improved from 55 per cent in 2014 to 98 per cent today, to illustrate his point of mass scale innovation, planning and implementation. “Management is not just handling big companies but management also means taking care of lives”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister added that it is important to understand the challenges before the country to become good managers. For this, it is essential that higher educational institutions have a wider scope and are not focused merely on their expertise. The National Education Policy, the Prime Minister said, emphasizes on broad-based, multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to remove silos in the professional education that have emerged over a period of time. 

Congratulating everyone on the occasion of foundation laying today, Shri Pokhriyal said IIM Sambalpur will strongly contribute to the growth and development of the country. He expressed confidence that Institution will definitely be recognized globally for its remarkable contribution in providing quality education. He highlighted that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Government has given utmost priority to the development and upgradation of educational facilities. In this context, he mentioned about the significant increase in the number of seats across institions and in the number of engineering, medical and management institutions in over last 6 years.

Urging students to invest in team building, he said this will strengthen the bond and enhance the spirit of association. He also urged to stress on value addition at every level by leveraging technique, skill and innovation. Calling upon everyone to stay alert towards the global developments and changes, He emphasized on the need to up-skill, update and upgrade oneself to face the global challenges. He called upon students to move ahead following the motto of ‘nation first – character must’ for success and for establishing India as a Vishwaguru. He said that the country is moving steadfast on the path of progress. He also spoke about New Education Policy and reiterated that it is built on the strong foundational pillars of equity, quality and accessibility.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan remarked that today is the historic day for everyone. Highlighting Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s clarion call for an Atmanirbhar bharat, he urged students to walk in the direction given by Prime Minister to achieve the goals of self reliant India. Saying that the Sambalpur region is rich in minerals and surrounded by lot of economic activities, He hoped that IIM Sambalpur will endeavour to develop a new entrepreneurial ecosystem and emerge as a focal point of Atmanirbhar Bharat.  He hoped that institution will strive to implement the spirit of New Education Policy.

*****

97th Annual Convocation of Delhi University

 Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ addressed the 97th Annual Convocation of the University of Delhi, held today at the Multi-purpose hall, Indoor Stadium Sports Complex, Delhi. The Minister also inaugurated the Maharishi Kanad Bhawan. First time in the history of the University, 1,78,719 digital degrees were distributed online by the Union Minister of Education.

In his address to the august gathering , the Minister asserted that the duty of a University was to patronize, promote, support, & guide other educational institutions. He observed that the University was supporting and promoting institutions located in remote areas under the Vidya Vistar Yojna.

Emphasizing the need for reforms in the education sector, Shri Pokhriyal said that the University of Delhi can further contribute to nation-building by advancing Center of Excellence on National Education Policy. The efforts will not only strengthen Indian education system but also make India a global knowledge superpower, he added. Shri Pokhriyal congratulated the students and parents on this important day of their lives and motivated them to face the future challenges with hard work and determination.

He appreciated the efforts of the University of Delhi for ensuring no disruption in the holistic development of its students during this pandemic year.

Dean Examinations, Prof. D. S. Rawat congratulated all the award holders – 670 doctoral degrees, 44 DM/M.Ch degrees, 156 medals and 36 prizes from multidisciplinary fields. The University’s Brochure was released which has a dedicated section on Resilience to Covid -19. The biggest achievement has been to become the first University in the Country to conduct Open Book Examination (OBE) for such a large number of students keeping health and safety of the students as the top most priority as instructed by the Ministry of Education.

The Vice Chancellor (Acting) shared with immense pride that the University has launched Vidya Vistar scheme to support institutions in the remote areas. Under V2 scheme, this University will offer expertise of the faculty members, library resources and other academic facilities to the partner institute. The initiatives of the University in terms of establishment of new Centres of learning – Delhi School of Public Health, the Delhi School of Climate Change & Sustainability, the Delhi School of Skill Enhancement & Entrepreneurship Development to provide education in new concepts were also announced.

