The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the 14^th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards at a ceremony held in New Delhi today (January 20, 2020).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards honour those journalists from print, broadcast and digital media who have maintained the highest standards of their profession and, despite immense challenges, produced work that sustains public trust in the media and impacts the lives of people. The awards are meant to felicitate those who hold their pen for truth. He congratulated all the award winners and urged them to never let go of their pursuit for truth which is the only compass for good journalism.

The President recalled magical touchstone of five Ws and H (what, when, why, where, who and how) whose answers were essential for a story to qualify as a news report. He said that in the din of the “breaking news” syndrome that has consumed the media now, this fundamental principle of restraint and responsibility has been undermined substantially. Fake news has emerged a new menace, whose purveyors proclaim themselves as journalists and taint this noble profession.

The President said that journalists tend to wear many hats in the line of their duty. These days, they often assume the role of an investigator, a prosecutor and a judge – all rolled into one. It requires a great deal of inner strength and incredible passion for journalists to play so many roles at a time to arrive at truth. Their versatility is praiseworthy. But that prompts him to ask if such a sweeping exercise of power is accompanied by genuine accountability.

The President urged all to ponder for a moment as to what Shri Ramnath Goenka would have done, had he encountered a crisis of credibility on account of paid news or fake news. He would never have allowed the situation to go adrift and initiated measures for course correction for the whole media fraternity. There is no doubt that journalism has been passing through a critical phase.

The President said that the quest for truth is difficult and easier said than done. But it must be pursued. A democracy like ours deeply relies on the uncovering of facts and a willingness to debate them. Democracy is meaningful only when the citizen is well informed. In that sense, excellence in journalism grants full meaning to democracy.

 

Click here to see the President’s speech

 

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The 14th Foundation Day of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) was celebrated at a function in New Delhi on 18th January 2020. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Shri PiyushGoyal congratulated team DFCCIL for completing 500 km of Dedicated Freight Corridor and exhorted the team to achieve the goal of 991 km by March 2020. He said that DFC has the impact to transform the railways sector. It is necessary to have separate tracks for freight and for passengers to ensure faster movement of both. Shri PiyushGoyal said that Indian Railways should run freight trains in convoys for maximum utilisation of the path and increasing the average speed of freight trains. Just like IRCTC which pays compensation for delays in its Tejas trains, Railways freight customers should be compensated for late arrival of goods trains and emphasized for time-tabled goods train run on DFCCIL.

Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav Chairman, Railway Board and Chairman DFCCIL, enunciated that consolidation, growth and reforms are the three crucial areas which Indian Railways are working on. He said that Dedicated Freight Corridors are ushering in a paradigm change in Indian Railways and asserted that DFCCIL will play a significant role in shaping the Indian economy. He said that IR is upgrading the Railway network, especially the Delhi – Mumbai and Delhi – Howrah sectors for running faster and modern trains. He further emphasized that by having acquired 98.5 % land, DFCCIL is on the fast track for project completion.

Shri AnuragSachan, MD, DFCCIL, while addressing the gathering on this occasion profusely recognised the dynamic leadership and continuous support of Shri PiyushGoyal. He also assured that team DFCCIL will work hard to complete the project on time.

Other dignitaries present in the function were Smt. ManjulaRangarajan, Financial Commissioner, Railway Board, Shri Pradeep Kumar, Member S&T, Railway Board, Ms PinkyAnand, Additional Solicitor General. An array of senior officers from Railway Board, DFCCIL, PSUs, World Bank & JICA, and other stakeholders attended the event.

In the awards ceremony 28 individual awards and 4 Group awards were given. The running shield for the Western Corridor was given to Ajmer & Ahmedabad units jointly and for Eastern Corridor, it was given to PtDeendayalUpadhayaya (Mughalsarai) unit.

