Depression and stress as diseases that can be cured

    Bengaluru,The President of India Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the 22nd convocation of NIMHANS, Bengaluru. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that NIMHANS is a national asset. It has integrated education and research in medical sciences with clinical services and treatment. 

    Each year it treats about 700,000 patients, including many from abroad. Two of every three patients belong to the poorer sections. They obtain free or highly subsidised care. This is a very commendable record.

   The President said that the biggest obstacle that patients of mental and neurological problems face is stigma and denial. This leads to the issue being ignored or simply not discussed. In some cases it leads to self-diagnosis that could worsen the situation. Our society has to fight this culture of stigma. 

    We need to talk about mental health issues and treat ailments such as depression and stress as diseases that can be cured – not as guilty secrets to be pushed under the carpet. 

    The President said that in 2022, India will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of Independence. We need to ensure that by then at least those who are suffering from severe mental disorders have been diagnosed and have access to treatment facilities. 

    He called for taking this up as a national mission. He stated that the government and the non-government sector – and all related public and private institutions – will need to contribute to this effort. It is for NIMHANS, as India’s premier mental health institute, to draw a road map and to be the navigator. 

   He added that other than conventional treatment, the role of counselling services and of practices such as yoga and vipassana meditation in helping those with mental health problems should also be explored with greater vigour. In Bengaluru, the President also inaugurated Seva Utsav 2018, organised by the Adamya Chetana Foundation, and the 100th anniversary of the National Education Society of Karnataka as well as of the National High School that the Society runs.

   Speaking on the occasion, the President praised the Adamya Chetana Foundation for performing a very noble task in providing fresh and nutritious food to school children through its Annapurna project. 

     He stated that the Foundation’s initiative is in keeping with its philosophy of Seva – and its focus on Anna-Akshara-Arogya or food, education and health. Later in the day, the President travelled to Bidadi (Ramanagara district) where he visited the new campus of the Amruta Institute of Engineering and Management Sciences as well as inaugurated the 111th year celebrations of Basaveshwar Veerashaiva Vidyavardhaka (BVV) Sangha. Speaking on the occasion, 

   The President congratulated the BVV Sangha for its commendable work in the field of education. He noted that Sangha today runs over 150 educational institutions in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Over 50,000 students study in these institutions, and that half of them are women. 

    He stated that this emphasis on girl’s education – which is so vital for our society and our country – and on the poor is in keeping with the idealism of the Sangha’s founders.

Union Home Minister to celebrate the New Year with Himveers of ITBP

     Uttarkashi. On the eve of New Year, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reached the 12th Battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) based in Matli, Uttarkashi today. 

   Rajnath Singh met the families of jawans residing in the family quarters of the Unit premises and greeted them. 

   He will also join the ‘Bara Khana’ with the jawans later this evening. On the second day of the visit tomorrow, the Union Home Minister will proceed to the Forward Posts to greet the ITBP jawans deployed at the Border Out-Posts (BOPs) of the Himalayan borders in Uttarakhand. 

   Rajnath Singh will reach the Nelong BOP of the ITBP located at 11,636 ft MSL. Director General, ITBP, RK Pachnanda and senior officers of ITBP are accompanying the Union Home Minister. This is the first ever visit by the Union Home Minister to the Nelong Valley. Earlier this year in September-October, 

  Rajnath Singh had visited Mana, Lapthal and Rimkhim BOPs besides various other formations of ITBP- Mountaineering & Skiing Institute at Auli near Joshimath and Gauchar and had celebrated Dusehera with ITBP jawans.

We need an affordable healthcare

    Kolakata.The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that we need an affordable health care revenue model to meet the challenges of modern day lifestyle.

    He was addressing the 11th Global Health Care Summit - 2017, organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), in Kolakata today. The Governor of West Bengal Keshri Nath Tripathi, the Minister for Urban Development, West Bengal, Firhad Hakim and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. 

   The Vice president said that while India is progressing economically and incomes of people are improving, the common man is unable to meet the medical bill whenever there is a medical emergency in the family. With penetration of health insurance remaining quite low and majority of the Indian population preferring to seek medical treatment from private sector in health emergencies by spending from their own pockets, this problem gets compounded, he added. 

     The Vice President called on the medical fraternity to put in efforts to bring down the costs of medical devices to make healthcare affordable. He further said that youngsters are increasingly falling prey to ailments due to a variety of factors, including sedentary lifestyle, improper dietary habits and job-related stresses. The Vice President said that one of the major challenges facing India is the growing incidence of diabetes in the general population and this trend needs to be arrested. 

   He quoted a study saying diabetes was becoming common among lower socio-economic groups living in urban regions of more developed States and this is a matter of concern.The Vice President said “I am happy to participate in the valedictory session of the 11th Global Health Care Summit-2017, organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).

   The Vice President said I am also glad to know that AAPI’s mission for India is to play an important role in making quality healthcare accessible and affordable to all people of India. It is indeed a laudable objective as both accessibility and affordability are the need of the hour, especially in a vast developing country like India with a huge population of middle class and lower middle class.

     The Vice President said I am sure that you all are aware of how the modern day lifestyles and stress are leading to serious health ailments among people. What is a matter of real concern is that youngsters are increasingly falling prey to these ailments due to a variety of factors, including sedentary lifestyle, improper dietary habits and job-related stress.

    The Vice President said One of the major challenges facing India is the growing incidence of diabetes in the general population. This trend needs to be arrested. A study earlier this year stated that diabetes was becoming common among lower socio-economic groups living in urban regions of more developed States. This is a matter of concern. According to International Diabetes Federation, 415 million people have diabetes in the world and there were 69. 1 million cases in India as per 2015 data.

    The Vice President said Another study has noted how India’s burden of diseases has shifted from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases as incomes rose over the last 26 years. More deaths (61.8 per cent) were caused by non-communicable diseases such as cardio-vascular diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2016 as against 53.6 per cent deaths due to communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases in 1990.

     The Vice President said I have just quoted these studies to drive home the point on the need to create greater awareness among the people, particularly the youth, on the dangers of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy dietary habits like eating junk food as prevention is the best cure.

      The Vice President said I am happy to know that AAPI’s mission for India is to play an important role in “making quality healthcare accessible and affordable to all people of India”. Making healthcare affordable to Indian masses is the most pressing need and there cannot be two opinions on this. Bodies like AAPI must help in promoting the use of telemedicine in remote rural areas which lack access to healthcare facilities. 

    Telemedicine can be used effectively in radiology, cardiology, oncology, dermatology and a few other areas. It will help in reducing unnecessary visits to the hospitals for consultations with specialists and avoiding long distance travel.

   The Vice President said Telemedicine to some extent will also help in overcoming one of the major problems faced by the country-- the shortage of physicians and specialists.The Vice President said while India is progressing economically and incomes of people are improving, the common man is unable to meet the medical bill whenever there is a medical emergency in the family. With penetration of health insurance remaining quite low and majority of the Indian population preferring to seek medical treatment from private sector in health emergencies by spending from their own pockets, this problem gets compounded. 

    The time has come for India to find some kind of healthcare revenue model that is truly affordable or does not cast a financial burden on the middle classes and the poorer sections.

