pib sep 22 to sep 30

KIIW PIB Sep 22 to Sep 30

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Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com

Content

Prime Minister to Launch 'Make in India' Initiative 1

PM launches "Make in India" global initiative 2

Focus on 'Make In India' 3

India and Russia discuss collaboration in scientific education and economic 4

PM meets Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu 5

Country Statement-India presented by Culture Minister Shripad Naik at the 3 5

10 lakh rural youths to be trained for jobs in 3 years, says G 6

Initiatives of the New Government in the Textiles Sector 7

New Initiatives/ Developments of Ministry of Food Processing Industries 8

First Renewable Energy Global Investment Promotion Meet & Expo to be held i 9

PM's address and interaction at Council on Foreign Relations in New York Ci 9

Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurates the 10th Formation Day of NDMA National Disa 10

Rashtrapati Bhavan launches campaign for a Financially Inclusive Township ( 10

Text of the Intervention made by Minister for Environment, Forests and Clim 11

Year-Long Centenary Commemoration of Komagata Maru Incident Inaugurated in 12

The Delhi Resolution 12

Achievements and Initiatives of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Dev 14

Statement of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development, 15

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Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com

Content

Dr Harsh Vardhan showcases government's early achievements in Health "Four 16

No Need to Open Another Bank Account to Avail of Benefits Under Pradhan Man 17

Government announces 'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana'- DAY for uplif 17

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Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com Page 1

Prime Minister to Launch 'Make in India' Initiative Wed, Sep 24, 2014make in india, PIB, economics,

The 'Make in India' initiative has its origin in the Prime Minister's Independence Dayspeech where he gave a clarion call to 'Make in India' and 'Zero Defect; Zero Effect'policy. State Governments, Business Chambers, Indian Missions aboard are playingan active role in the launch of the initiative.

nvest India will act as the first reference point for guiding foreign investors on all aspectsof regulatory and policy issues and to assist them in obtaining regulatory clearances.

A dedicated cell has been created to answer queries from business entities through anewly created web portal (www.makeinindia.com). While an exhaustive set of FAQson this portal will help the investor find instant answers to their general queries, theback-end support team of the cell would be answering specific queries within 72 hours.A pro-active approach will be deployed to track visitors for their geographical location,interest and real time user behaviour. Subsequent visits will be customised for the visitorbased on the information collected. Visitors registered on the website or raising querieswill be followed up with relevant information and newsletter. Investor facilitation cellwill provide assistance to the foreign investors from the time of their arrival in thecountry to the time of their departure. The initiative will also target top companiesacross sectors in identified countries.

Since the new Government took over, a series of initiatives have been taken to revitalisethe industrial sector in general and manufacturing sector in particular. To mention afew:

u The process of applying for Industrial License and Industrial Entrepreneur Memorandumhas been made online on the e-Biz website 24*7;

u A vast number of Defence items have been de-licensed;

u The validity of Industrial license has been extended to three years;

u With a view to providing flexibility in working hours and increased intake of apprenticesfor on the job training, the Government has decided to amend a number of labour laws;

u An advisory has been sent to all Departments/ State Governments to simplify andrationalize regulatory environment which includes:

* on-line filing of all returns in a unified form;

* no inspection without the approval of the Head of the Department, etc.

Recently the Foreign Direct Investment policy has been liberalized. 100% FDI underautomatic route has been permitted in construction, operation and maintenance in

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specified Rail Infrastructure projects; FDI in Defence liberalized from 26% to 49%. Incases of modernization of state-of-art proposals, FDI can go up to 100%; the norms forFDI in the Construction Development sector are being eased.

The government is committed to improving the physical infrastructure. Developmentof dedicated freight corridors and investment in improving our ports and airports areunderway. These corridors would house Industrial agglomerations along with smartcities. The private sector would be playing a significant role in these developmentalworks.

For the manufacturing sector to take advantage of the improved physicalinfrastructure, the need for having a strong human capital is recognized. Government'seffort would be to equip the working age population with the right kinds of skill so thatthe manufacturing sector finds them employable. One of the first decisions that the newGovernment has taken is to set up a separate Department of Skill Development andEntrepreneurship.

