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Children of India have shown their modern and scientific temperament

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi interacted with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) awardees today via video conference. Digital certificates were conferred on PMRBP awardees for the years 2022 and 2021 using Blockchain Technology. This technology was used for the first time for giving certificates to awardees. Union Women and Child Development Minister Smt Smriti Zubin Irani and Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State were among those present on the occasion.

Interacting with Master Avi Sharma of Indore, Madhya Pradesh the Prime Minister enquired about the secret of his prolific output with regard to various aspects of Ramayana. Master Avi Sharma said that he got the inspiration by the decision of broadcasting the serial Ramayana during the lockdown. Avi also recited some couplets from his creation. The Prime Minister narrated an incident when he went and heard Sushri Uma Bharti Ji when, as a child, she showed immense spiritual depth and knowledge in a programme. He said there is something in the soil of Madhya Pradesh that gives rise to such precocious talent. The Prime Minister told Avi that he is an inspiration and an example of the adage that you are never too young to do big things.

Interacting with Kumari Remona Evette Pereira from Karnataka, the Prime Minister discussed her passion for Indian Dance. He inquired about the difficulties she faced in pursuing her passion. The Prime Minister complimented her mother for ignoring her own adversities to realise her daughter’s dreams. The Prime Minister said that Remona’s achievements are much bigger than her age and told her that her art is a way of expressing the strength of the great country.

Interacting with Kumari Puhabi Chakraborti of Tripura, the Prime Minister enquired about her COVID related innovation. She also informed the Prime Minister about her fitness app for sportspersons. The Prime Minister asked about the support she receives from the school, friends and parents in her endeavour. He asked about her balance in devoting her time to sports as well as developing innovative apps.

Interacting with Master Dhiraj Kumar from West Champaran, Bihar, the Prime Minister asked about the incident where he saved his younger brother from a crocodile attack. PM asked about his state of mind while saving his younger brother and how he feels after the fame he got now. The Prime Minister praised his courage and presence of mind. Dhiraj told the Prime Minister that he wants to serve the country as an Army soldier.

Interacting with Master Meedhansh Kumar Gupta from Punjab, the Prime Minister enquired about his achievement of creating an app for COVID issues. The Prime Minister said that in children like Meedhansh he feels that the government efforts to promote entrepreneurship are bearing fruit and a tendency to become job providers instead of being job seekers is becoming more pronounced.

Interacting with Kumari Tarushi Gaur from Chandigarh, the Prime Minister enquired about her opinion on the balance between sports and studies. The Prime Minister asked why Tarushi idolises Boxer Mary Kom. She informed the Prime Minister that she likes her because of her commitment to excellence and balance that she strikes as a sportsperson and as a mother.  The Prime Minister said that the government is committed to providing all the facilities to the sportspersons and creating a mindset of winning at every level.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted that these awards become all the more significant in the light of the fact that they have been conferred during the important period when the country is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. He said this is the time to draw energy from the past and dedicate oneself to achieving great results in the coming 25 years of the Amrit kaal.  He also greeted the daughters of the country on National Girl Child Day.  The Prime Minister remembered the glorious history of the Freedom Struggle and the contribution of Birbala Kanaklata Barua, Khudiram Bose and Rani Gaidinilu. “These fighters had made the country’s freedom the mission of their lives at a very young age and had dedicated themselves for it” the Prime Minister noted.

The Prime Minister also recalled his visit to the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Diwali last year where he met Baldev Singh and Basant Singh who had played the role of child soldiers in the post-independence war. They Helped his army at such a young age without caring about their life. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the bravery of these heroes.

The Prime Minister cited examples of the bravery and sacrifice of the sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He pointed out that when the Sahibzadas had sacrificed with immense valour, they were very young. Their sacrifice for India’s civilization, culture, faith and religion is incomparable. The Prime Minister asked the youngsters to know more about the Sahibzadas and their sacrifice.

The Prime Minister remarked that a digital statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has also been installed near India Gate in Delhi. “We get the biggest inspiration from Netaji –  duty of the nation first.  Taking inspiration from Netaji, you have to proceed on the path of duty for the country”, Shri Modi added.

The Prime Minister said that in any sector, policies and initiatives are keeping youth at the centre. He cited initiatives like Start Up India, Stand Up India, Digital India, Make in India along with Jan Andolan of Aatmnirbhar India and creation of modern infrastructure. This, he said, is in sync with the speed of the youth of India who are leading this new epoch both in India and outside. The Prime Minister underlined the growing prowess of India in the innovation and start-up sphere. He conveyed the nation’s pride in the fact of major global companies being led by Indian young CEOs. “Today we feel proud when we see the youth of India excelling in the world of startups. Today we feel proud when we see that the youth of India are innovating, taking the country forward”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said in areas where daughters were not even allowed earlier, daughters are doing wonders in them today. This is the new India, which does not hold back from innovating, courage and determination are the hallmarks of India today.