     The Vice President said Reducing IMRs, MMRs, improving maternal health, combating the problem of anaemia among Indian women and improving sanitation are some of the major health issues that need to be addressed on a war footing. Bringing down the costs of medical devices to make healthcare affordable is another important issue that needs to be looked into by all the stakeholders.

     The Vice President said Apart from conducting CMEs, seminars and workshops, AAPI must consider collaborating with various governments and other private organizations in establishing a state-of-the-art healthcare facility in each district of the country where affordable treatment is dispensed.

Water Storage level of 91 major reservoirs of the country goes down by two percent

     New Delhi. The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending on December 28, 2017 was 87.663 BCM which is 54 of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This percentage was at 56 for the week ending on December 21, 2017. 

   The level of water storage in the week ending on December 28, 2017 was 95% of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 94% of storage of average of last ten years. 

   The total storage capacity of these 91 reservoirs is 161.993 BCM which is about 63% of the total storage capacity of 257.812 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country. 37 Reservoirs out of these 91 have hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW. 

    NORTHERN REGION : The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. There are six reservoirs under Central Water Commission (CWC) monitoring having total live storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 10.01 BCM which is 56% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. 

     The storage during corresponding period of last year was 47% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 55% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is better than the corresponding period of last year and is also better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

     EASTERN REGION : The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura. There are 15 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 18.83 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 13.83 BCM which is 73% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. 

    The storage during corresponding period of last year was 79% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 69% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but is better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period. 

     WESTERN REGION : The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There are 27 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 31.26 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 17.27 BCM which is 55% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. 

    The storage during corresponding period of last year was 60% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 56% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and is also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

      CENTRAL REGION : The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 42.30 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 21.78 BCM which is 51% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs.

     The storage during corresponding period of last year was 75% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 57% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and is also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

      SOUTHERN REGION : The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, AP&TG (Two combined projects in both states), Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are 31 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 51.59 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 24.77 BCM which is 48% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. 

     The storage during corresponding period of last year was 36% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 56% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is better than the corresponding period of last year but is less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period. 

     States having better storage than last year for corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, AP&TG (Two combined projects in both states), Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. States having lesser storage than last year for corresponding period are Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

Group of students from Arunachal Pradesh call on MoS Home

    New Delhi. A group of 24 students from Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh attending the National Integration Tour, organised by the Indian Army’s 19th Mountain Division of Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, called on the Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju here today. 

  The tour is being organized from December 24, 2017 to January 06, 2018 to the National Capital and Agra and Lucknow. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rijiju complimented the J & K Rifles for organizing the National Integration Tour for giving children from the remote region an opportunity to visit the national capital and other historic cities to discover the grandeur of India.

    While interacting with the students, Shri Rijiju said that the National Integration Tour is a good initiative taken by the Army since this is the first visit outside the state for a majority of these students. 

      He called upon the children to share their experiences with family and friends back home. He also advised them to do hard work in pursuing their studies and professional carriers.The aim of the National Integration Tour is to promote harmony and awareness.

   The tour is aimed at integrating the students with the nation and promoting concept of unity in diversity. The students are visiting landmarks like the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, Imam Bara in Lucknow and Rajghat, India Gate, National Museum, Pragati Maidan and Delhi Metro in Delhi.

No More Shrinkage of Majuli Island

    Assam. Union Water Resources Minister lays Foundation Stone for Protection Work of Majuli Island from Flood and Erosion in Assam. Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has expressed the hope that on successful implementation of various scheme under protection of majuli island from flood and erosion there will be no more shrinkage of Majuli island and rather, it will be possible to reclaim the lost land which can be added to the main land area of Majuli with proper land management system.

 Laying the foundation stone of protection work of Majuli island from flood and erosion at Majuli in Assam today the Union Minister expressed the hope that the work would take off as planed and completed in two working seasons. 

    He said Brahmaputra Board started the work to protect the island from flood and erosion in January, 2004 in various phases as per the recommendations of the Standing Committee of Experts constituted by Union Water Resources Ministry. 

    These works involved construction and strengthening of embankments, laying of RCC porcupine screens, construction of spurs and dampeners in various locations to train the river away from the bank and also as pro-siltation measure.He said due to unprecedented floods which occurred during the monsoon in 2007, massive land erosion took place in lower Majuli. On the recommendations of the Standing Committee of Experts, Brahmaputra Board constructed and laid RCC porcupine screens and dampeners. 

   The outcome of the works till 2007 were satisfactory and erosion could be contained in the most vulnerable reaches.The Minister informed that from 2014 onwards, Brahmaputra Board undertook several works. Construction of four boulder spurs has been completed. Construction of the Spur No. 2 at Salmara is also nearing completion. The bank revetment have been completed. Both the tie-bunds were also completed. Construction and laying of RCC porcupine works are also mostly completed. 

    All the five raised platforms have been handed over to the District Administration after completion. An amount of Rs. 189.07 crore has been incurred till November, 2017 on these projects.Shri Gadkari said the works implemented by Brahmaputra Board has reversed the trend from erosion to siltation. The area of land mass of Majuli Island, which was 502.21 sq km in 2004 stood at 524.29 sq km as in November, 2016 as per satellite imagery. 

    He said under the present Scheme Brahmaputra Board executes the scheme as recommended by a team of Experts – called the Technical Advisory Committee of Brahmaputra Board constituted by Union Water Resources Ministry. The Committee extensively toured the island in March, 2017 and suggested measures for further implementation. Based on these suggestions, Brahmaputra Board prepared a DPR for an amount of Rs.233.54 crore. 

     Shri Gadkari said “ My Ministry cleared the project and it is my pleasure to mention here that the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDONER) has agreed to allocate an amount of Rs.207 crore and the balance amount is to be funded by Brahmaputra Board”. 

   The Minister informed that the scheme envisages four components, construction of geo-bag bank revetment works for a total length of 27 km. in the vulnerable reaches of Majuli, construction of RCC porcupine screens at 41 locations from, construction of a Pilot Channel and construction of a sluice at Birinabari. 

    Shri Nitin Gadkari also laid the foundation stone of the Brahmaputra Board office complex at Majuli to be constructed at an estimated cost of 40 crore. The Minister thanked the Chief Minister of Assam Shri Sarbananda Sonowal who was also present on the occasion for all out cooperation and assistance received from Govt. of Assam. Majuli Island is surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra River on the south, Kherkatia Suti, Luit Suti and Subansiri Rivers on the North and is susceptible to both floods and erosion almost every year. 

    The geographical area of Majuli Island was 733.79 sq. km. in the year 1914 as per the Survey of India Map. The twin problems of flood and erosion reduced the geographical area to 502.21 sq km in 2004. In the sixties, Government of Assam constructed embankment to protect the island from floods, however, these embankments could offer marginal protection from flood as breaches occurred in many places. 

     Erosion continued every year eating away precious land mass and shrinking the area of the island. On the request of Government of Assam, Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry entrusted the Brahmaputra Board the task of ‘Protection of Majuli Island from Flood and Erosion’ in 2003.

Ministry of Tourism launches “Incredible India 2.0 Campaign”

     New Delhi. Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency to formulate national policies and programmes for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries/ agencies, the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations and the representatives of the private sector.