PM launches "Make in India" global initiative Thu, Sep 25, 2014make in india, PIB, economics,

the Prime Minister said "FDI" should be understood as "First Develop India" alongwith "Foreign Direct Investment."

t is important for the purchasing power of the common man to increase, as this wouldfurther boost demand, and hence spur development, in addition to benefiting investors.The faster people are pulled out of poverty and brought into the middle class, the moreopportunity will there be for global business, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said that India is the only country in the world which offers theunique combination of democracy, demography, and demand. He said the new Governmentwas taking initiatives for skill development to ensure that skilled manpower was availablefor manufacturing.

He also referred to the Digital India mission, saying this would ensure that Governmentprocesses remained in tune with corporate processes.

To the expression "Look East," the Prime Minister added "Link West", and said a globalvision was essential. He said Mission Swachh Bharat and "waste to wealth" could leadto good revenue models for business as well. He referred to his vision of waste watermanagement and solid waste management in 500 towns across India through publicprivate partnership.

The Prime Minister also spoke of infrastructure of the future - including i-ways besideshighways - and mentioned port led development, optical fibre networks, gas grids and

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water grids.

Focus on 'Make In India' Thu, Sep 25, 2014manufacturing, make in india, PIB, economics,

industry contributes to GDP significantly and on the other hand, the government getsa lion's share in the form of tax revenue from industrial production, which the govt.spends on the welfare schemes and a lot of employment opportunities are generated inindustrial sector as well.

the meaning of "Make in India" refers to the, production in India with global qualitystandards. For this purpose, we will be needing substantial capital and technologicalinvestment in India.

grants-in-aid and the balance amount will be contributed by the consortium of industries. This scheme includes the following major components;

- Five Centres of Excellence for technology development at IITs (Delhi, Mumbai,Chennai &Kharagpur) and CMTI, Bangalore (` 312.5 crore)

- One Integrated Industrial Infrastructure Facilities Park for Machine Tool, near Bangalore(` 400 crore)

- Two Common Engineering Facilities Centres (one of them at Surat, Gujarat) (` 61.20)

- Testing and Certification Centre for construction equipment and earthmoving machinery(`100 crore)

- Technology acquisition programme (` 50 crore)

After Capital and Technical Investment in Capital Goods Industry, demand for skilledmanpower in this sector will increase and keeping in view of long term demand, CapitalGoods Skills Development Council is making a comprehensive plan under whichcomponents like skill gap identification, standardization of occupational standards,identification of master trainers, training for trainers and third party certification etc.are being finalized. Our Ministry is also serious on the issue of utilizing the infrastructureand manpower of the PSUs working under Department Of Heavy Industry, in makingthe youngsters living in the vicinity of the PSUs, skilled. Such skilled youngsters maybe provided employment opportunities in small and medium industries (SMEs) aroundthese PSUs. This plan will be completely based on the demand of skilled manpower,so that there may be a full guarantee of employment for them.

We are proposing to establish an Ultra Mega Green Solar Park with an ultimate capacityof 4000MW in Rajasthan,with 1000MW solar power plant at an estimated cost of `

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7950 crore, in the first phase by a joint venture of various CPSEs viz. BHEL, SambharSalts Ltd., Rajasthan Electronic Instrumentation Ltd., Solar Energy Conservation ofIndia, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. and Sutlej JalVidyut Nigam Ltd.

Heavy Electrical Equipment Sector accounts for around 70% of the total capital goodssector in terms of production and is thus very important for the Indian industry. Nearly3/4 th of India's energy is produced through thermal power. We are already facingcoal shortage domestically due to various reasons, forcing us to rely increasingly onimport of coal and LNG, nuclear fuel etc. With a view to substantially improve thermalefficiency (approx. 11% over super critical level), we are initiating R&D project forAdvanced Ultra Super Critical Technology by involving BHEL, NTPC and IndiraGandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).

Auto sector, also administered by my Ministry, is an important sector from the pointof view of contribution to National GDP (7.1%) total turnover (approx. US $ 80 billionper year) and employment (approx. 19 million direct and indirect jobs). Based on thebold decision to continue the lower excise duty rates till December 31, 2014, the autosector has bounced back showing over 12% growth in sales till April-August, ascompared to last year. Two wheelers have shown nearly 15% increase, three wheelers17% and passenger cars 4.5%. Even Commercial vehicles have started improvingduring this period. My Ministry has commenced work to draft Auto Mission Plan IIfor the period 2016-26 which will include important subjects of advance technologies,future fuels, export, investment, skills etc. AMP II shall be finalised by middle of nextyear.