The Prime Minister lauded that the children of India have shown their modern and scientific thinking in the vaccination program as well. Since January 3, in just 20 days, more than 40 million children have got the corona vaccine. He also lauded them for their leadership in the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan. The Prime Minister appealed to them to be an ambassador for Vocal for Local and lead the campaign of Aatmnirbhar Bharat.

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developing the linkage between educational institutions, Industries and R&D Institutions

 Steps taken by the Government for developing the linkage between educational institutions, Industries and R&D Institutions are as follows:

I.          Impacting Research Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT): This initiative aims at providing solutions to the most relevant engineering challenges and translating knowledge into viable technology in 10 selected technology domains, viz. Health care, energy, sustainable habitat, nano technology hardware, water resources and river systems, advanced materials, Information and communication technology, manufacturing, security and defense, and environmental science and climate change. It is a pan IITs and IISc Joint Initiative seeking to develop a roadmap for research. During 2018-2019 Rs. 46.30 crore and during 2019-2020 Rs. 47.20 crore has been released.

I.          Research Park: Research park at IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Chennai, have been established which provide an interface between entrepreneurship and Industry to establish their R&D units in collaboration with students & faculty members of the IITs. In the year 2020-21 Rs. 144.50 crore has been released.

II.        UchhatarAvishkarYojana (UAY): This initiative promotes innovation of a higher order that directly impacts the needs of the Industry and thereby improves the competitive edge of Indian manufacturing. The project envisages collaboration between the academia and industry – within or outside India.

In order to provide impetus to vocational education the allocation in 2021-22 for National Apprenticeship Training Scheme has been kept at Rs. 500 crore. Further, UGC has already issued guidelines for Apprenticeship/Internship Embedded Degree Program.

use artificial intelligence for education transformation

 The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has recommended introducing contemporary subjects like Artificial Intelligence in curriculum, at relevant stages. The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) has initiated the process for preparation of a new National Curriculum Framework for School Education in pursuance of the NEP, 2020 during which the possibility of introducing an introductory course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) at secondary level would also be explored.  Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced Artificial Intelligence as a subject in class IX from session 2019-2020 and in Class-XI from session 2020-2021 in their affiliated schools.  

Artificial Intelligence has already been applied to education primarily in some tools that help develop skills and testing systems. Artificial Intelligence can drive efficiency, personalization and streamline administrative tasks to allow teachers the time and freedom to provide understanding and adaptability.  By leveraging the best attributes of machines and teachers, the vision for Artificial Intelligence is one where they work together for the best outcome for students. 

All AICTE approved institutions have been suggested to offer Artificial Intelligence as an elective in B.Tech. courses and also start B.Tech course in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science to augment the human resource in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics.  So far as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are concerned, their Acts and Statutes allow them to have their own curriculum, academic & research collaboration with Institutions and Universities across the world. Most of the IITs offer various Artificial Intelligence related courses such as Deep Learning Foundations & Applications, Foundation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Probabilistic Reasoning in Artificial Intelligence, Predictive & Prescriptive Data Analytics, Deep Learning, System Identification, Cyber Physical Security, Digital Image Processing, etc. Besides, IITs also organize short term programmes,inter-alia, on Artificial Intelligence for the working professional and interested students.

Commitment towards women empowerment through its R- Day tableau

 India Post has been serving the nation since the last 167 years, standing unabated in its dedication and undying passion of rendering postal, financial and government services, in the remotest corners of the country. As the nation celebrates Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, commemorating the seventy fifth year of independence, India Post, through the Republic-Day tableaux, has attempted to reaffirm its commitment towards women empowerment both within and through the Post offices.

THE THEME OF INDIA POST R-DAY TABLEAUX IS “INDIA POST:75 YEARS@ RESOLVE-WOMEN EMPOWERMENT”

 

The tableaux shall showcase the following elements:

FRONT PORTION:

India Post stands as a model employer of women and with its mandate for financial inclusion almost 50% account holders of the India Post Payments Bank as well as the Post Office Savings Bank are women.  

The tableau displays the robust outreach and the modern face of India Post that ties the entire country in one thread and aims to portray its focus on women empowerment through the ‘All Women Post Offices’.  Divyang friendly post offices as portrayed by the ramp reiterate our social commitments. 

Post Woman:The tableau presents the modern face of India Post featuring a young post woman with a digital device in one hand and a postman’s bag in the other, thus conveying the message of blending technology with tradition. Standing tall beside her is the ubiquitous red-letter box that reflects people’s unabated faith in India Post. Also displayed are India Post Services like speed post, e-commerce, ATM Cards etc. which are trusted by millions of customers. The image of the postwoman is juxtaposed with that of the Harkara on high relief projecting the transition of India Post over the decades.  The two images are set in the foreground of the ubiquitous red-letter box.