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NDMA Guidelines

 

S No. Title Release Date Download
1 National Guidelines For Preparation of Action plan – Prevention and Management of Cold Wave and Frost 2021 Oct 2021 Download(7 MB)
2 Simplified Guideline for Earthquake Safety of Building from National Building Code of India 2016 May 2021 Download(10 MB)
3 Cool Roof : House Owners’ Guide to alternate roof cooling solutions May 2021 Download(8.30 MB)
4 Guidelines on Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) Oct 2020 Download(11.21 MB)
4.a Compendium of Task Force Report on NDMA Guidelines on Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) Oct 2020 Download(12.70 MB)
4.b Summary for Policy Makers on NDMA Guidelines on Management of GLOFs Oct 2020 Download(04.01 MB)
5 Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heat Wave Oct 2019 Download(45.74 MB) 
6 Landslide Risk Management Strategy Sept 2019 Download(12.48 MB) 
7 Guidelines on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Sept 2019 Download(64.63 MB) 
8 Guidelines on Temporary Shelters for Disaster-Affected Families Sept 2019 Download(09.86 MB)
9 Guidelines on Prevention & Management of Thunderstorm & Lightning/Squall/Dust/Hailstorm & Strong Winds March 2019 Download(09.55 MB)
10 Guidelines on Boat Safety Sept 2017 Download(04.40 MB)
11 Guidelines on Cultural Heritage Sites and Precincts Sept 2017 Download(21.45 MB)
12 Guidelines on Museums May 2017 Download(02.12 MB)
13 Guidelines on Minimum Standards of Relief Feb 2016 Download(03.00 MB)
14 Guidelines on Hospital Safety Feb 2016 Download(03.22 MB)
15 Guidelines on School Safety Policy Feb 2016 Download(02.50 MB)
16 Guidelines on Seismic Retrofitting of Deficient Buildings and Structures. June 2014 Download(01.25 MB)
17 Guidelines on Scaling, Type of Equipment and Training of Fire Services April 2012 Download(02.61 MB)
18 Guidelines on National Disaster Management Information and Communication System Feb 2012 Download(06.00 MB)
19 Guidelines on Management of Drought Sept 2010 Download(01.40 MB)
20 Guidelines on Management of Urban Flooding Sept 2010 Download(14.35 MB)
21 Guidelines on Management of Dead in the Aftermath of Disaster Aug 2010 Download(01.40 MB)
22 Guidelines on Management of Tsunamis Aug 2010 Download(01.40 MB)
23 Guidelines on Incident Response System  July 2010 Download(08.97 MB)
24 Guidelines on Psycho-Social Support and Mental Health Services in Disasters Dec 2009 Download(0748 KB)
25 Guidelines on Management of Landslides and Snow Avalanches June 2009 Download(03.39 MB)
26 Guidelines on Management of Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies Feb 2009 Download(01.65 MB)
27 Guidelines on Management of Biological Disasters July 2008 Download(03.23 MB)
28 Guidelines on Management of Cyclones April 2008  Download(04.52 MB)
29 Guidelines on Management of Floods Jan 2008 Download(05.84 MB)
30 Guidelines on Medical Preparedness and Mass Casualty Management Oct 2007 Download(60.24 MB)
31 Guidelines on Preparation of State Disaster Management Plans July 2007 Download(05.84 MB)
32 Guidelines on Chemical Disasters April 2007 Download(01.67 MB)
33 Guidelines on Management of Earthquakes April 2007 Download(03.16 MB)

16th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2021

 Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ delivered the inaugural address at the 16th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2021 today. The 16th edition of FICCI higher Education Summit is being organised virtually by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with Ministry of Education and Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The theme of the summit is ‘‘Higher Education @ 2030: R.I.S.E. – Resilience. Innovation. Sustainability. Enterprise.’

Addressing on the occasion, Shri Pokhriyal said that National Education Policy 2020 lays out the path for transforming Indian education landscape suited to 21st century needs. He further said while the government has formulated the policy, private sector participation will play a key role in implementing the same.

Shri Pokhriyal said, “Built on the foundational pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability, NEP 2020 is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and a global knowledge superpower”.

The Minister remarked that in the next 20-30 years, the energy and talent of young India will be used in advancing the world as 21st century belongs to Young India. India is poised to become the R & D capital of the world not because of the cost advantage but due to the rich and intelligent human capital that the country is bestowed with.

Lauding the FICCI Higher Education Summit, Shri Pokhriyal said that over the years, the Summit has evolved into a thought leadership forum and brings together key stakeholders including, policymakers, academicians, industry and students for deliberations and knowledge sharing at both national and international levels.