Timelines:

EDFC

Section	Length	Time of Completion
Khurja – Bhaupur	351 km	Partly trial runs have started on Bhadan. By FY 2019-20, the total 351 km will be commissioned
Bhaupur – Mughalsarai	402 km	Dec-2020
Sonnagar – Mughalsarai	137 km	Dec-2020
Khurja – Dadri	46 km	Dec-2020
Khurja – Ludhiana	401 km	Dec -2021

WDFC

Section	Length	Time of Completion
Rewari – Palanpur	641 km	Mar-2020
Rewari – Dadri	127 km	Mar-2021
Palanpur – Makarpura	308 km	Sep-2021
Makarpura – JNPT	430 km	Dec-2021

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The Union Minister of State (I/C) Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that 1000acre (8,000 kanal) land has been identified in Udhampurand allotted for industrial development. He said that this will attract lot of investors to the UT of J&K and promote Udhampur as an industrial hub and which will in turn generate employment opportunities for the local youth. He was speaking during his visit to Udhampur district today as a part of Special Outreach Program of the Central Government. The Minister further said that J&K Investor Summit is being planned to be held in Jammu and Srinagar in the month of April this year.The function was attended by large gathering including newly constituted Block Development Council Chairpersons besides various Sarpanch/Panch of the area. He visited Jammu yesterday as a part of this initiative.

During his visit to Udhampur, Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed the Devika River Rejuvenation and Beautification Project worth Rs 190 crore, on the lines of Clean Ganga Project which was sanctioned in the year 2017, but took off only recently. Various development schemes of the district were also reviewed, which included ‘Jeevika’ and ‘Sukoon’, among others. The Jeevika scheme aims at benefiting the farmers by income generation through farming techniques such as water conservation, drip irrigation, polyhouseand organic farming. He also visited ChakRakhwala and formally dedicated the scheme to farmers. He appreciated the Sukoon online payment platform created by District Administration to pay the relief amount to the victims of natural disasters. The Minister emphasised that these good governance schemes should be replicated nationwide so that the citizens across country can be benefitted. The Minister also announced that a new Bus Stand will be built soon for the people of Udhampur. The Ministersanctioned Rs 40 lakhfrom MPLADS for the development of Udhampur. The project of Centrally funded medical college in Udhampur was also discussed. The project was sanctioned last year, but the land could be acquired only during the last months.

Dr Jitendra Singh visited various stalls educating people about the Central Government schemes such as BetiBachao, BetiPadhao, Aayushman Bharat and schemes related to agriculture, horticulture, disability pension and other social welfare schemes. On the occasion, the Minister also interacted with the beneficiaries and presented them with the cheques related to welfare schemes. The Minister said that Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is committed to the development of UTs of J&K and Ladakh. He added that the benefits of Central Government schemes should reach the last man in the queue. The Minister also emphasised upon strengthening of grass root level democracy.

As a part of this outreach programme, 38 Union Ministers will undertake an extensive tour of different districts across 60 different locations in both the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir. The objective of the visit is to disseminate the information about the importance of the government policies with regard to the overall development of J&K and its people along with steps taken in this direction in the last five months. The outreach programme will cover five themes viz rapid development after President’s rule from June 2018 and after Reorganization in August 2019, hundred percent coverage of 55 beneficiary oriented schemes to all the residents of J&K, rapid infrastructural development including implementation of PMDP, flagship schemes and iconic projects, good governance and rule of law with equality of opportunity to all in rapid industrial and economic growth in all sectors with a focus on incomes and employment.

*****

The third edition of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s Town Hall interaction programme Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020 with students from India and abroad to beat exam stress will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. Around 2000 students are participating from all over India in Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020.

A lot of excitement and enthusiasm is being seen among the students to not only participate in the unique event but also to receive valuable tips from the Prime Minister who is keen to ensure that the students take exams in a relaxed atmosphere and do not come under stress, to ensure better results in the long run.

The HRD Ministry in partnership with MyGov launched a ‘short essay’ competition on five different themes for students of classes 9 to 12 for the third edition of Prime Ministers Interaction Programme “ParikshaPeCharcha 2020”.The entries for the competition were invited online from 2nd December, 2019 to 23rd December, 2019 through www.mygov.in More than 3 lakh children registered themselves out of which over 2.6 lakh students participated in the competition.1.03 lakhs students  had participated in the competition in 2019. Selected winners stand a chance to attend Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020 and interact with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This year 50 Divyang students will also take part in the interaction programme at Talkatora Stadium

A painting and poster making competition has been held on exam related issues for CBSE & KVS school students, out of which selected painting/posters will form a part of exhibition before the Prime Minister during the Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020. Around 725 posters and paintings have been received, out of that around50 selected paintings/postersare being displayed at the venue of the programme Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. The Prime Minister will view this exhibition before the start of the programme.