The recently concluded “75 Lakh Postcards to PM Campaign” is also showcased.

 

REAR TRAILER:

 

FLOATING POST OFFICE: The trailer features the Floating Post Office of Srinagar emphasizing the SUKANYA SAMRIDDHI YOJANA, a scheme under Hon’ble PM’s initiative of “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign.

All WOMEN POST OFFICE: The All Women Post Office showcases India Post’s resolve and a step towards gender equality.

The 3D images of the post office counters where we see women officials rendering multifarious service to the customers such as Aadhar enrolment as well as Postal ATM Counters, emphasizes India Post’s resolve towards women empowerment. In case of India Post Payments Bank, almost 50% account holders (2.24 Cr.) are women and 98% of such accounts have been opened at doorsteps.

KOLKATA GPO: At the rear is the Kolkata GPO; the oldest GPO, a proud witness to the journey of India Post and one of the iconic heritage buildings of India.

THE LOWER PART OF THE TRAILER: Adorning the tableau, a collage of stamps pertaining to the country’s freedom struggle, digitally printed on khadi and meant to be displayed in different post offices across the country after the Republic Day.

GROUND ELEMENT: However, the uniqueness of the tableaux lies in its foot soldiers who are real-life postmen/post women from different parts of India. They stand symbolic to the transition of India Post from the harkaras to the postmen in bicycles and e-bikes, thus highlighting our journey.


Financial Support Being Extended Under ‘Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization’

 In amajor boost to promote precision farming in India, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has issued guidelines to make drone technology affordable to the stakeholders of this sector. The guidelines of “Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization” (SMAM) have been amended which envisages granting upto 100% of the cost of agriculture drone or Rs. 10 lakhs,whichever is less, as grant for purchase of drones bythe Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes, ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and State Agriculture Universities for taking up large scale demonstrations of this technology on the farmers’ fields.

The Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) would be eligible to receive grant up to 75% of the cost of agriculture drone for its demonstrations on the farmers’ fields.

A contingency expenditure of Rs.6000 per hectare would be provided to implementing agencies that do not want to purchase drones but will hire drones for demonstrations from Custom Hiring Centres, Hi-tech Hubs, Drone Manufacturers and Start-Ups. The contingent expenditure to implementing agencies that purchase drones for drone demonstrations would be limited to Rs.3000 per hectare. The financial assistance and grants would be available until March 31, 2023.

In order to provide agricultural services through drone application, 40% of the basic cost of drone and its attachments or Rs.4 lakhs, whichever less would be available as financial assistance for drone purchase by existing Custom Hiring Centers which are set up by Cooperative Society of Farmers, FPOs and Rural entrepreneurs. The new CHCs or the Hi-tech Hubs that will be established by the Cooperative Societies of Farmers, FPOs and Rural entrepreneurs with financial assistance from SMAM, RKVY or any other Schemes can also include Drone as one of the machines along with other agricultural machines in the projects of CHCs/Hi-tech Hubs.

Agriculture graduates establishing Custom Hiring Centers would be eligible to receive 50% of the basic cost of drone and its attachments or up to Rs.5 lakhs in grant support for drone purchases. Rural entrepreneurs should have passed class tenth examination or its equivalent from a recognized Board; and should have remote pilot license from Institute specified by the Director General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) or from any authorized remote pilot training organization.

The subsidized purchase of agriculture drones for CHCs/Hi-tech Hubs will make the technology affordable, resulting in their widespread adoption. This would make drones more accessible to the common man in India and will also significantly encourage domestic drone production.

The drone operations are being permitted by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) through the conditional exemption route. MoCA has published ‘Drone Rules 2021’ vide GSR No. 589(E) dated 25th August 2021 to regulate the use and operation of Drones in India. The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has also brought out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for use of Drone application with pesticides for crop protection in agricultural, forestry, non-cropped areas, etc. and for Drone Application in Spraying for Soil and Crop Nutrients. The demonstrating institutions and all the providers of agricultural services through drone application have to comply with these rules/regulations and SOPs

Click Here for SOP for Use of Drone Application

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APS/JK

Limit of 5 persons for door to door campaign enhanced to 10 persons

 The Election Commission of India today held a review meeting with the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India through virtual mode. The Commission also held virtual meetings with Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers and Health Secretaries of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioners Shri Rajiv Kumar and Shri Anup Chandra Pandey accompanied by Secretary General and concerned Deputy Election Commissioners held a comprehensive review of the present situation with respect to status and projected trends of COVID pandemic in the five poll going states. The Commission also reviewed Vaccination status and action plan for expeditiously completing vaccination for 1st, 2nd and booster dose for eligible persons amongst polling personnel. The Commission deliberated on relaxing restrictions for physical rallies in the wake of prevailing situation.