The Inaugural session also witnessed the release of FICCI- EY report ‘Higher Education in India: Vision 2040. The report, while defining Education 4.0 in the current context, has highlighted the significant emerging trends within the higher education sector and drawn learnings and highlighted global best practices. 

Dr R A Mashelkar, National Research Professor and Chancellor of Institute of Chemical Technology, Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Chair-FICCI Higher Education Committee Mr Uday Shankar, President, FICCI and Mr Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI and other dignitaries graced the occasion.

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66th Convocation of IIT Kharagpur

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 66th Convocation of IIT Kharagpur today as Chief Guest through a video conference. Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre were present on the occasion as Guests of Honour.

The Prime Minister said this day is not only important for the parents and teachers of the IIT but also for the New India as the students represent the entire country. He urged the students passing out, as they embark a new journey of life, to work towards creating startups and innovating things that can change the lives of crores of people in the country. He said the degree they won today represents the aspiration of millions of people, which they have to fulfill.

The Prime Minister said the need of the day is to work while anticipating the needs of the future, to make innovations for tomorrow. He said an engineer has the capability to see things in more detail and this understanding forms the basis of new discoveries and new breakthroughs in future. He urged the students to find solutions which can improve and save the lives of millions and can save the country’s resources.

Shri Narendra Modi asked the students to adopt the mantra of Self 3 to overcome their self doubts and obstacles in the future. He said Self 3 is Self-awareness, Self-confidence and Selflessness. He advised the students to recognize their potential and move forward, move ahead with full confidence, move ahead with selflessness.

The Prime Minister said that there is no place for hastiness in the field of science and technology. He added you may not get complete success in the innovation you are working on. But that failure of yours will also be considered a success, because you will learn something from that as well. He said in the 21st century the IITs need to be taken to the next level from Indian Institutes of Technology to Institutes of Indigenous Technologies to meet the changing demands and aspirations of New India.

Shri Modi said at a time when the world is struggling with the challenges of climate change, India has come up with the idea of International Solar Alliance (ISA) and embodied it. He said today India is one of those countries where the cost of solar power is very low per unit. But there are still many challenges to deliver solar power from door to door. He added India needs technology that minimizes damage to the environment, is durable and user friendly.

The Prime Minister said Disaster management is a subject which the world has looked up to India. During major disasters, along with life, infrastructure is the most affected. He added realizing this two years ago, India took the initiative of establishing Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in the United Nations,

The Prime Minister emphasized the need for significant innovation for Industry 4.0. He lauded the efforts of IIT Kharagpur to transform academic research related to AI at industrial level, Internet of things and modern construction technology. He said IIT Kharagpur’s software solutions were also useful in the fight against Corona. He urged the institute to work fast on futuristic solutions in Health Technology. He said a huge market has emerged for personal healthcare equipment. He said the market for Health and Fitness related Equipments is also increasing. He said technology has to be developed to provide for Personal Healthcare Equipments in India which are affordable and accurate.

The Prime Minister said after Corona, India has emerged as a major global player in the field of Science, Technology, Research and Innovation. He said with that inspiration, there has been a major increase in the budget for science and research. He said a few days ago, the government has freed Map and Geospatial Data from control. This step will give a lot of strength to the Tech Startup Ecosystem, intensify the campaign for self-reliant India and also give new freedom to young start-ups and innovators of the country.

The Prime Minister lauded the efforts of IIT Kharagpur on the implementation of the new National Education Policy. He praised the institute for the way they were exploring knowledge and science as the strength of our future innovation. He urged the institute to compile 75 major innovations made by the institute to coincide with the 75th year of India’s independence and make them reach the country and the world. He said these inspirations would give a new boost to the country and inspire confidence.

Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ spoke about the students aiming to become entrepreneurs and job-creators instead of job-seekers. He emphasized how the National Technology Forum will improve research infrastructure in the country. He urged students to work on realising the vision of self-reliant India.

Union Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre highlighted the importance of the fields like agriculture, energy, water for further R&D. He called ideation, innovation, incubation and development of technological solutions in technology sectors like Telecom, auto-tech, solar cells, defence to strengthen the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

2815 students were awarded degrees today of whom 75 students were invited to receive the gold and silver medals conferred by the Institute. In addition, several dignitaries were present to receive DSc (Honoris Causa), Life Fellow and Distinguished Alumnus Awards.