To make this programme more student centric first time students will moderate the one hour long program of Prime Minister. This year, four Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) schools students will compere the programme. These four students of KVS were shortlisted from the EK BHARAT SHRESTHA BHARAT Parv debate competition organised by the KVS last year. Among these four students two are girls and two are boys.

Format for this year : PPC2020 will have the same Town Hall’ format as in previous two events, which is unique in itself wherein the Prime Minister interacts with school students at the Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. This format was a huge success during the last 2 years. About 2000 school students will be participating in the programme PPC2020.

For the above mentioned online competitions, students participated through
www.mygov.in website on the following themes:

Gratitude is great: A short write-up on the people who a student thinks has played an important role in his/her academic journey so far mentioning why he/she is grateful to them.

Your future depends on your Aspirations:  A short write-up on the goals and career aspirationsa student sets for himself/herself.

Examining Exams: Opinion of students on prevailing examination system and suggestions on ideal examination system.

Our Duties, Your Take: Write-up on duties of citizens and how one can inspire everyone to become more dutiful citizens.

Balance is Beneficial: Write-up on balanced activities of students apart from studies.

Students from all over the country from class VI to XII are being requested to see/hear the broadcast on Doordarshan (DD National, DD News, DD India)/on radio channels (All India Radio Medium Wave, All India Radio FM Channel).

The First edition of Prime Minister’s Interaction Programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 1.0” was held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 16th February, 2018. The second edition of the said Interaction Programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 2.0” was also held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 29th January, 2019. Last year more than 8.5 Crore students from across the country viewed or heard the programme on DD/TV Channels/ Radio Channels. It was widely covered by print and electronic media. As per media reports, the interaction programme, became a raging hit on social media, and was the No. 1 trend conversation on “Pariksha Pe Charcha” which got more than 2.5 million impressions on twitter. It was widely viewed on youtube, Facebook Live, through webcasting, among others. Participation of Indian community abroad will also be encouraged, as done last year.

*****

The third edition of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s Town Hall interaction programme Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020 with students from India and abroad to beat exam stress will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. Around 2000 students are participating from all over India in Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020.

A lot of excitement and enthusiasm is being seen among the students to not only participate in the unique event but also to receive valuable tips from the Prime Minister who is keen to ensure that the students take exams in a relaxed atmosphere and do not come under stress, to ensure better results in the long run.

The HRD Ministry in partnership with MyGov launched a ‘short essay’ competition on five different themes for students of classes 9 to 12 for the third edition of Prime Ministers Interaction Programme “ParikshaPeCharcha 2020”.The entries for the competition were invited online from 2nd December, 2019 to 23rd December, 2019 through www.mygov.in More than 3 lakh children registered themselves out of which over 2.6 lakh students participated in the competition.1.03 lakhs students  had participated in the competition in 2019. Selected winners stand a chance to attend Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020 and interact with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This year 50 Divyang students will also take part in the interaction programme at Talkatora Stadium

A painting and poster making competition has been held on exam related issues for CBSE & KVS school students, out of which selected painting/posters will form a part of exhibition before the Prime Minister during the Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020. Around 725 posters and paintings have been received, out of that around50 selected paintings/postersare being displayed at the venue of the programme Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. The Prime Minister will view this exhibition before the start of the programme.

To make this programme more student centric first time students will moderate the one hour long program of Prime Minister. This year, four Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) schools students will compere the programme. These four students of KVS were shortlisted from the EK BHARAT SHRESTHA BHARAT Parv debate competition organised by the KVS last year. Among these four students two are girls and two are boys.

Format for this year : PPC2020 will have the same Town Hall’ format as in previous two events, which is unique in itself wherein the Prime Minister interacts with school students at the Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. This format was a huge success during the last 2 years. About 2000 school students will be participating in the programme PPC2020.