After taking into consideration inputs and ground reports from these officers, the Commission also deliberated on requirements of the campaign period in phases where candidate list will be finalised on January 27, 2022 for Phase 1 and on January 31, 2022 for Phase 2.

After considering the present situation, facts and circumstances as also the inputs received in these meetings, Commission has decided as follows:

(1) No road show, Pad-yatra, cycle/bike/vehicle rally and procession shall be allowed till January 31, 2022.

(2) Since contesting candidates for Phase 1 elections will be finalised on January 27, 2022, Commission has decided to allow physical meetings of concerned Political parties or contesting candidates in designated open spaces with a maximum of 500 persons or 50% of the capacity of the ground or the prescribed limit set by SDMA, whichever number is lesser, from January 28, 2022 till February 8, 2022 (excluding the silence period).

(3) Since contesting candidates for Phase 2 elections will be finalised on January 31 2022, Commission has decided to allow physical meetings of concerned Political parties or contesting candidates with public in designated open spaces with a maximum of 500 persons or 50% of the capacity of the ground or the prescribed limit set by SDMA, whichever number is lesser, from February 1, 2022 till February 12, 2022 (excluding the silence period).

(4) The Commission has also enhanced the limit of door to door campaign. Instead of 5 persons, now 10 persons, excluding security personnel, will be allowed for door to door campaigns. Other instructions on door to door campaigns will continue.  

5) Commission has already granted relaxation for the political parties to the extent that indoor meetings of a maximum of 300 persons or 50% of the capacity of the hall or the prescribed limit set by SDMA is allowed.

(6) Commission has also allowed video vans for publicity with usual COVID restrictions at designated open spaces with a maximum of 500 viewers or 50 % of the capacity or the limit set by SDMA, whichever number is lesser, in the poll going States subject to public convenience and no hindrance to smooth flow of traffic. (Instructions in this regard are being sent to the CEOs separately).

(7) Political parties and contesting candidates shall ensure the compliance of COVID appropriate behaviour & guidelines and Model Code of Conduct at all occasions during the activities connected with elections.

(8) It shall be the responsibility of the DEO concerned to identify and to notify the designated spaces in advance for the aforesaid purposes.

(9) All remaining restrictions as contained in the Revised Broad Guidelines for Conduct of Elections, 2022 issued on January 8, 2022 shall continue to operate.

All concerned State/District authorities shall ensure full compliance of these instructions.

The Commission will review these instructions at a subsequent date.

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linking of OTPRMS certificates with DigiLocker with complete waiver of registration fees

 Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced that in order to ensure hassle free access to verified Online Teacher Pupil Registration Management System (OTPRMS) Certificates, the Ministry of Education has decided to link the certificates with DigiLocker. The issued certificates will automatically be transferred to DigiLocker and the same may be traced at the website of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) at https://ncte.gov.in/website/DigiLocker.aspx and DigiLocker at https://digilocker.gov.in/ . DigiLocker App may be downloaded from for Android phone and for iPhone.

 The Minister also informed that the registration fee of Rs. 200/-, payable for obtaining OTPRMS Certificates, issued by NCTE has been waived off. This will enable all stakeholders across India to be digitally empowered facilitating ease of doing busines.

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India’s First “District Good Governance Index”

 The Union Minister of Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah will virtually release India’s First “District Good Governance Index”, prepared by DARPG in collaboration with Government of Jammu & Kashmir in the august presence of Minister of State for PMO, Personnel, PG and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh and the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha at Convention Centre Jammu today. 

The collaboration received from Chief Secretary Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Arun Kumar Mehta, enabled the conceptualization and formulation of an index that measures the diversity of governance model in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It provides a roadmap for similar benchmarking of Governance at District level for all States and Union Territories of India.

The Union Minister of Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah had released the National Good Governance Index on December 25, 2021. The Good Governance Index 2021 indicated that Jammu and Kashmir had registered an increase of 3.7 percent in Good Governance Indicators over the 2019 to 2021 period. Strong performances were witnessed in Commerce and Industry, Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Public Infrastructure & Utilities, Judiciary and Public Safety Sectors. Significant improvements were reported in Ease of Doing Business, Tax collection, Skill trainings imparted, Connectivity to rural habitations, Economic empowerment of women, Health insurance coverage and Housing for all. There were improvements in conviction rates, disposal of court cases and proportion of women police personnel. Citizen Centric Governance sector witnessed a strong performance.

 In this backdrop of strong governance performance at National level, the Government of Jammu & Kashmir’s initiative of benchmarking governance at District level assumes considerable significance. The District Good Governance Index has helped identify the impact of various governance interventions at district level and provide a futuristic roadmap for improving district level governance with targeted interventions. The stakeholder consultations necessitated 10 rounds of meetings at Government of India level including meetings with Chief Secretary J&K, District Collectors, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, consultations with Academia and Sector Specialists from other States all of which were coordinated by DG IMPARD.