   Tourism is a major engine of economic growth and an important source of foreign exchange earnings in many countries including India. It has great capacity to create large scale employment of diverse kind – from the most specialized to the unskilled and hence can play a major role in creation of additional employment opportunities. It can also play an important role in achieving growth with equity.
   It has the main objective of increasing and facilitating tourism in India. Augmenting tourism infrastructure, easing of visa regime, assurance of quality standards in services of tourism service providers, etc. are some of the responsibilities of the Ministry. India’s rank in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), 2017 has also shown a 25 places jump from 2013. Rank of India in TTCI Report of 2017 was 40th as compared to 52nd in 2015 and 65th in 2013.
   TOURISM STATISTICS : Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during the period January-November 2017 were 90.01 lakh with a growth of 15.6% over same period of the previous year, compared to FTAs of 77.83 lakh with a growth of 9.4% in January- November, 2016 over January- November, 2015.During January-November 2017, a total of 14.57 lakh foreign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 9.17 lakh during January-November 2016, registering a growth of 58.8%. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) during the period January-November 2017 were Rs.1,60,865 Crore with a growth of 16.9% over same period of previous year.
   Whereas, the FEEs during January-November 2016 were Rs.1,37,588 Crore with a growth of 13.7% over January- November, 2015. During 2016, the number of domestic tourist visits to the States/UTs was 1613.6 million as compared to 1432.0 million in 2015 showing double digit growth of 12.7% in 2016 over 2015.
   DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE : Development of tourism infrastructure is being given priority to provide a better tourism experience to the tourists. Theme based circuits are being developed under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme spanning the entire country. A total number of 11 projects have been sanctioned during 2017-18 for a total amount of Rs.824.80 Crore. With this the total number of 67 projects have been sanctioned till date for an amount of Rs.5648.71 Crore under this Scheme. Holistic development of identified pilgrimage destinations is being undertaken under the ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) Scheme. A total number of 3 projects have been sanctioned during 2017-18 for a total amount of Rs.98.84 Crore. A total number of 21 projects have been sanctioned till date for an amount of Rs.587.29 Crore under this Scheme.
     HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM DESTINATION : Ministry of Tourism is according priority for holistic development of tourism destinations into world class destinations using a cluster approach including development of infrastructure, amenities, interpretation centres and skill development by achieving synergy and convergence with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Industry Stakeholders. As a step in this direction, Ministry of Tourism has recently launched the ‘Adopt A Heritage’ project.
    Heritage sites are being offered for adoption by the public sector, private sector and individuals to become ‘Monument Mitras’ for developing amenities and facilities at these sites under this programme. Creation of ‘Special Tourism Zones’ anchored on Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) in partnership with the States was announced in the Budget for 2017-18. Ministry of Tourism has formulated the guidelines for implementation of the new scheme in consultation with the State Governments and Private Sector and is in the process of completing other formalities before launching the scheme.
      Creation of Special Tourism Zones would lead to overall development of the areas and offer diverse tourism experiences which would help in creating livelihood and improve standards of local communities living in those areas. PARYATAN PARV : Paryatan Parv was organized in October, 2017 covering 31 States and Union Territories. The main objective of the event was to focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”.
    The event included cultural performances, food festivals, tourism exhibitions, displays of handicrafts & handlooms, yoga sessions, tourism & heritage walks, tourism related competitions for students & public, excursions trips to tourist sites, sensitization & awareness programmes, seminars & workshops etc.
    NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CENTRAL & STATE/UTS MINISTERS AND SECRETARIES OF TOURISM, CULTURE, YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS : The Ministry of Tourism, along with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in collaboration with the Govt. of Gujarat organized the “National Conference of Central & State/UTs Ministers and Secretaries of Tourism, Culture, Youth Affairs & Sports” at Dhordo, Rann of Kutch in January 2017.
      The Inaugural Session of the Conference was addressed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, through Video Conferencing. The theme for the Conference was converging tourism, culture, youth affairs and sports and creating synergy with States and UTs towards building a resurgent, young India and strengthening “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat” BHARAT PARV : Ministry of Tourism was designated as the nodal Ministry for the Bharat Parv event organized by the Government of India at Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 31st January 2017, as part of the Republic Day Celebrations. The event included a display of Republic Day Parade tableaux, performances by the Armed Forces Bands, Food Festival, Crafts Mela and Cultural Performances from different regions of the country.
   The prime objective of organizing the event was to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country, to ensure wider participation of the general public and to popularize the idea of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT : In the year 2017 Ministry of Tourism gave Administrative Approval and Expenditure Sanction for setting up of State Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition at Jhalawar, Udaipur and Dholpur in Rajasthan and Food Craft Institute at Deoghar, Jharkand. An approval has also been accorded for setting up of Applied Training Centre at Institute of Hotel Management, Shillong. FCI Rewa, Madhya Pradesh has become operational form academic year 2017-18.
     NATIONAL TOURISM AWARDS 2015-16 : The President of India presented the ‘National Tourism Awards 2015-16’ to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry at a function organised by the Ministry of Tourism on the occasion of “World Tourism Day” 27th September, 2017.
   The President launched the “Incredible India 2.0 Campaign”; ‘Adopt A Heritage’ Project and new Incredible India Website on the occasion.INCREDIBLE INDIA 2.0 CAMPAIGN : Ministry of Tourism launched “Incredible India 2.0 Campaign” which marks a shift from the present generic promotions being undertaken across the world, to market specific promotional plans and product specific creatives, with greater focus on digital presence and social media. The Incredible India 2.0 Campaign is being released in the prime existing markets as well as important potential markets. Niche tourism products like Heritage Tourism, Adventure Tourism, Cruise Tourism, Rural Tourism, Wellness & Medical Tourism, MICE, Golf, etc. are being promoted through the Incredible India 2.0 Campaign.
     PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM BOURSE (ITB) AND WORLD TRAVEL MART (WTM) : Ministry of Tourism participated in the “International Tourism Bourse” (ITB) held in Berlin, Germany from 8th to 12th March, 2017. The India Pavilion at ITB was built on the theme of Dravidian temple architecture. The India stand had 54 co-exhibitors including different State Govts. and Tour Operators. Indian Classical dance performance-Kathak and Yoga demonstration were organized at the India stand. Ministry of Tourism participated in World Travel Mart (WTM) held in London from 6th to 8th November, 2017. India pavilion was set up on the theme of spiritual tourism at WTM. A total of 13 States Governments, 22 Tour Operators, Air India, IRCTC and ITDC participated as co-exhibitors at the India pavilion.
  Spiritual tourism and various other tourism products were highlighted at the event. The untapped tourism potential of North East Region was widely publicized at WTM. As part of the event, a press conference and India evening was organised. A networking dinner by M/o DoNER and Assam Tourism was also organised to promote the tourism destinations in the North Eastern Region. 6TH INTERNATIONAL TOURISM MART : Ministry of Tourism organized ‘6th International Tourism Mart’ (ITM) in Guwahati, Assam from 5-7 December, 2017.
   International Tourism Mart is an annual event organised in the North Eastern region with the objective of highlighting the tourism potential of the region in the domestic and international markets. It brings together the tourism business fraternity and entrepreneurs from the eight North Eastern States. A total of 76 foreign Buyer delegates from over 29 countries, 50 domestic stakeholders in tourism sector from other parts of the country and 86 sellers from the North Eastern States participated in the Mart. An exhibition by State Tourism Departments from the North Eastern States including display of beautiful handicrafts and handlooms was also organized during the Mart to showcase the tourism products of respective participating States. Post-mart familiarization tours to the North Eastern states were organized for foreign buyer delegates.
   DEVELOPMENT OF TOURIST AMENITIES AT THREE RAILWAY STATIONS IN GOA : Konkan Railway is one of the most memorable train journeys in the country on account of the vistas that one gets to see and the excellent on board services on these trains. Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned an amount of Rs. 2499.98 Lakh for developing tourist amenities at Madgaon, Karmali and Thivim railway stations in Goa considering the importance of the Konkan Rail route from tourism angle.
      GLASS TOP COACHES : Ministry of Tourism as part of its Rail Tourism Policy is collaborating with MoR for manufacturing of three glass to coaches to be deployed on scenic rail routes of the country. These glass top coaches are fitted with extra wide comfortable seats, wide windows, single observation window at one end, glass roof, rotatable seats, automated sliding doors, mini pantry and wider body side door. Two glass top coaches were launched in 2017 on the Vishakhapatnam – Araku Valley and Dadar to Madgaon route. The third glass top coach is being refurbished to make it suitable for plying on the Qazigund - Baramullah route in Jammu and Kashmir.