For the above mentioned online competitions, students participated through
www.mygov.in website on the following themes:

Gratitude is great: A short write-up on the people who a student thinks has played an important role in his/her academic journey so far mentioning why he/she is grateful to them.

Your future depends on your Aspirations:  A short write-up on the goals and career aspirationsa student sets for himself/herself.

Examining Exams: Opinion of students on prevailing examination system and suggestions on ideal examination system.

Our Duties, Your Take: Write-up on duties of citizens and how one can inspire everyone to become more dutiful citizens.

Balance is Beneficial: Write-up on balanced activities of students apart from studies.

Students from all over the country from class VI to XII are being requested to see/hear the broadcast on Doordarshan (DD National, DD News, DD India)/on radio channels (All India Radio Medium Wave, All India Radio FM Channel).

The First edition of Prime Minister’s Interaction Programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 1.0” was held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 16th February, 2018. The second edition of the said Interaction Programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 2.0” was also held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 29th January, 2019. Last year more than 8.5 Crore students from across the country viewed or heard the programme on DD/TV Channels/ Radio Channels. It was widely covered by print and electronic media. As per media reports, the interaction programme, became a raging hit on social media, and was the No. 1 trend conversation on “Pariksha Pe Charcha” which got more than 2.5 million impressions on twitter. It was widely viewed on youtube, Facebook Live, through webcasting, among others. Participation of Indian community abroad will also be encouraged, as done last year.

*****

The Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri. Anurag Singh Thakur today said that Jammu and Kashmir has suffered immensely due to the historical mistakes, and this has had a detrimental impact on its political, social and economic development.  He said this while inaugurating various developmental projects at Nagrota, Jammu during the second day of the Central Government’s special public outreach programme to disseminate information about the implementation of its policies and programmes for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir and its people.

While addressing a large gathering, Shri Thakur said that the BDC elections in J&K was a historical step that made the local self government a part of the decision making authority of which they have been deprived of from the last seventy two years. He further said that the govt. wants grass root level participation to become an integral part of democracy which can then empower people socially, economically and politically. He also urged the Block Development Council members to implement the basic centrally sponsored schemes up to the gross root level to which they have been deprived of from many decades.

With respect to the implementation of the GoI schemes and programmes, Shri Thakur said that the UT of J&K has done wonderful in Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Ujjwala Yojana and Swach Bharat etc. The Minister appreciated the role of J&K Administration on achieving target under Swach Bharat Mission and Saubhagya Yojana. He reiterated that the Prime Minister of India has taken the UT of J&K on top priority in terms of development. Giving details regarding centrally sponsored schemes, the Minister said that the UT of J&K stood first in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Scheme, 18534 houses have been constructed under PMAY, 2.5 lac toilets were constructed under Swach Bharat and Ujjwala has reached to its hundred percent target in Jammu and Kashmir. He also urged the concerned authorities to speed up the execution of these centrally sponsored schemes for the benefit of the grass root level population and also emphasised to spread awareness about the various schemes of the Govt. like PM Jan Dhan Yojna, MGNREGA, PM Gram Sadak Yojna, PM Awas Yojna, National Health Mission, Ladli Beti, Old Age Pension and others.

The minister also said that DBT is a huge game changer in developmental and welfare paradigm of India as it has changed the way in which benefits and welfare of citizens is secured in India and ensured a great transparency. Talking about the sports talent in J&K, the Minister said that sports infrastructure in J&K will be upgraded as there is a huge potential among the youngsters and they were being held back in the past from achieving their dreams and glory by the lack of facilities.

The Minister also emphasised the people of the UT of J&K to leave their past and urged to give efforts to make a New India.

Earlier, during his visit, the Minister dedicated a permanent ambulance to the PHC Nagrota and promised to provide a mobile van health service on trial basis for three months only to provide basic health care facilities to the people at their doorsteps.

 ***

QSI/SMA  

The Union Minister for Railways, Commerce and Industries, Shri Piyush Goyal today said that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will see a new sunrise in the development post the abrogation of Article 370. During the second day of the Central Government’s special public outreach programme to disseminate information about the implementation of its policies and programmes for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir and its people at Akhnoor, Shri Piyush Goyal said that a new wave of development has started in the union territory of J&K which they have been deprived of from the last seventy two years because of a stumble block called Article 370.