Similarly, to improve the supply of high quality skilled manpower to both automobileand auto component units, Auto Skill Development Council (ASDC)has been energizedand is now functioning in top gear. Over 100 job rolls have been finalized, as alsoteaching curricula, training of trainers, identification of centres, accreditation, andcertification/examination system, absorption in industry have all been firmed up. Duringthis year, a total of one lakh or more skilled personnel shall be churned out by ASDC.

India and Russia discuss collaboration in scientific education and economic Thu, Sep 25, 2014russia, PIB, international,

Dr. Jitendra Singh pointed out that five areas had been identified where India-Russiacollaboration could prove effective and fruitful. These included Bio-Medical Sciences,Nuclear Power, Information & Technology, Energy Efficiency and Aerospace, headded.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also referred to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's "Make inIndia" programme launched today and said that this will certainly attract friendly nationslike Russia to explore the possibilities of cost effective manufacturing and export from

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India.

India has a huge infrastructure in areas of Bio-medical Sciences, particularly, genomesand stem-cell, and Russian scholars will have an ample opportunity to avail of this.

PM meets Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu Mon, Sep 29, 2014PIB, international, israel,

Defence ties and cooperation in the field of computer software, and cyber security werealso discussed.

Issues of water management and agriculture in arid areas came up for discussion, withIsrael offering to share its technology in this regard. The Prime Minister also outlinedhis vision of waste water management and solid waste management in 500 towns acrossIndia.

Country Statement-India presented by Culture Minister Shripad Naik at the 3 Thu, Sep 25, 2014PIB, international, SAARC,

"Culture plays a critical role in ultimately shaping the development agenda of a nation.It represents a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. Culture and its children- the arts - manifest themselves subtly in almost all economic, social and other activities.A country as diverse as India is symbolized by the plurality of its cultures.

India is one of the world's largest repositories of music, dance, theatre, folk traditions,songs, performing arts, rites and rituals, paintings and writings that are known, collectively,as 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' (ICH).

This endeavour is supported by the three national academies - Sahitya Akademi, SangeetNatak Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi, as well as the National School of Drama andthe Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, which represent a confluence of the finestcreative minds in the literary, performance and visual arts.

The Ministry endeavours to promote library development in a big way, and extendsgrants-in-aid through the Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation, Kolkata, to achievethis objective. The National Mission on Libraries and the National Mission on Manuscriptsare major efforts in conservation and promotion of ancient and contemporary literarytraditions of India.

The maintenance of all archival records of the country is the responsibility of theNational Archives of India. The Government of India has undertaken a major initiativein weeding out records, and in training personnel in records management practices. Thetransfer of official records to the National Archives of India for historical record-keeping

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is a significant initiative of the government.

In the SAARC countries, India proposes to conduct Buddha Mahotsava in Bhutan,Cricket Connects Exhibitions in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan.We would explore, under the National Virtual Library of India mission, the vast potentialfor online promotion of SAARC culture. India has also been actively associated withthe restoration of the Pashupati Nath Temple in Kathmandu, the development of theGandhi Heritage Sites in Noakhali in Bangladesh, the restoration of temples of Jaffna,Sri Lanka and the establishment of a science museum in Sri Lanka. Millions of SriLankan Buddhist devotees paid homage to sacred relics of the Buddha from the NationalMuseum, New Delhi, and the event symbolized the cultural harmony of the region. TheIndo-Bangla joint commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev RabindranathTagore provided the two countries an opportunity to build a vibrant and forward-lookingrelationship.

India seeks to collaborate with SAARC member states in formulation of transnationalnominations for world heritage sites. India also seeks collaboration under ProjectMausam with countries of the Indian Ocean rim to preserve the common maritimeheritage of the region. The declaration of 2016-17 as the SAARC year of CulturalHeritage will bring significant impetus to promotion of common cultural heritage."

10 lakh rural youths to be trained for jobs in 3 years, says G Thu, Sep 25, 2014Rural Development, PIB, economics,

Shri Gadkari said that by 2020, developed countries will have a shortfall of over 57million semi-skilled workers while India is expected to have a surplus of 47 million.Hence, there is a need for tapping international players for partnership in impartingskills to the country's rural youth population and offering them suitable jobs. He said,countries like United States, UK, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, China and Spainand the Middle East Countries have high demand for skilled manpower, where Indianrural youth can be absorbed after they acquire industry-specific training.

The programme aims to train 10 lakh rural youths by 2017. The Minister also underlinedthe need for imparting training to differently abled persons. Shri Gadkari also askedthe private sector to chip in a big way in this mission.

only 10 lakh youths were trained during the last ten years, while 12 million people enterworkforce every year. He said, out of 12 million people, only 10 percent are skilledones, while the percentage in European Union is 75 and in china it is 50 percent.