The Director Prof. V K Tewari, while presenting the report took pride in the recent innovations such as COVIRAP and telemedicine application which are bringing hope to the people of the country. He pledged to work more on product-development-oriented projects to support the cause of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He also talked about setting up more awards for faculty and staff for them to pursue excellence.  

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CBSE Assessment Framework for Science, Maths and English classes

 Union Education Minister launched CBSE Assessment Framework for Science, Maths and English classes as part of CBSE Competency Based Education Project in New Delhi today.

Speaking at the launch, the Minister said, “The core objective of the NEP is to guide the transition to an education system that enables our youth to have a better future. Schools have a very important role to play in shaping our youth and I am happy that through this launch, the vision of the NEP will be translated into action. My heartiest congratulations to the CBSE and British Council teams for working towards this’’.

He further said that the competency-based assessment framework to strengthen India’s existing school education system for secondary level (classes 6-10) and improve the overall learning outcomes of students across India, mainly covering three subjects: English (reading), Science, and Maths. The framework is a part of the CBSE Competency Based Education Project that aims to replace the existing rote learning model with a competency-based framework as directed in the NEP 2020 over the next 2-3 years, he added. The Minister highlighted that the Framework is aligned with the NEP vision of achieving global standard in assessments.

CBSE Chairperson Shri Manoj Ahuja, said, “The New National Education policy 2020 envisages a significant shift in the education ecosystem in India. It aims at preparing students for the 21st century and lays emphasis on competency-based education rather than an education which tests rote learning.

Barbara Wickham OBE, Director India, British Council, said “Education and research collaboration is central to the India-UK relationship. We are honoured to be a part of this ground breaking initiative led by the CBSE. The reformed assessment framework will support high quality teaching for both an improved learning experience and outcomes for all students in CBSE schools. Our extensive work with government agencies in India over the past few decades and our links across the whole UK education network, meant we were able to propose a framework that will not only bring international assessment standards to Indian schools, but accompany it with an implementation roadmap tailored for India. We are committed to working closely with the CBSE and Indian school system stakeholders in the last mile delivery of the project.”

The framework is the basis for a larger project exercise currently underway where 40 Assessment Designers, 180 Test Item writers and 360 Master Trainer Mentors are being trained in using this framework to create Model Question bank and collection of Ideal Lesson Plans. In the first phase selected Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, UT Chandigarh and private schools across the country will participate in the programme which will be rolled out to all 25,000 CBSE schools in India by 2024.

The suggested Assessment framework has been put in place to drive improvement in quality of teaching and implementation of changes recommended in the National Education Policy 2020. British Council along with AlphaPlus as the UK knowledge partner, designed and developed this framework after extensive research and analysis of the current learning and assessment model in Indian schools. British Council has a global track record of supporting governments and education departments in teacher trainings, building institutional capacity, and contributing to long-term systemic change in school ecosystems. For this initiative, the British Council is currently working with select UK partners:

  • Cambridge are developing and delivering teachers’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module on competency-based approach to pedagogy, and lesson plan bank.
  • UK NARIC has worked with the CBSE team to review and identify the scope of competency-based approaches to be integrated in the assessment system.
  • Alphaplushas created the competency-based learning assessment framework and are delivering capacity building workshops for 40 assessment designers, 180 master test item writers.

 

This project will directly support 15 education leaders, 2,000 school principals; 15 senior govt leaders; 180 test item writers; 360 master trainers which will further impact 25,000 CBSE schools that include 2,000 JNV’s and KV’s, 132,000 teachers and 20 million learners by 2024. 

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3rd convocation of the Central University of Gujarat

 Educational institutions should try to make students capable citizens of the modern world community, said the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. He was addressing the 3rd Convocation of the Central University of Gujarat at Gandhinagar today. The Governor of Gujarat Shri Acharya Devvrat, Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Shri Nitinbhai Patel, along with other dignitaries of the University were present on the occasion.

The President said that under the new National Education Policy, efforts are being made to encourage education of modern knowledge-science based on Indian values ​​with the aim to make our country a ‘knowledge super power’. Creating awareness among students about their duties in the changing world is also a major objective of the new education system. Our educational institutions should try to make students capable citizens of the modern world community. There is also a need to give special emphasis on the importance of public interest and morality by higher educational institutions. He stated that only by giving special emphasis on Indian values; we would be able to differentiate between our educational institutions and foreign educational institutions -based on western ideas.