Parliamentarians must be united in spirit & purpose to achieve social harmony, peace

   New Delhi. The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that all parliament members to be united in spirit and purpose in order to achieve the social harmony, peace and for all adding that such great things cannot be lost on anyone. 

    He was addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) after releasing the Lok Sabha Calendar for the year 2018. The Speaker of Lok Sabha, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. 

   The Vice President said that the IPG served as the bridge between our Parliament and various other Parliaments of the world and in maintaining a smooth exchange of Parliamentary Delegations, Goodwill Missions, correspondence, documents. 

   He further said that this annual general meeting of the IPG today will provide an opportunity to review its various achievements, devise new plans and set new goals for the coming year. Such a meeting is also meant to infuse new energy and commitment in the members to carry forward its agenda in the future, he added.

    The Vice President that the theme of this year is unique and motivating and it shows the noble and inspirational words and passages inscribed and crafted in the majestic domes, arches, chambers and various other places in Parliament. He further said that the sublime messages are universal and timeless. These inscriptions are rare pearls of wisdom in themselves and an authentic source of our history and philosophical traditions, he added.

   The Vice President said “I am delighted to be amidst you all here on the occasion of the Annual General Meeting of the Indian Parliamentary Group and to release the Lok Sabha Calendar for the year 2018.Three days from now, we will be ushering in a new year, filled with hopes of many exciting things to look forward to as a nation and as individuals. I hope the year 2018 will bring a time of joy, prosperity, peace and happiness to all in our country and around the world.

     The Vice President said The Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) will be completing seven decades of its existence in about a year from now. Since its inception, it has served as the bridge between our Parliament and various other Parliaments of the world and in maintaining a smooth exchange of Parliamentary Delegations, Goodwill Missions, correspondence, documents, etc., and organizing conferences, seminars and symposia on parliamentary subjects of topical interest.

    The Vice President said I hope this annual general meeting of the IPG today will provide an opportunity to review its various achievements, devise new plans and set new goals for the coming year. Such a meeting is also meant to infuse new energy and commitment in the members to carry forward its agenda in the future. I wish you all a fruitful discussion and successful meeting. 

    As I am about to release the Lok Sabha Calendar for the year 2018, I am reminded of the various themes that the Lok Sabha Calendar has portrayed in each succeeding year in the last two decades.

    The Vice President said In recent years, the Calendar for the year 2016 provided the glimpses of Parliament House majestically illuminated on various occasions to celebrate our abiding faith in parliamentary democracy. Likewise, the 2017 Calendar showcased the imposing Parliament House Estate with special focus on the greenery surrounding it.

    The Vice President said The theme of this year is unique and motivating. The Calendar for the New Year 2018 shows the noble and inspirational words and passages inscribed and crafted in the majestic domes, arches, chambers and various other places in Parliament. 

     The sublime messages, universal and timeless, in these inscriptions are rare pearls of wisdom in themselves and an authentic source of our history and philosophical traditions.The Vice President said It is in Parliament that the entire range of activities of a nation is discussed and its destinies are shaped and moulded.T

    he deliberations of that august body are naturally to be inspired by the highest traditions of truth and righteousness. These inscriptions in the Parliament House from Rigveda, Mahabharata, Shrimad Bhagwad Gita, Panchatantra, Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Quran give the visitor insights into the timeless values on which the country’s way of life is anchored.

Vajpayee is like a sage and a yogi, a man of the century

     New Delhi. The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a sage, visionary par excellence who brought developmental reforms to the forefront of governance. 

    He was addressing a gathering after releasing the book “Yug Purush Bharata Ratna Atal Ji” authored by the Member of Parliament (LS), Dr. Ramesh Pokhrial ‘Nishank’ which was also attended by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel. 

  The Vice President lauded the efforts of Shri. Vajpayee in bringing connectivity reforms in Roads, Transport, Telecom and Governance. December 25 the birth day of Shri Vajpayee is celebrated as Good Governance Day is a testament to his contributions to our great Nation, he added. 

      The Vice President said that Vajpayee’s life is an example for youth and future leaders, adding that the Former Prime Minister governed the country with Dedication, Devotion and Discipline. Shri Vajpayee is like a sage and a yogi, a man of the century, his values, traditions are inspiration of everyone and his contributions will have a long-time effect on the younger generation, he said.

Opening new world for business & employment opportunities in North-East

    Assam. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation will flag off the first movement of cement cargo through National Waterway (NW) 2 on River Brahmaputra in Assam, under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship programme Sagarmala. 

   He will also lay the foundation stone for bank protection work of Majuli Island tomorrow. Assam Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, will also be present on the occasion. Marking a new milestone towards Government of India’s constant endeavors to promote economically more viable and environment friendly modes of transport in the country, two barges of 200 metric ton capacity each, will carry 400 tonnes of cement from the Inland Waterways Authority of India’s Pandu Port to Dhubri covering a distance of 255 kilometers. With this,

      IWAI will be initiating regular cargo movement through inland waterways under the Sagarmala programme. Transportation of cargo through NW 2 from Pandu to Dhubri will help save 150,000 tonne km of road transportation per trip and 300 km of road travel while reducing the logistics costs.

     Notably, where one Horse Power can move 150 kg on road and 500 kg on rail, it can move 4000 kg on waterways. Further, while one litre fuel can move 24 ton per km on road and 85 ton per km on rails, the same amount of fuel can move 105 ton per km on waterways. In addition, the infrastructural development for Inland Water Transport (IWT) requires minimal land as compared to road and rail.