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Initiatives of the New Government in the Textiles Sector Mon, Sep 29, 2014textile sector, PIB, economics,

Generate productive employment opportunity for the youth

* Inclusive and participative growth

* Skill, Scale and Speed

* Make in India brand.

* Zero defect - Zero Effect (on environment)

* Adarsh Gram

The Textile industry has two broad segments, namely handloom, handicrafts, sericulture,powerlooms in the unorganized sector and spinning, apparel, garmenting, made ups inthe organised sector.

The Scheme of Integrated Textile Parks is one of the flagship schemes of the Ministryof Textiles. It aims to assist small and medium entrepreneurs in the textile industry toclusterize investments in textile parks by providing financial support for world classinfrastructure in the parks.

Duty free entitlement to garment exporters for import of trimmings, embellishmentsand other specified items increased from 3% to 5%. This initiative is expected to generatean additional RMG exports estimated at Rs.10,000 Crore.

* The government has also proposed to extend 24/7 customs clearance facility at 13airports and 14 sea ports resulting in faster clearance of import and export cargo.

* The proposal for imposing duty on branded items was dropped providing relief to theentire value chain.

National Institute of Fashion Technology and leading members of the fashion industryhave been roped in for design support to weavers. At the same time equipment and rawmaterial for producing clothes for the high end customers and niche market are alsobeing provided. Higher wage coming from high value production and reducing levelof transactions in marketing would enhance the wage of the handloom weaverssubstantially.

Synergy of handloom, handicraft with tourism has been worked out in consultationwith Ministry of Tourism. State Chief Secretaries have been requested for identifyingtraditional handloom weavers/handicraft artisans villages for development as "AdarshGram" as tourists destination.

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Development of Tassar handloom products like sarees, dress material and wide rangeof home furnishing fabric for exports typical to Bhagalpur in Bihar has been initiatedunder Handloom Mega Cluster Scheme. Another mega cluster is being developed atTrichy, Tamilnadu.

New Initiatives/ Developments of Ministry of Food Processing Industries Mon, Sep 22, 2014food processing, PIB, economics,

Special fund of Rs. 2000 crore set up in NABARD, which was announced in the Budgetof 2014-15 to provide affordable credit to Agro-processing units.

* Reduction in excise duty from 10% to 6% for Food Processing machinery announcedin the Budget 2014-15

* Help desk "Investors Portal" has been set up to assist the prospective investors/entrepreneurs to facilitate investments in the Food Processing sector.

* Skill Development initiative taken by the Ministry in consultation with National SkillDevelopment Council and identified 7 sectors ( Bakery, Dairy, Grain Processing,Poultry, Refrigeration, Packaging, Quality Control) with the help of reputed industrypartners to train 10,000 persons in the next 12 months.

* E monitoring of National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) - Centrally SponsoredScheme launched.

A study to set up of Solar Driers in Leh and Kargil of Ladakh region of J&K State hasbeen commissioned and nearing completion.

5 Nos of Mega Food Parks approved in the states of Bihar, Maharashtra, HimachalPradesh and Chhattisgarh.

* 83 proposals received in respect of Expression of Interest received for setting up ofnew mega food parks.

* 3 Nos of cold chain projects operational in Kolkata, Udamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhandand Mumbai, Maharashtra.

* 20 new cold chain projects been sanctioned.

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First Renewable Energy Global Investment Promotion Meet & Expo to be held i Tue, Sep 30, 2014environment, PIB, renewable energy,

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ( MNRE) has announced organisation of theFirst Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet & Expo (RE - INVEST) on 15-17February, 2015 in New Delhi.

to attract large scale investments in the renewable energy sector in India.

first major platform for investment promotion in the renewable energy sector atGovernment of India level to signal India's commitment to the development and upscaling of renewable energy for meeting its energy requirement in a sustainable manner.RE-INVEST will enable the global investment community to connect with renewableenergy stakeholders in India. The event is expected be attended by over 200 investors,both domestic and international

Renewable Energy is contributing about 6.5% in the electricity mix of the country. Itis proposed that this would be taken to about 12% in the next three year.

accelerated depreciation, generation based incentive, feed-in-tariff, viability gap fundingis expected to add massive investments in the renewable energy sector. FDI up to 100%under the automatic route is permitted in Renewable Energy Sector.