Some of the key highlights of the results the DGGI has presented are

    1. In Agriculture and Allied Sector – Universal coverage has been achieved in Kisan Credit Card scheme, Soil Health Card Scheme and Animal Vaccination. Most Districts of Jammu & Kashmir witnessed growth of Food Grain Production, Horticulture produce, Milk and Meat production, poultry production, agriculture credit.
    2. Commerce and Industry Sector – improvement is seen in GST registration, MSME units registered online, Credit to Handicrafts and Credit for Self-Employment. There is a 109 percent increase in credit to handicrafts in 2019-2021 period.
    3. Human Resources Development Sector – The percentage of Schools with Drinking Water, Separate Toilets and Electricity Facilities have shown an increase as also the percentage of schools with access to computers and number of children served mid-day meals. In 10 districts 100 percent skill trainings have been imparted to registered students.
    4. Public Health Sector – Full Immunization represents a significant success story, percentage of PHC/ Sub-Centers converted to Health & Wellness Centers, proportion of Anganwadis with own buildings have shown improvements.
    5. Public Infrastructure and Utilities Sector – Housing for all scheme indicates more than 50 percent of sanctioned houses being grounded in 12 districts, Ganderbal and Srinagar achieving 100 percent access to safe drinking water, 18 districts achieving 100 percent access to sanitation facilities, improvements in households electrified and construction of all-weather roads.
    6. Social Welfare and Development Sector – 80 percent Aadhar seeding of ration cards represents a major milestone.
    7. Financial Inclusion Sector – Financial inclusion under Jan Dhan Yojana has achieved universal coverage, financial support under self-employment schemes has also registered double digit growth.
    8. Judicial and Public Safety Sector – disposal of court cases has gone up significantly.
    9. Citizen Centric Governance Sector – tremendous momentum in government offices converted to e-Office, almost 100 percent progress in grievance redressal and significant increases in government services provided online.

The Prime Minister has said “In the Amrit period of Independence, we are marching ahead rapidly to create a transparent system, efficient process and smooth governance to make development all-round and all-inclusive. The Government is committed to strengthening good governance that is pro-people and proactive governance. Guided by the ‘citizen-first’ approach, we remain untiring in our efforts to further deepen the outreach of our service delivery mechanisms and make them more effective.”

Over the past 2 years, the DARPG has under the leadership of Dr. Jitendra Singh successfully collaborated with Government of Jammu & Kashmir in adoption of e-Office, capacity building programs for J&KAS, JK-IGRAMS integration with District Portals, conduct 3 regional conferences on replication of good governance practices.  The District Good Governance Index of Jammu & Kashmir represents a significant milestone in realizing this vision of Prime Minister for Next Generation Administrative Reforms during the Amrit Kaal period. 

On this occasion, DARPG thanks each of the officials who have enabled scripting this document and taking the Nation’s Governance model of “Maximum Governance – Minimum Government” forward.

Startups to leverage " Deep Tech " to build solutions for local & global markets

 The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Piyush Goyal today called upon the Indian industry to aim for raising 75 unicorns in the 75 weeks to the 75th anniversary of Independence next year.

“We have added 43 unicorns added in 45 weeks, since the start of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ on 12th March, 2021. Let us aim for atleast 75 unicorns in this 75 week period to 75th Anniversary of Independence,” he said, while releasing the NASSCOM Tech Start-up Report 2022.

Shri Goyal said Startup India started a revolution six years ago and today ‘Startup’ has become a common household term. Indian Startups are fast becoming the champions of India Inc’s growth story, he added.

“India has now become the hallmark of a trailblazer & is leaving its mark on global startup landscape. Investments received by Indian startups overshadowed pre-pandemic highs. 2021 will be remembered as the year Indian start-ups delivered on their promise, – fearlessly chasing opportunities across verticals – Edtech, HealthTech & AgriTech amongst others,” he said.

Shri Goyal lauded the ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) industry including the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector for the record Services exports during the last year.

“Services Export for Apr-Dec 2021 reached more than $178 bn despite the Covid19 pandemic when the Travel, Hospitality & Tourism sectors were significantly down,” he said.

Shri Goyal said the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has declared 16th January as the National Startup Day, showing his commitment to take the innovation culture to every nook and corner of the country.

“We all celebrated this innovation spirit through Startup India Innovation Week, during the last week as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. PM’s interaction with Startups a week ago has supercharged the courage of our innovators,” he said.

Shri Goyal said the Government has taken several steps to boost startup ecosystem, –

  • Removing problems of ‘Angel tax’, simplification of tax procedure & allowing self-certification and self-regulation towards which we are moving
  • Reducing burden of over 26,500 compliances
  • Decriminalization of 770 compliances

Shri Goyal said the New India is today being led by new troika of Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship (ITE), which in a way has grown further from the original ICE (Information, Communication & Entertainment).