     IWAI will charge only Rs 318 per ton as waterway transportation charges from Pandu to Dhubri/Hatsingimari to enthuse entrepreneurs and logistic operators to shift to the cost effective and eco-friendly mode of transportation that also reduces congestion on road. 

    IWAI has been working closely with major cement firms like Dalmia, Star and Amrit and appreciates interest shown by them in cargo movement through waterways. Efforts are on to get other cargo owners to shift their transportation to waterways as this can be a key enabler for reduction of logistics cost and open up more business & employment opportunities.

    The Ministry of Shipping has been making focused efforts to. Connect north east region to Kolkata, Haldia, Mongla and Chittagong ports. Provide efficient logistics in North |East region. Set up Roll on- Roll off services across River banks. Facilitate movement for armed forces.

    Development at Brahmaputra River (NW2) for commercial navigation. Pandu, due to its geographical location, is one of the key terminals on NW2. Both high & low level RCC jetties have been constructed for round the year loading and unloading of cargo and railway BG siding. The port has been developed as a multi-modal modern Inland Water Transport Terminal, equipped with cargo handling facilities, transit sheds, and appropriate open space facilities/hard stands.

     Regular works of maintenance of a navigable fairway of 45 meter width and 2.5 meter least available depth (LAD) from Bangladesh Border to Neamati (629km), 2.0m LAD from Neamati to Dibrugarh (139km) and 1.5 meter LAD from Dibrugarh to Sadiya (123km)/Oriumghat (92km) have been carried out during 2016-17, with the help of river conservancy work and dredging with 3 departmental dredgers.  

   The entire channel on NW 2 has been marked with day navigation marks. Night navigational facilities comprising of solar operated lights on beacon have been provided and maintained between Bangladesh Border and Silghat (440km), which is the last Port of Call on the Protocol route connecting Assam with Kolkata/ Haldia through Bangladesh. Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) stations have been provided at four locations viz. Dhubri, Jogighopa, Biswanthghat and Dibrugarh for safe navigation of vessels with electronic charts. 

    Floating terminal facilities have been provided at 12 important identified locations viz. Hatsingimari, Dhubri, Jogighopa, Pandu, Tezpur, Silghat, Biswanathghat, Neamati, Sengajan, Bogibil, Dibrugarh/Oakland and Oriumghat which will be increased as per location needs. There has been a renewed focus in the last three years to promote 

    IWT in North East Region (NER). Of the 106 new National Waterways that were notified in April 2016, under the National Waterways Act, 2016, 19 are in NER.  Some of these are NW-16 (river Barak), NW-95 (river Subansiri), NW-39 (river Ganol), NW-93 (river Simsang), NW-101 (river Tizu and Zungki), NW-31 (Dhansiri), NW-62 (river Lohit), NW-106 (river Umngot), NW-18 (river Beki), among others.Milestones so far: In January 2017,

     Union Minister laid foundation stone for development of Lakhipur- Bhanga stretch of River Barak as National Waterway 16.The dredging of river Barak (NW-16) has been commenced in November 2017, which was flagged off from Silcharduring Namami Barakevent.The DPR for modernization of the terminals located at Karimganj and Badarpur is underway.

    In April 2017, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between India and Bangladesh Government to make Ashuganj-Zakiganj stretch of River Kushiaraand Sirajganj-Daikhowa stretch of River Jamuna navigable by ensuring minimum depth of 2.5 meter by dredging. On completion of the dredging work, Barak valley will be connected to National Waterway-1 and National Waterway-2 through Barak River. Simultaneously, traffic from Barak Valley will be established directly from Kolkata and Haldia ports in India and Mongla and Chittagong in Bangladesh.

     It is estimated that on completion of works on National Waterway-16, by 2020-21, the movement of 3 million metric tonnes of cargo per annum will be ensured. Similarly, after dredging of Sirajganj-Daikhowa stretch in Bangladesh on Indo Bangla-Protocol route approximately 6 million metric ton of cargo will be transported on National waterway-2. IWAI in April 2017 conducted a successful trial of transportation of eight Army trucks in Ro-Ro vessel from Pandu to Dibrugarh covering a distance of 485 KM, which was again repeated in November 2017 by transporting the same number of trucks from Pandu to Tezpur using its Ro-Ro vessel. In May 2017,

  IWAI in association with Department of North East Region (DoNER) organized a Road Show to showcase the potential for cargo and passenger transportation, primarily on River Brahmaputra. The event highlighted the enabling policies and the infrastructure facilities available to facilitate safe handling and transport of cargo on river Brahmaputra (NW-2) and river Barak (NW-16). In July 2017,

      IWAI commenced the regular (Roll-on-Roll off) Ro- Ro service between Dhubri and Hatsingimari by deploying a state of the art Ro-Ro vessel MV Gopinath Bordoloi, which can carry 8 trucks and 100 passengers at a time. So far 36000 passengers and 450 trucks have been moved on this stretch in the last 6 months. 

   This Ro-Ro crossing saves 230 Km of road travel. IWAI proposes to introduce such Ro-Ro services at other places on NW-2. In September 2017, Lime stone cargo was moved from Karimganj to Ashuganj in Bangladesh.Regular Over-Dimensional-Consignment (ODC)-Transformers of Power Grid Corporation, which cannot be transported by rail and road are taking place in Brahmaputra (NW-2). 

      These ODCs are transported from Haldia &Kolkata to North-East through the Indo- Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route. River tourism is another activity which is quite popular on Brahmaputra. Two long cruise vessels MV Mahabahu and MV Charaidew are operating regularly between Saulkuchi (a place downstream of Guwahati) and Majuli carrying foreign and domestic tourists. 

  IWAI has already initiated action for procurement of two more Ro- Ro vessels, having carrying capacity of 8 trucks and 100 passengers and other with carrying capacity of 12 trucks and 100 passengers. In addition, 

     IWAI is in process of procuring four more Ro-Ro vessels to be deployed on Brahmaputra.Two tug cum barge combination and two self- propelled vessel, each having 2000 ton cargo hold are also under construction and expected to be delivered by January 2018 and March 2018 respectively. Procurement of 2 self-propelled dredgers has also been initiated.

29 MoUs signed under National Culture Fund Scheme

   New Delhi. The Government of India encourages Public Private Partnership (PPP) for conservation, restoration and environmental development of protected monuments and sites through National Culture Fund (NCF), a Trust under the Ministry of Culture. 

   A few Corporate Houses have come forward for the maintenance and development of protected monuments. Till date 29 MoUs have been signed with different private companies/ Public Sector Undertakings/ Government Bodies/ Trusts under NCF scheme of Ministry of Culture for the maintenance & development of the centrally protected monuments and museums under ASI. Out of which, 11 projects have already been completed while 18 are ongoing projects.

  This information was given by Minister of State (IC) for Culture and Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Upgradation and modernisation of museums taken up by the Government

    New Delhi. There are a number of museums in the country directly under the administrative control of the Ministry of Culture, namely National Museum (New Delhi), 3 wings of National Gallery of Modern Art (Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai), Indian Museum (Kolkata), Victoria Memorial Hall (Kolkata), Salarjung Museum (Hyderabad), 23 Science Centre under National Council of Science Museum (Kolkata) and Allahabad Museum (Allahabad). Besides, there are forty four site museums under the control of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). 