RE-INVEST will be the culmination of a conference and exhibition of manufacturers,project developers, investors and other players in the renewable energy space to showcasemanufacturing capabilities, latest technologies, financing options and investmentopportunities. International companies in the renewable energy space from differentcountries will also have the opportunity to exhibit and showcase at the Expo to a wideIndian audience

PM's address and interaction at Council on Foreign Relations in New York Ci Tue, Sep 30, 2014wto, PIB, international, Afghanistan,

India is not against a trade facilitation agreement, the welfare of the large number ofpoor people in India must be taken into account, and therefore, agreements on tradefacilitation and food security must be secured together.

United States should not repeat the mistake of Iraq in Afghanistan. He said the withdrawalof forces from Afghanistan should be gradual.

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Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurates the 10th Formation Day of NDMA National Disa Mon, Sep 29, 2014disaster management, PIB, polity,

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the National Institute of DisasterManagement (NIDM) are playing an important role in the disaster management, rescueoperations and raising the awareness about disaster risk reduction.

the recent experience of lack of connectivity during disasters has delayed the relief andrescue operations. It is necessary that the country has an effective communicationsystem which does not get disrupted during disasters, he added.

'we should be able to utilize our natural resources in a sustainable manner andover-exploitation of these natural resources must be checked. It is now being realizedworld-wide that sustainable disaster management is the key to development'.

Under the NDMA, a specialized field organization NDRF has been developed in to awell-trained dedicated force with strength of about 11000 personnel spread throughoutthe country. They are also equipped with state-of-the-art equipment required for variousresponse actions, Shri Goswami mentioned.

Rashtrapati Bhavan launches campaign for a Financially Inclusive Township ( Sat, Sep 27, 2014Financially Inclusive Township, PIB, economics, financial inclusion,

The campaign will include:-

* A financial literacy programme and creation of a financial literacy hub at the Dr.Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya within Rashtrapati Bhavan for the students, theirfamilies as well as all residents of the President's Estate.

* Enrolling all residents in UIDAI's Aadhar scheme.

* Opening of Saving Bank Accounts for the unbanked under the Pradhanmantri JanDhan Yojana.

* Enrolment of people in 'Swavalamban', - a special scheme of the Pension FundRegulatory and Development Authority for those belonging to the unorganized sector.

* Issue of RuPay Cards to new as well as existing account holders of the United Bankof India within the Estate.

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Text of the Intervention made by Minister for Environment, Forests and Clim Tue, Sep 23, 2014Major Economies Forum, environment, PIB,

To be consistent with the Convention, 'contributions' have to be understood in adifferentiated manner that distinguishes between Annex I and Annex II partiescommitments and non-Annex I actions: Annex I Parties should have "nationallydetermined" economy-wide mitigation commitments. Annex II parties should continueto have commitments to provide the finance and technology support to developingcountries. Therefore, Annex II parties should make their domestic preparations, inparticular on their commitments on finance and technology support to developingcountries in addition to their commitments on emission reductions.

The "national determination" of "contributions" must strengthen the existing commitmentsunder the Convention for Annex I Parties and reflect the diversity of national conditionsand circumstances for non-Annex I Parties.

* It needs to be highlighted that the concept of "nationally determined" as applied tomitigation has to be guided by the Convention principle of developed countries takingthe lead and in a comparable manner, consistent with science demand.

Therefore, Annex I Parties should increase their pre-2020 ambitions first, with a viewto setting the ambitious starting point and reference level for determining their post-2020contributions.

Non-Annex I parties INDCs will be "nationally determined" and their ambition levelswill depend on the extent of the finance, technology and capacity building support byAnnex II Parties. For non-Annex I Parties, "national determined" contributions withrespect to adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology support, capacity building, andsustainable development, would reflect the diversity of their respective nationaldevelopment conditions and circumstances. It should also take into account the factthat their main priority is socio-economic development and poverty eradication, asrecognized in the Convention.

* In this context, the implementation by Annex II developed country Parties of theirrespective commitments relating to finance and technology transfer under Article 4 ofthe Convention will be an essential pre-requisites and foundation for enhancing theactions and contributions of developing country Parties to avoid or reduce their emissionsand to adapt to climate change even as they pursue goals of sustainable developmentand poverty eradication.