“I remember when ICE was introduced many years ago, we were excited about the new information age. Today, that same vibrancy & excitement is witnessed in the way our startups are growing in the ITE areas,” he said.

Shri Goyal said India’s unique digital infrastructure – Aadhaar, Digilocker, Fastag, Cowin, UPI etc. have enabled Access & Affordability.

“The Cowin portal showed the world that Indian could run world’s largest vaccination programme efficiently & effectively, with complete mapping & monitoring done digitally. UPI has helped new age technologies in reaching the common man at affordable prices,” said Shri Goyal.

“The next “UPI moment” will be the ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce). The first-of-its-kind globally, ONDC to enable interoperability between eCommerce companies, providing equal opportunity to small & large players, will help control digital monopolies & make industry more inclusive for buyers & sellers alike, empowering MSMEs to unlock innovation & value,” he added.

Shri Goyal unveiled a five-point plan as the way forward for the NASSCOM:

     1. Emphasize on basic & core needs of people, – providing better access to financial          services, education & healthcare; solutions to problems of farmers, etc.

     2. Focus on High growth & Job creating sectors, – Advertising & Marketing, Prof. services, Fitness & Wellness (Yoga becoming popular globally), Gaming, Sports, Audio-Visual services

     3. More & more startups should leverage Deep tech to build solutions for local & global markets, – AI, IoT, Big Data, Data Analytics, Blockchain, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, Drones, etc.

     4. We have a lot of potential in Startups from Tier-2 & 3 cities. If we give them more support & proper mentoring, they could also play a much greater in the years to come.

     5. India will assume G20 presidency in 2023 – suggest ideas on themes resonating with our vision to solve global issues.

Shri Goyal hoped this momentum of the Indian Startup ecosystem will continue in the current year and the years to come.

“While 2021 was a year in which we defied all odds, 2022 will be the breakthrough year which will unlock country’s exponential value. ‘India at 100’ will be renowned as a Startup nation. But as PM Modi said yesterday in his speech- the “Amrit Kaal,” the coming 25 years – are the period of utmost hard work, sacrifice and tapasya,” he said.

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Netaji lived, lives and will continue to live in the Hearts of Indian People

 As part of   125th birth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Press Information Bureau and Regional Outreach Bureau, Government of India, Jaipur organized a webinar in connection with “Parakram Diwas”. As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Government of India has declared the birth anniversary day of Netaji Subhas  Chandra Bose on 23rd January to be celebrated as Prakram  Diwas every year. Dr. Anita B. Pfaff (Daughter of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose) and Ms. Renuka Malakar (Grandniece of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose) participated in today’s webinar as key note speakers. Sh. Mahesh Chandra Sharma (Senior Journalist) also addressed the webinar as a guest speaker.

(Dr. Anita Bose Pfaff addressing the webinar)

Dr. Anita Bose Pfaff, daughter of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who joined the webinar from Germany, said that Netaji lived, lives and will continue to live in the hearts of Indian people. Though her father Netaji was a devout Hindu but he  had respect for all the religions. Dr. Anita said that her father dreamt of an India where all religions coexist peacefully. She said that Netaji was a champion of gender equality. His vision was to build a nation where men and women not only have the same rights but can also deliver same duties. It is on the women themselves to emancipate, women should win and they can win. Dr. Anita Bose also gave a detailed description on the life and contribution of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the freedom struggle and nation building. She said that Netaji had a vision for financial and economic strength of India and had set up a planning commission even before India got independence.

Ms. Renuka Malakar, the grandniece of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, former Secretary General and currently Trustee of Netaji Subhash Bose INA Trust Delhi-India, said in her address that Netaji had extreme love for his countrymen. Youth of India are its future. She urged that the youth should keep the nation uppermost in their minds and if it happens no one can stop India from progressing.

(Ms. Renu Malakar addressing the webinar)

While elaborating on the life of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Senior journalist and writer Sh. Mahesh Chandra Sharma said that as Netaji gave top most priority to the nation, youth should also strive for the nation which is united, powerful and free from religious and cast based discrimination. He said that the dedication of Netaji Chandra Bose towards the nation remain the inspiration for the youth in India.

 

Earlier in the webinar, Dr. Pragya Paliwal Gaur, Additional Director General (Region) PIB delivered the inaugural and welcome speech. Dr Paliwal first welcomed and thanked Dr. Anita Bose Pfaff, daughter of  Netaji, for giving her precious time and it was an honor to have her and Ms. Renuka Malakar in the webinar of Press Information Bureau.  She said that in order to honor and remember Netaji’s indomitable spirit and selfless service to the nation, Govt of India has decided to celebrate his birthday on the 23rd day of January every year as “ParakramDiwas” to inspire people of the country especially the youth.