Calling the union territory of J&K as “Desh Ka Noor”, the Minister said that every stuck up project has now been cleared which will set a new crack of dawn in the UT of J&K. Giving an insight into the various centrally sponsored schemes and their implementation in the UT of J&K, the Minister said that there has been a great success in their implementation like the Saubhagya scheme under which 3,30000 households have been electrified and a 100 crore special award under this scheme has been awarded to the UT of J&K and reiterated that the govt. wants to electrify even the last household in the UT of J&K. With respect to other centrally sponsored schemes implemented in the UT of J&K, Shri Piyush Goyal said that the UT of J&K has done wonderfully well in Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and Ujjwala Yojana etc. Giving statistics about the implementation of these schemes, Shri Piyush Goyal said that the UT of J&K stood first in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Scheme, 18534 houses have been constructed under PMAY, 2.5 lac toilets were constructed under Swach Bharat and Ujjwala scheme has reached to its hundred percent target in Jammu and Kashmir. Reiterating that the benefit of schemes should reach its actual beneficiaries, the Minister said that as per the latest figures available, out of 9 lac 30 thousand beneficiaries, more than 7 lac beneficiaries have been benefited under these schemes. And, it is expected to reach 100 percent only in few months, he added.

Speaking about the various stuck up hydropower projects of the UT of J&K; the Minister said that Pakaldul Hydroelectric Power Project that was stuck up from the last 8 years has now been cleared. 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project and 624 MW Kiru Hydroelectric Power Project have also been cleared, he added.

Related to the various development works done by the Government, the Minister said that the highest bridge in the world is being constructed on Chenab in J&K which is an architectural marvel. The minister also said that the work on Banihal-Katra project has been expedited by the govt. The real aim of the central govt. is now to connect India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari which is only possible under the leadership of the Prime Minister of India, he added. He further said that the completion of this important project will be a blessing for UT of J&K as it has a great scope to boost the economy, will support its various industries as well. Giving details, the Minister said that the Chenani Sud Mahadev project will be completed in May 2021, work on Ram Bag flyover has been completed, thousands of Kilometers of road have been constructed under PMGSY, construction of Ring road in Jammu will be completed upto the end of this year and the work on Jammu Akhnoor Road has started this year. Reiterating Prime Minister’s seriousness towards the development of UT of J&K, the Minister said that in the last 18 months, out of 54 projects taken, 14 projects have been completed, work on 32 projects is going on, 4 projects are in the DPR stage and only 1 project is under process. The Minister also said that the govt. has planned to organize an investment summit in the UT of J&K which will draw a new investment map for it on modern levels.

The important irrigation projects have also been taken seriously by the govt., he said. Giving details, the Minister said that the Shahpur Kandi Project that was stuck up from the last seventy years has now been cleared which will now irrigate 54000 hectares of land and will generate 770 MW of hydroelectricity and the Uj multipurpose project that was kept in the cold storage has now been cleared which will irrigate 31000 hectares of agricultural land and will generate 196 MW of hydroelectricity.

Talking about skill development projects in the UT of J&K, the Minister said that the Himayat Yojana is now doing wonders in J&K and as of now 12000 candidates have been trained under it and 7801 are under training now. In the health sector, the minister said that the work on two AIIMS has started; five new medical colleges have been established that added 500 new medical seats for the aspirants.

Giving details of Railway Development in the UT of J&K, the Minister said that Vande Bharat Express has started between Delhi and Katra and the work on Katra Banihal railway project has been expedited for the welfare of the people.

Earlier, during his visit, the Minister inaugurated the protection work of 300 meters at Gurki Dakki, Jia Porta, Akhnoor along the bank of river Chenab constructed at an estimated cost of 324.58 Lac rupees in presence of the Member of Parliament Shri Jugal Kishore. He also e-inaugurated an indoor sports hall near BHSS, Akhnoor constructed at an estimated cost of 195 Lac rupees.