   These museums have a large collection of artefacts, paintings, sculptures, coins etc. Upgradation and modernization of these museums are taken up by the Government on a continuous basis to maintain them in good condition. Besides, 

  The Government has also taken up 14 action points for museums for implementation on a continuing basis to bring about qualitative changes in museums in India keeping pace with the international developments in the field. 

     This information was given by Minister of State (IC) for Culture and Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world

    Andhra Pradesh. The President of India Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the centenary conference of the Indian Economic Association in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh today (December 27, 2017). 

   Speaking on the occasion, the President said that India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Without growth there can be no development and little scope for redistribution. And yet, while growth is necessary, it is not sufficient. 

  To tackle the inequities in our society, to overcome the social and economic inequalities between different sections and even different regions, requires imaginative policy making. 

  The President said that significant numbers of our fellow citizens still live in poverty or very close to poverty. They have insufficient access to health-care, education, housing and civic amenities. This is particularly true for traditionally weaker sections of society, such as SCs, STs, segments of OBCs and of course women. 

    Addressing these issues is necessary in order to achieve the dreams of a New India by 2022, when our country commemorates the 75th anniversary of Independence. We also have to treat investment in health and education as investment in human capital – a critical building block for our economy. 

  The President said that in an era of Cooperative Federalism, and particularly after the implementation of the report of the 14th Finance Commission – which has transferred more funds to the states – there is a lot of responsibility and hope that rests with our various states. Devolution of funds needs to be complemented by evolution of ideas. That is how states will benefit – and ultimately India’s social, developmental and macroeconomic needs will be met. 

   The President said that the era of formal jobs is gradually yielding to one of employment opportunities and even self-employment opportunities in specialised manufacturing, in the services sector and in the digital economy. Whether we call it the informal economy or the gig economy, as is the popular term now, whether we apply the norms of microcredit or social entrepreneurship, this sector will only expand. 

   We have to understand it and devise policies that are in tune with it. And we need to design social security measures and safety nets that protect its workers. 

    Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Governor of Andhra Pradesh E. S. L. Narasimhan; Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu; Nobel Laureate and Founder of the Grameen Bank, Professor Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh; Former Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Dr C. Rangarajan; President of Indian Economic Association, Professor Sukhdeo Thorat and Vice Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University, Professor A. Rajendra Prasad.

$318 million loan Agreement Signed with WB to Support Climate Resilient Agriculture

    New Delhi. The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank today signed a $318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices, and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers. About 500,000 farmers, of which a majority are small and marginal, are expected to benefit from improved and modernized tank irrigation systems.

    The project will rehabilitate and modernize about 4,800 irrigation tanks and 477 check dams, spread across 66 sub-basins, in delivering bulk water to irrigation systems. 

    Tamil Nadu, being a water-stressed state, continues to experience water shortages which are expected to further exacerbate in the future. Rehabilitating and modernizing irrigation tanks will improve the reliability and availability of irrigation water for farming communities, making them less prone to climatic hazards. More than 160,000 ha of currently partially irrigated lands will come into full irrigation under this project,” said Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. 

   The agreement for the project was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; S. K. Prabhakar, Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu and John Blomquist, Program Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India on behalf of the World Bank.“This project will help Tamil Nadu scale up its efforts to unlock the full potential of its agriculture sector.

   It will support farmers improve the efficiency of water used in farming, diversify into high value crops, and produce crops that are resilient to the increasing threats of climate change. Such efforts will be a win-win for all, leading to better use of scarce water resources and raising household incomes of farmers,” said John Blomquist, Program Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India. 

    Though significant progress has been made during the past decade in crop diversification, still there is scope for achieving a higher level. Paddy is the dominant crop occupying 34 percent of total cropped areas, whereas fruits and vegetables are grown on 11 percent and pulses and oilseeds on 14 percent of total cropped areas. By helping farmers’ access modern technologies, linking them to markets, and providing postharvest management support, the project will enable farmers to shift from a mono crop paddy system to mixed cropping including high-value crops (fruits, vegetables, and spices), pulses, oilseeds, and millets. 

   To enhance the ability of crops to withstand expected adverse impacts of climate change, the project will support smallholder producers adopt new conservation technologies such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Sustainable Sugar Initiative (SSI). They reduce average water usage by 35 percent and increase yields by 22 percent per ha. 

     The project is expected to increase the yield of rice, maize, and pulses by 18–20 percent. The project will also coordinate with other World Bank-supported projects in Tamil Nadu and at the national level, including the Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project, National Hydrology Project, and National Groundwater Improvement Project to ensure synergy and enhance long-term project impact. 

    The $318 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 19 years.

Launched the 25 applications of 5 modules of the system

     New Delhi. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched the electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS), here today.

   He launched it during the observance of Good Governance Day by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. The Minister launched the 25 applications of 5 modules of the system. 

  The e-service book launched for DoPT during March this year will also be integrated into the e-HRMS. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Good Governance Day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

   He said that under the leadership and inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government has taken various initiatives to attain the goal of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’. He said that the launch of e-HRMS is also a step towards the ‘ease of governance’. 

     The Minister further said that this is an initiative by which the technology will be put to the optimum use. The other departments and state governments will also follow this system in due course, he added. Dr Jitendra Singh also spoke on various other initiatives taken by the Government such as launch of  PRAGATI, self-attestation, discontinuation of interviews  for lower level posts, ‘Anubhav’ initiative, digital life certificate (Jeevan Pramaan), abolition of obsolete rules, online RTI portal, etc among others. He said that the Government has been able to expedite various stalled projects, due to the initiatives such as PRAGATI. 

    The Minister also said that the Government has revolutionised the entire structure of Civil Services Day in the recent years, with more participation and enthusiasm by young district collectors.  He also said that the DARPG is organising regional conferences at different parts of country, which is taking good practices of governance to other parts outside Delhi. He further said that the due to the prompt response, the grievances lodged with the Government have also increased. 

   The Minister also said that Government is adopting a policy of intolerance towards non-performing officers and encouraging the performing officers. All these initiatives are in the direction of citizen-centric approach of the Government, Dr Jitendra Singh said. The DoPT Secretary Ajay Mittal said that good governance is not a product, but a continuous process. This is the way by which maximum good can be done to the maximum people. 