The webinar was attended by more than 200 participants which included soldiers of BSF, cadets of NCC, young volunteers of  Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and other officials from various part of the country. In the end, a video made by the Ministry of Information &Broadcasting on role of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the freedom struggle of India was also played during the webinar. Sh. Pawan Singh Faujdar, Deputy Director PIB Jaipur, conducted the webinar.

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Simplicity of operations and transparency should be the focus of National Single Window System (NSWS)

 The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Piyush Goyal has said simplicity of operations and transparency should be the focus of the National Single Window System (NSWS). Chairing a review meeting of the NSWS platform, Shri Goyal said there should be complete end-to-end testing of one set of approvals for each of the integrated Ministries on the NSWS portal.

The digital platform of NSWS facilitates investors to identify and apply for approvals. It supports information across 32 Central Ministries/ Departments and the platform has 14 States onboard namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The process for inclusion of 6 more States is in progress.

Shri Goyal said, in order to ensure faster approvals and save time, better communication strategy should be planned. To spread awareness about the platform, he directed that presentations be made before large corporations and to the Indian Missions abroad.

The Minister said a Chief Information Security Officer should be nominated to work exclusively for the security and risk monitoring of the NSWS portal. There should be no duplication of efforts and no physical interface, he said. “If any physical interface and interaction is needed, then it will be done through video conferencing on NSWS; Video Conferencing should be recorded and remain documentary evidence,” said Shri Goyal during the review meeting held on 19th January.

The minister stressed on the importance of user feedback. “It is critical to meet timelines which can be possible through continuous upgradation of the system,” he said.

Shri Goyal said that a meeting with States and UTs be organised next month to bring more states onboard the NSWS.

The Know Your Approvals (KYA) service is live on the NSWS with 544 approvals across 32 Central Ministries/ Departments. A total of 3,259 approvals are listed. Efforts are under progress to ensure that 13 more Ministries/Departments are onboarded by 31st March 2022 with another 360 approvals/registrations.

The first approval through the NSWS portal has been granted on 11 January 2022 to M/s CMR-Kataria Recycling Private Limited for the Vehicle Scrappage Facility RVSF, Kheda, Gujarat with a capacity of 67,000 vehicles. The approval has been made possible within a timeline of 63 days since RVSF application was submitted online on 08 November 2021.

 

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Tripura is becoming a land of opportunities

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paid tribute to the people who have contributed to the establishment and development of Tripura. He acknowledged the dignity and contribution of the state from the period of Manikya Dynasty. He praised the unity and collective efforts of the people of the state. He was speaking on the occasion of the 50th Statehood day of Tripura today.

The Prime Minister underlined the three years of meaningful development and said that Tripura is becoming a land of opportunities under the aegis of relentless efforts of the double engine government.  Highlighting the state’s excellent performance on many of the development parameters, the Prime Minister said that through the construction of the connectivity infrastructure, the state is fast becoming the hub of the trade corridor. Today, along with roads, railways, air and inlay waterways are also connecting Tripura with the rest of the world. The double engine government fulfilled the long pending demand of Tripura and got access to the Chittagong sea port in Bangladesh. The state received the first cargo from Bangladesh through Akhaura Integrated Check Post in 2020. The Prime Minister also mentioned the recent expansion of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport.

The Prime Minister talked about good work in the state regarding providing pucca houses to the poor and use of new technology in housing construction. These Light House Projects (LHP) are going on in six states and Tripura is one of them. He said that the work of the last three years is just a beginning and Tripura’s real potential is yet to be realized. He said that the measures in the fields ranging from transparency in the administration to infrastructure development will prepare the state for decades to come. Campaigns like saturation of benefits and facilities in all the villages will make the lives of the people of Tripura easier and better, he said.

 The Prime Minister said as India will attain 100 years of Azadi, Tripura will also complete 75 years of statehood. “This is a great period for new resolutions and new opportunities”, the Prime Minister added.

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National Council of Teacher Education to strengthen the teacher education system

 Following steps were taken by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) to strengthen the teacher education system in the country during pandemic:-

  1. Advisory to all Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) was issued to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
  1. Open Education Resource (OER) were developed by the Expert Committee and uploaded on NCTE website for making proper use by students/teacher educators and other stake holders free of cost.
  2. The weblink for open Education Resource (OER) developed by other organisation working for teacher education in the country have also been hyper linked so that the beneficiary/target group can avail the teaching/learning resource by visiting the NCTE website www.ncte.gov.in.
  3. To sensitize Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) about the recommendations of New Education Policy (NEP) for teacher education sector, a series of webinars have been conducted.
  4. The teaching/learning material on the content of teacher education has also been digitally made available on the NCTE website www.ncte.gov.in.