As a part of this outreach programme, spanning over a week, 38 Union Ministers will undertake an extensive tour of different districts across 60 different locations in both the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir. The objective of the visit is to disseminate the information about the importance of the government policies with regard to the overall development of J&K and its people along with steps taken in this direction in the last five months. The outreach programme will cover five themes viz rapid development after President’s rule from June 2018 and after Reorganization in August 2019, hundred percent coverage of 55 beneficiary oriented schemes to all the residents of J&K, rapid infrastructural development including implementation of PMDP, flagship schemes and iconic projects, good governance and rule of law with equality of opportunity to all in rapid industrial and economic growth in all sectors with a focus on incomes and employment.

***

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will interact with a cross section of  Students, Teachers and Parents at “Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020” on 20th January, 2020. The Third edition of Prime Minister’s Interaction Programme with school students “Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020” is proposed to be held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi at 11 AM  on 20th January, 2020. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will answer the questions and interact with selected students about how they can beat examination stress.

A lot of excitement and enthusiasm is being seen among the students, teachers and parents to not only participate in the unique event but also to receive valuable tips from the Prime Minister who is keen to ensure that the students take exams in a relaxed atmosphere and do not come under stress,  to ensure better results in the long run.

The First edition of Prime Minister’s Interaction Programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 1.0” was held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 16th February, 2018. The second edition of the said Interaction Programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 2.0” was also held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on 29th January, 2019.

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The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that promotion and protection of ancient Indian languages is the need of the hour as they offer a window to our ancient civilisational values, knowledge and wisdom. He also called for a national movement for promotion of each and every mother tongue.

The Vice President made these remarks while visiting the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) and International Institute of Tamil Studies (IITS), in Chennai today.

Shri Naidu praised the efforts put by the Center in translation of Thirukkural into all Indian languages and also in some foreign languages. He further called for translation of ancient and popular Tamil texts into Indian and foreign languages for the wider benefit of humanity.

He appreciated the good work done by both institutes in documenting and preserving objects that are related to or reflect the antiquity of the Tamils.

“Your contributions are significant because there is no such institution anywhere in the world that is fully committed for carrying out researches on the ancient Tamil society”, he said to the staff and officials of the CICT and IITS.

The Vice President expressed the need to Harness the power of technology to preserve & promote the rich heritage of Indian languages. “We must have many more technological tools for communication in local languages to serve the needs of all our people speaking different languages”, Shri Naidu stressed.

VP called for according a sense of dignity & a sense of pride to those who speak, write and communicate in Indian languages. He also urged people to use their mother tongue at home, in the community, in meetings and in administration.

Emphasizing that language preservation and development needed multi-pronged approach, Shri Naidu said it should begin at the primary school level and called for providing basic schooling in child’s mother tongue.

Saying that language was a vehicle of intergenerational transmission of culture, scientific knowledge and a worldview, the Vice President said that language evolves with human evolution and gets nourished by constant use.

The Vice President called for measures to encourage scholars to do research using the primary sources and unearth new nuggets of knowledge. ‘We must keep on adding to the knowledge and illuminate our present and future,’ he said.

Role of institutions such as Central Institute of Classical Tamil is very important in this. The institution and the researchers associated with the institution are doing a great service to the nation by preserving, protecting and promoting the beautiful language Tamil, he said.

The Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) is an autonomous Institute of higher research functioning under the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India. It has been focusing exclusively on the researches relating to the classical phase of the Tamil language, i.e., from the early period to the 600 A.D.

The Vice President said that endeavours like these, will help in understanding the best of all cultures, societies and languages and brings people closer to one another.

During his visit to the International Institute of Tamil Studies, the Vice President went around the cultural centre with the permanent exhibition set up to recreate the history of Tamils unravelled by decades of research.

The exhibits are arranged in five galleries – the “Tholkappiar Arangam” displaying art forms, the “Thiruvalluvar Arangam” with exhibits of metalcraft/agriculture, education, medicine and weapons, the “Kapilar Arangam” with a collection of home tools/grinders and exhibits on temples and gods, the “Avvaiyar Arangam” with lifelike depictions of well-known events in the life of ancient kings and the “Ilango Adigal gallery” with exhibits on shipbuilding and sail-weaving.