Addressing the students, the President said that building a strong and self-reliant India is at the heart of our global thinking. Local resources, experiences and knowledge should be used for self-reliance. Students can make their education useful in the true sense by empowering local development through research and innovation with utilization of local resources. He said that we should always remember that our education should benefit the development of our society and country apart from personal benefit. By making efforts for the upliftment of the people who were relatively left behind in the development journey, they would be able to contribute towards building a better society, he added.

The President happily noted that about 55 percent of the students getting education in the Central University of Gujarat, are girls and in today’s Convocation ceremony out of 21 medals 13 were won by girl students. He said that this is a great achievement of this university. It shows a glimpse of change in our society and a picture of a new India.

The President noted that students from about 30 states are getting education in the Central University of Gujarat. He also noted that 85 percent students are from other states and union territories. He said that in this way the University campus is like a mini-India and is strengthening our national unity. He urged to the students from other states studying in the University to imbibe the culture of self-reliance, entrepreneurship and self-employment from the people of Gujarat.

Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that the National Education Policy 2020 is a vision document that will take education system to newer heights.  He said that Universities are not only educational institutions but are laboratories of nation building. Highlighting the importance of synergy between Industry and Academia, he said that the gap between both will be bridged through research and innovation. The Minister congratulated all the students who have received their degrees at the convocation. Students who have graduated today should follow the ideals of Sardar Patel and contribute to the society and to the nation.

A total of 244 degrees were conferred to the graduating students at the convocation. Of these 73 are Ph.D. degrees recipients, 26 are M.Phil. degree recipients, 121 are post-graduate recipients, and 24 are undergraduate recipients. A total of 21 CUG medals was also awarded to the students for securing highest marks in respective UG and PG programmes. Specifically, six students namely Ms. Nikita Goel (M.A. in English), Mr. Prajnadipta Panda (M.Sc. in Life Sciences), Ms. Asmita Nandi (M.Sc. in Chemical Sciences), Mr. Saumyadeep Bora (M.Sc. in Nanotechnology), Ms. Maithuma Narzary (M.A. in Economics), and Mr. Vijay Anand Minj (Master of Library and Information Science) have received their CUG Medal directly from President of India. Raval Prachi Umeshkumar (M.A. in Economics) also received the Smt. Vidyadevi Agrawal Medal from President of India for securing highest marks in the final semester examination for MA Economics.     

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Exports of Marine Products register a growth of 35%

 Exports of Marine Products registered a growth of 35% to USD 6.1 Billion during April-December 2021 (Provisional) as compared to USD 4.5 Billion during same period in the year 2020. As compared to April-December 2019 (USD 5.5 Billion) and April-December 2014 (USD 4.4 Billion), exports of Marine Products registered a growth of 12% and 38% respectively.

In the month of December 2021, exports of Marine Products touched USD 720.51 Million, registering a growth of 28.01% over $562.85 Mn logged in December 2020.

The overall exports of Marine Products in the last Financial Year (March, 2020-April, 2021) was USD 5.96 Billion, and with USD 6.11 Billion scaled during the first three Quarters of FY2021-22, the sector is very likely to exceed the all-time high of USD 7.02 Billion exports achieved in the FY2017-18, despite the impact of the Covid19 pandemic since January, 2020.

Top 5 export destinations in April-November 2021 (latest available, share% in bracket) are: USA (44.5%), China (15.3%), Japan (6.2%), Vietnam (4%) & Thailand (3%). Frozen shrimps constitute the major share in India’s Marine Products exports items with 74% share in value terms (USD); Frozen Fish (7%), Others (6%) and Frozen Squid (5%) constitute the other major items in the Marine Products exports basket in FY2020-21. Others category included primarily Surimi and Surimi analogue (imitation) products.

Several exports promotion schemes for Fisheries have been implemented by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), a statutory body set up in 1972 under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for promotion of export of marine products from India. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in May 2020 with an array of 100 diverse activities. With a budget of Rs. 20,050 crore, it is by far the largest investment to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector in India. PMMSY, being implemented over a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories, has set a target of Rs. 1,00,000 crore fisheries export, additional 70 lakh tonnes fish production, and generation of 55 lakh employment in the years to come.

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