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"Working From home"

 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 reached out to employees “Working From home” and also officers and staff of Ministry of Personnel DoPT DARPG, Public Grievances and Pensions who are in quarantine or infected by COVID-19.

 

He inquired about the well -being of each one of them and also asked them to share their experience as well as suggestions.

During the meeting, Dr Jitendra Singh noted with satisfaction that all the eligible employees of the age of 18 years and above got vaccinated with both the doses and made a general appeal to people who are yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19 should do so immediately in the wake of surge because of Omicron spread.

The Minister was apprised that out of 663 officers and staff of DoPT, 46 got infected with mild symptoms and 20 of them already recovered. Similarly, 8 persons out of 158 from DARPG and 6 employees out of 58 from Department of Pensions got infected in the third wave, however not a single case of hospitalisation was reported so far.

Dr Jitendra Singh lauded the efforts, dedication and commitment of the officers and staff toward the office functioning without interruption during the pandemic and noted with appreciation that work output has not suffered and rather in some cases work output increased because of target oriented work culture with flexi timing. He said, the overall output was also better due to near total adoption of e-office mode. Moreover, Work from Home (WFH) also resulted in employees working during weekends and holidays to achieve the given target, the Minister added.

 

Several officers and staff of the Ministry shared their experiences online with Dr Jitendra Singh and all of them reiterated their commitment for target oriented work culture. The Minister assured those affected and their family members all help and support from the Ministry. Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection has been provided to all the employees to facilitate WFH.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, as per the latest O.M. of DoPT, pregnant women employees and Divyang employees have been exempted from attending office and the physical attendance of government servants below the level of Under Secretary has been restricted to 50% of the actual strength and the remaining 50% shall work from home. However, the Minister said, the officials/staff who are not attending the office and are working from home shall remain available on telephone and other electronic means of communications at all times.

The Minister advised all the officers/staff to ensure strict compliance of COVID-appropriate behaviour i.e. frequent washing of hands/sanitisation, wearing face mask/face cover and observing social distancing all the time. Proper cleaning and sanitisation of the workplace, particularly frequently touched surfaces, may also be ensured.

Secretary, DoPT P.K.Tripathy, Secretary, DARPG and Pensions, V.Srinivas, Additional Secretary, DoPT Rashmi Chowdhary, Additional Secretary and EO, DoPT Deepti Umashankar, Jaya Dubey, Joint Secretary, DARPG and other senior officials joined the meeting.

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"Working From home"

 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 reached out to employees “Working From home” and also officers and staff of Ministry of Personnel DoPT DARPG, Public Grievances and Pensions who are in quarantine or infected by COVID-19.

 

He inquired about the well -being of each one of them and also asked them to share their experience as well as suggestions.

During the meeting, Dr Jitendra Singh noted with satisfaction that all the eligible employees of the age of 18 years and above got vaccinated with both the doses and made a general appeal to people who are yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19 should do so immediately in the wake of surge because of Omicron spread.

The Minister was apprised that out of 663 officers and staff of DoPT, 46 got infected with mild symptoms and 20 of them already recovered. Similarly, 8 persons out of 158 from DARPG and 6 employees out of 58 from Department of Pensions got infected in the third wave, however not a single case of hospitalisation was reported so far.

Dr Jitendra Singh lauded the efforts, dedication and commitment of the officers and staff toward the office functioning without interruption during the pandemic and noted with appreciation that work output has not suffered and rather in some cases work output increased because of target oriented work culture with flexi timing. He said, the overall output was also better due to near total adoption of e-office mode. Moreover, Work from Home (WFH) also resulted in employees working during weekends and holidays to achieve the given target, the Minister added.

 

Several officers and staff of the Ministry shared their experiences online with Dr Jitendra Singh and all of them reiterated their commitment for target oriented work culture. The Minister assured those affected and their family members all help and support from the Ministry. Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection has been provided to all the employees to facilitate WFH.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, as per the latest O.M. of DoPT, pregnant women employees and Divyang employees have been exempted from attending office and the physical attendance of government servants below the level of Under Secretary has been restricted to 50% of the actual strength and the remaining 50% shall work from home. However, the Minister said, the officials/staff who are not attending the office and are working from home shall remain available on telephone and other electronic means of communications at all times.

The Minister advised all the officers/staff to ensure strict compliance of COVID-appropriate behaviour i.e. frequent washing of hands/sanitisation, wearing face mask/face cover and observing social distancing all the time. Proper cleaning and sanitisation of the workplace, particularly frequently touched surfaces, may also be ensured.

Secretary, DoPT P.K.Tripathy, Secretary, DARPG and Pensions, V.Srinivas, Additional Secretary, DoPT Rashmi Chowdhary, Additional Secretary and EO, DoPT Deepti Umashankar, Jaya Dubey, Joint Secretary, DARPG and other senior officials joined the meeting.

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