The Vice President was very impressed by the full scale-models of the cities of Madurai and Srirangam highlighting the meticulous city-planning and temple-building artistry found in these cities.

“I recommend a visit to this unique institution to better understand the history of Tamils. I am sure every visitor will come with a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment”, Shri Naidu said.

Shri D. Jayakumar, Minister for Fisheries, Tamil Nadu, Shri K. Pandiarajan, Minister for Tamil Official Language & Tamil Culture, Shri P. Benjamin, Minister for Rural Industries, Govt. of Tamil Nadu and officials of the Centers were among the dignitaries who accompanied the Vice President on the visit.

****

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that Jammu and Kashmir’s transformation will be exemplary in the coming days. As a part of Central Government’s special public outreach programme to disseminate information about the implementation of its policies and programmes for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir and its people, Dr. Singh said that the Central Govt. schemes should reach its actual beneficiaries who have been deprived of it in the past. He further said that this is the first time in history that a whole Cabinet is meeting common people so as to listen to their grievances on ground, receiving their feedback for an assured timely solution. He also complemented the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for giving a new direction and look to the UTs of J&K and Ladakh and wants the development to reach the last man in the last queue.

Addressing Corporators, Sarpanchs and Panchs at Convention Centre Jammu in presence of local Members of Parliament, Sh. Shamsher Singh Manhas and Sh. Jugal Kishore Sharma, Dr. Singh said that 73^rd and 74^th Amendment acts are now applicable to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that will make Sarpanchs and Panchs a part of the decision making authority to which they have been deprived of from the last seventy two years. Talking about Block Development Council elections, Dr. Singh said that Modi govt. wants grass root level participation to become an integral part of democracy which can then empower people socially, economically and politically.

Dr. Singh also said that all the pending projects like Shahpur Kandi Project, Uj River Water Project, Ratle Project, Pakaldul Project, Kiru Project and Devika Project which were stuck up for the last many decades have now been cleared by the government which is now people-centric and wants development to come to the doorsteps of the people of J&K.

Dr. Singh also announced to establish three media centers at Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for the benefit of the media persons where all facilities will be provided to them on the lines of National Media Center.

Dr. Singh also counted the development activities that have been undertaken recently which included abolition of Lakhanpur Toll Tax, increased allowances to state govt. employees, Central Govt. Health Scheme implementation, education loans provided to children, New Industrial Policy,  LTC for state govt. employees etc. Dr Singh also said that all the central laws are now applicable to the UT of J&K like the Child Marriage Act, Dowry Act, Right to Education Act, prevention of corruption act etc. The government is determined to remove the social, economic and political imbalances from the UT of J&K, he added.

With respect to the implementation of the GoI schemes, Dr. Singh said that the UT of J&K has done wonderful in Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Ujwala Yojana etc. Giving statistics about the implementation of these schemes, Dr. Singh said that the UT of J&K stood first in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Scheme, 18534 houses have been constructed under PMAY, 2.5 lac toilets were constructed under Swach Bharat and Ujwala has reached to its hundred percent target in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, during his visit, the Minister laid foundation stone of a sports stadium to be constructed at an estimated cost of approximately 1.53 crore rupees at Gole Gujral area of Mud Block in Jammu. He also inaugurated a smart class room project at Government Higher Secondary School Gole Gujral Jammu, established at an approximate cost of 16 lac rupees.

As a part of this outreach programme, spanning over a week, 38 Union Ministers will undertake an extensive tour of different districts across 60 different locations in both the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir. The objective of the visit is to disseminate the information about the importance of the government policies with regard to the overall development of J&K and its people along with steps taken in this direction in the last five months. The outreach programme will cover five themes viz rapid development after President’s rule from June 2018 and after Reorganization in August 2019, hundred percent coverage of 55 beneficiary oriented schemes to all the residents of J&K, rapid infrastructural development including implementation of PMDP, flagship schemes and iconic projects, good governance and rule of law with equality of opportunity to all in rapid industrial and economic growth in all sectors with a focus on incomes and employment.

 

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