   He said that maximum efforts should be made to our capability and improvements should also be the part of the process. Speaking on the launch of e-HRMS, 

    Ms Neeta Verma, DG, NIC said that the software will give a comprehensive and combined view of the human resource deployed by the Government. She also said that it is a cost-effective initiative, thus sustainable in the long-term. It will also provide HR analytics for the Government, she added.
    She further said that it will help Government to post right man at right post, thus extract best of an employee. With launch of e-HRMS, employees will be able to not only see all their details w.r.t service book, leave, GPF, Salary etc., but also apply for different kind of claims/reimbursements, loan/advances, leave, leave encashment, LTC advances, Tour etc. on a single platform. Employees shall not be dependant for data updating on administration, but they may themselves update the data with their login subject to verification by concerned administration.
    They will be able to track status and match details instantly. The system is designed in a way to obtain all management related inputs/reports through its Dashboard and all pendency of data updating as well as claims will be seen online by senior authorities that will instil more responsibility and accountability among all government servants.
     This is a step in the direction of fully automated Human Resource Management System with a target to bring all employees of Government of India on employee portal so that all processes of personnel management from hiring to retiring will be on digital platform and manual system of handling personnel management will be dispensed with. With launch of the website ehrms.gov.in, five bigger modules covering 25 applications have been launched.
    These are: Personnel Information System- which has functionalities of self-updating by employees. Leave- Leave of all kind may be claimed and sanctioned through website that will become part of service book. LTC- All function related to LTC application, Eligibility Check, Sanction, Advance claim, Final reimbursements, Leave encashment. Loan/Advances- All kind of loan and advances can be claimed, sanctioned and paid through it. Tour: - All tour applications to be submitted through system and TA advance may also be claimed. e-service book- Already launched on 30.03.2017, will also be integrated.
   After training to the employees, these modules will be fully functional by next month and remaining modules will be developed by end of this financial year. Next month a workshop will be conducted calling all ministries and departments and they will be asked to take necessary steps for its early implementation in their ministry/departments.
    This system has various advantages such as providing Dash board for employee and management, Updated service records, E-governance in office procedures, Reduced file movement, Faster service delivery, Assist in decision making, Common document repository of employees, Standardization of Master Data, Minimize manual entry of data, Ease of sharing information among stake holders, e-Sign for accountability, authenticity, PFMS and e-HRMS integration for faster payments of GPF, advances, Loans, reimbursements.
  This will reduce employee’s grievances to a certain extent. Even availability of online data of employees will help organisation to take many administrative decisions easily like planning of recruitments, posting of official to a task as per their experience and qualification, easily available online to the administration. It will also help employees to concentrate more on public service once free from personal anxiety of getting their due work done.
     That will enhance public delivery more satisfactory and more employees will be available for core work of the Government than maintaining of Service Book. Availability of centralized data will enable Government for policy research and planning as such educational qualifications and other competencies and deficiencies may be easily obtained. It will enable Government to take transfer and posting decisions more pragmatically based on reliable first hand data.
   The e-service book for DOPT employees launched on March 30, 2017 was also an initiative taken to fully automate it with live updating of all records. It was envisaged to go on a bigger and single platform for all central government employees and all transactions from Hiring to Retiring of a government servant should be fully automated.

Secular foundations of country must be strengthened further

     Gujarat. The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the secular foundations of the country must be strengthened further and any attempt to create differences in the name of religion by vested interests and religious extremists must be nipped in the bud. 

  He was addressing the members of Parsi community on the occasion of Iranshah Udvada Utsav 2017, in the holy village of Udvada in Gujarat today. 

   The Vice President said that Parsi community has made invaluable contribution to the country’s growth and progress in diverse fields from atomic energy to pharmaceuticals. He quoted Mahatma Gandhi as saying “I am proud of my country, India, for having produced the splendid Zoroastrian stock, in numbers beneath contempt, but in charity and philanthropy perhaps unequalled and certainly unsurpassed”. 

    The Vice President said that India’s syncretic culture and ethos form the basis of the country’s secularism. He further said that secularism was in the DNA of every Indian much before it was enshrined in the Constitution. ‘Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava’ epitomizes India’s secular ethos. India is a land of diverse cultures and religions, he added. 

    The Vice President said that the values of tolerance and respect for all religions have been part of Indian ethos from times immemorial. He further said that keeping the tourist potential of the town in mind, the Gujarat Government has initiated Destination Development Project and put in place some basic infrastructure in and around Iranshah Fire Temple. This heritage town is being projected as a symbol of religious tolerance and harmony as rightly suggested by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he added.

     The Vice President said “I am delighted to participate in Iranshah Udvada Utsav and felicitate two icons of the Zoroastrian Community, Mr. Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry and Dr.Farokh Udwadia. These kinds of festivals and felicitations bring people together to celebrate brotherhood, success and achievements of individuals and provide inspiration to others. 

     The Vice President said India’s syncretic culture and ethos form the basis of the country’s secularism. In fact, I have been saying that secularism was in the DNA of every Indian much before it was enshrined in the Constitution. ‘Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava’ epitomizes India’s secular ethos. India is a land of diverse cultures and religions. The values of tolerance and respect for all religions have been part of Indian ethos from times immemorial. 

     The Vice President said The secular foundations of the country must be strengthened further and any attempt to create differences in the name of religion by vested interests and religious extremists must be nipped in the bud.

    The Vice President said Unless there is social cohesion, communal harmony and religious tolerance, the progress and development of the country will suffer. With robust macro-economic fundamentals in place, India is projected to be the third largest economy in the world by 2028. However, to achieve rapid economic growth and the New India of prosperity and peace, every Indian should work shoulder-to-shoulder in eradicating the evils like corruption, black money, castesim and criminalization of politics as also in eliminating impediments such as illiteracy, gender discrimination and atrocities on weaker sections.

   The Vice President said I am glad that the Parsi community has made invaluable contribution to the country’s growth and progress in diverse fields from atomic energy to pharmaceuticals. Hailing the munificence of the Parsi community, Mahatma Gandhi had said: “I am proud of my country, India, for having produced the splendid Zoroastrian stock, in numbers beneath contempt, but in charity and philanthropy perhaps unequalled and certainly unsurpassed”..

    The Vice President said I am extremely pleased to be in this notified heritage town of Udvada, which is the Mecca for the Parsi community as it houses the famous, Iranshah Atash Behram, the sacred fire temple. I am told that Fire holds a central position in the Zoroastrian religion and is seen as a living, breathing embodiment of the supreme divine. Based on the sanctity of the sacred fire, the Fire Temples are categorized into three types and the highest is the Atash Behram. It is believed that the holy fire has been burning in the Iranshah Atash Ashram for over 1,290 years.

   The Vice President said The association of the holy fire with this historic town dates back to 1742 when the then ruler Damaji Gaikwad permitted the Sanjana Priests to settle in Udvada along with their revered fire, the Iranshah.

    The Vice President said The town with its focus on Iranshah is distinctly planned and comprises a large number of houses dating back to 250 years, reflecting unique heritage and cultural characteristics. I am told that the Iranshah is maintained by nine priestly families who settled in the town.

    The Vice President said As part of promoting pilgrimage throughout the year to this place, the Gujarat Government has appropriately named it as Pavitra Yatradham.The Vice President said I am told that in view of the tourist potential for this town, the Gujarat Government had initiated Destination Development Project and put in place some basic infrastructure in and around Iranshah Fire Temple. 

     The Vice President said I am also happy to know that this heritage town is being projected as a symbol of religious tolerance and harmony as rightly suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM inaugurates new metro link between Noida and Delhi

    Noida. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today inaugurated a new metro link between Noida and Delhi.

    He unveiled a plaque at Botanical Garden Metro Station, to mark the inauguration of a portion of the Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro, connecting Botanical Garden in Noida with Kalkaji Mandir in South Delhi. 

 He also travelled briefly on the metro train, before arriving at the venue for the public meeting. 

  Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister conveyed greetings on the occasion of Christmas. He also noted that the day marks the birthdays of two Bharat Ratnas – Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, and Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

    He said that it is due to the people of Uttar Pradesh that the nation has got a strong and stable Government. He added that he would always remain grateful to the people of Uttar Pradesh for their affection. We live in an era in which connectivity is all-important, he said, adding that just inaugurated metro line would serve not just the present, but also future generations.

   He said that by 2022, when we mark 75 years of freedom, he dreams that we live in an India in which our petrol imports reduce. In order to achieve this, he added, state-of-the-art mass transit systems are the need of the hour. Noting that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji took a ride on the Delhi Metro in December 2002, 

   Narendra Modi said that since then, the metro network in the National Capital Region has expanded considerably.The Prime Minister asserted that governance cannot happen when the dominant thought process begins at 'Mera Kya' and ends at 'Mujhe Kya.' He said that these mindsets are now being changed. He added that for the Union Government, decisions are about national interest and not political gains. 

      The Prime Minister said that earlier Governments took pride in making new laws. He said the current Government wishes to be the Government that removes obsolete laws. Good governance cannot happen when outdated laws hamper decision-making, he added. The Prime Minister congratulated the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and said his focus on good governance is taking the State to new heights. 

    He credited him with ending the superstition associated with Noida, by coming to this city. If anybody thinks that not going to a place will prolong their CM tenure and visiting a place will curtail it, such a person does not deserve to be a Chief Minister, the Prime Minister asserted. 

     The Prime Minister also touched upon the work being done on railway infrastructure, expanding road network, and strides in the renewable energy sector. He described Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji as 'Bharat Marg Vidhata,' and said he has shown us the way towards development. Earlier, in his speech, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said the Prime Minister has given a new meaning to politics of this nation.He added that the Prime Minister always says that we have to move ahead on the path of development.

SSB is the first Border Guarding Force of the Nation

    New Delhi. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) celebrated its 54th Anniversary in its grand campus amidst imposing settings at 25th Battalion. 

  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took the salute of the splendid parade as Chief Guest and inspected the impressive parade with Rajni Kant Mishra, Director General, SSB. 

 The Anniversary function was further followed by brilliant and disciplined march past of the smartly dressed Force personnel representing all seven Frontiers and one Mahila contingent of SSB. After the parade, 

   The Union Home Minister awarded President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (Posthumously) to Late CT/GD Sanjeet Kumar and the Gallantry Medal was received by his wife Smt. Manu Sharma. Late CT/GD Sanjeet Kumar bravely laid down his life for the motherland while fighting against Naxals in Dumka, Jharkhand in the year 2015. 

    He also felicitated four awardees for President Police Medal for distinguished service and 23 awardees for Indian Police Medal for meritorious service in true acknowledgment of their selfless and unwavering service to the Nation. He also awarded four SSB personnel with Union Home Minister Medal for Excellence in Training.Later, the vivid and stunning display of SSB troops, Dog squad, Dare Devil team, Parkour event were captivating and exhilarating. 

    SSB Martyrs were honoured by introducing a Tableau called “Pride of India” on parade to commemorate the sacrifices of the bravehearts in the line of their duties. Union Home Minister in his address appreciated the discipline, dedication and synchronization shown by the SSB Jawans and Mahila contingent in their parade and March past. 

    Rajnath Singh applauded and praised SSB for serving the Nation with the motto of “Service, Security and Brotherhood” wherever it has been deployed since its inception in the year 1963. He further said that he personally witnessed the people friendly approach followed by SSB in true words and spirit in its work culture and ethos during his visit to the 36th Battalion SSB, Gayzing, Sikkim.

   He said that SSB has become the second largest Border Guarding Force of the country by raising and with operationalization of its all 73 Battalions in a very short span of time. He further said that with the approval of cadre review faster promotional avenues will open up for SSB personnel and it will surely infuse more zeal and enthusiasm among the Force personnel.

    The Union Home Minister also commended the unprecedented and exceptional achievements of SSB against perpetrators of various crimes, drug peddlers, illegal arms, FICN, wildlife and prohibited items on the border and he categorically applauded the efforts of SSB in seizing contraband and prohibited items valuing more than Rs. 700 crores and apprehending 7,233 offenders till date in the year 2017.

      He also appreciated the initiatives of SSB in operationalization of 18 Rescue and Relief Teams at its all Sector Headquarters to enhance the capabilities of the Force in its area of responsibility as first responder in case of any disaster.He also appreciated the ongoing crusade and campaign of SSB against the menace & evils of human trafficking and child labour. 

     He expressed his happiness that SSB has signed an MoU with National Skill Development Corporation to impart training to the victims rescued from human traffickers and make them self-sufficient.

     He said that SSB is the first Border Guarding Force of the Nation to induct women in the year 2007 for border guarding duties and today 1,854 women are serving in SSB. He expressed his happiness that wherever important duties have been assigned to these women Force personnel they have proved and established their steadfast perseverance and commitment for their assigned duties and they are working tirelessly along with their male counterparts in apprehension of anti-national elements.

    He declared that Rupees one crore will be given to the CAPF personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty since January, 2016.  He also said that MHA is seriously contemplating on the proposal to help those CAPF personnel who had got injured while performing duties particularly to those who have become more than 50% disabled.  

    He also announced grant of Rs. 10,000/- per annum for uniforms will be given to all CAPF personnel as per the recommendation of 7th Pay Commission. On this occasion, Rajnath Singh released a SSB Souvenir consisting of various informative and educative articles of retired and serving Force personnel. Rajni Kant Mishra, Director General, SSB in his welcome speech thanked and conveyed his gratitude to Union Home Minister for gracing the occasion of 54thAnniversary of SSB.

   He further highlighted the glorious past of SSB and elaborated the achievements and initiatives taken by SSB for effective border management on open and porous Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders. He thanked the Union Home Minster for approval of the cadre review proposal of combatized and non-cobatized personnel. 

    He also informed that modernization of the Force is on anvil and under current modernization plan Netra-2 UAVs have been purchased and Bullet Proof vehicles, Mine Protected Vehicles, Patrolling vehicle including Motorcycles, Modern Assault Rifles, Night Vision devices and Communication devices are being purchased soon to strengthen the operational capabilities of Force. 

    He said that additional three Bomb Disposal Squads have also been set up to reinforce the SSB’s tactical operational powers in counter-insurgency areas of deployment.Union Home Minister later met a group of 46 girls & 130 boys, who reached Delhi from different parts of the country including the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim under “Educational Excursion cum Study Tour” organised by SSB in its Civic Action Programme and “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign. 

    These young girls and boys hailing from far-flung and remote areas shared varied and vibrant experience of their Educational Excursion-cum-Study Tour to various places of historical interest like Amritsar, Agra, Kolkata & Bangalore. Union Home Minister wished them good luck for their future endeavours in Nation building.

     The magnificent parade was attended by Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, Director General, National Security Guards (NSG) Sudhir Pratap Singh, Sonam Tobga, Charge d’ Affairs, Embassy of Royal Govt. of Bhutan and Parshotam Kandal, SSP Counsellor, Embassy of Nepal. Delegation of Nepal Armed Police Force, retired and serving officers of SSB and their families were also present.