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Year-Long Centenary Commemoration of Komagata Maru Incident Inaugurated inMon, Sep 29, 2014social, PIB, Komagata Maru Incident,

As a tribute to the heroic struggle of Indian immigrants against discriminatory immigrationlaws of Canada in the early years of twentieth century, the Government of India hasdecided to commemorate the centenary of Komagata Maru incident on completion of100 years after the incident.

by commemorating Komagata Maru we commemorate not only the 376 Indians onboard the ship the Komagata Maru but also all the Indians who have since the earlydecades of the last century landed in the shores of other countries in search of greenerpastures.

An International Seminar titled "Komagata Maru: Context, Significance and Legacy"is also proposed to be organised. The National Implementation Committee also approveda proposal from Punjabi University, Patiala for the production of a play titled "KomagataMaru - 1914." It has also decided to hold a week-long function at Vancouver from 23rdMay to 30th May, 2015 which would include cultural events, seminars and exhibitionsbesides honouring the descendants of the Komagata Maru passengers as well asnon-Indians including Canadians who rendered assistance both financially and legallyto the cause of Komagata Maru passengers.

On May 23, 1914, Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamer, carrying 376 passengers fromHong Kong, mostly being immigrants from Punjab, British India, arrived in Vancouver,Canada. It was denied docking by the Canadian authorities. Following a two monthsstalemate, the Ship was escorted out of the harbour by the Canadian Military and forcedto sail back to India. The Komagata Maru arrived in Calcutta in September, 1914. TheBritish Imperial Government saw the men on Komagata Maru as dangerous politicalagitators. The police went aboard the ship on 29th September, 1914 to arrest BabaGurdit Singh and other leaders. The arrest was resisted by the passengers which led topolice firing in which 19 passengers were killed. Baba Gurdit Singh escaped along withmany others. The rest of the passengers were sent to Punjab.

The Delhi Resolution Thu, Sep 25, 2014delhi resolution, PIB, international, saarc,

1. To declare 2016-17 as the SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage. To note that for2015-16, Bamiyan will be the SAARC cultural capital and the inauguration ceremonyof Bamiyan as SAARC cultural capital will take place in April 2015.

2. To formulate proposals for transnational nominations for the world heritage list anda regional list of heritage sites. To recognize the impact and contribution of maritime

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routes and the monsoon as also other inland relations, especially through the centuriesof trade, both maritime and inland, migration, colonialism, and modern statecraft,through enhanced interaction between member countries by redefining cultural linkagesthrough transnational nominations.

3. To promote SAARC culture online by launching a dedicated SAARC website onculture, with emphasis on digitization of rare manuscripts, rare books and other articlesof intangible cultural value.

4. To strengthen cultural institutions in the SAARC region, promote cultural festivalsshowcasing themes that are unique to the region within SAARC member states, andenable meaningful exchange programmes for artists, performers, writers and scholars.

5. To establish a SAARC Cultural Heritage Committee (SHC) and build culturalinstitutions, which, in turn, will bolster efforts in preservation, maintenance, as well asdigital mapping of historic sites in member countries, and simultaneously developinventories of cultural assets in museums and other repositories of the region and applybest practices and standards therein.

6. To promote the literatures produced in the local languages of the regions, and makethem available to readers across the world through translations, not only into English,but also through direct translation from one SAARC language to another, and also toprovide financial support to writers to work on creative projects, collaborate with otherwriters and provide them increased exposure to other cultures.

7. To accord the highest priority to the preservation of folklores and other oral traditionsthat embody local narratives and local cultures, both in order to facilitate a betterunderstanding of our shared past in this age of global cultural memes, and to envisionthe cultural future of the region anew.

8. To promote visual and performing arts from the SAARC region in other parts of theworld to mirror the vast riches - both cultural and geographic - that adorn these lands,as part of a sustained campaign of cultural diplomacy to attract tourists to these placesand stimulate SAARC tourism.

9. To support, on mission-mode, the improvement of literacy of SAARC populaces,and further, promote a reading habit among the citizens by providing access to booksand other reading materials through establishing libraries in remote places.

10. To promote the urge and interest of the SAARC country visitors to archeologicallyimportant places and heritage sites by fixing a common rate for entrance therein.

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Achievements and Initiatives of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Dev Fri, Sep 26, 2014environment, PIB, drinking water, water pollution,

Out of a total irrigable area of 140 M.Ha., irrigation potential of 112.8 M.Ha. has beencreated. Out of this 88 M.Ha. is currently being utilised. 20.5 M.Ha. of CommandArea has been developed through the CAD-WM Scheme of MoWR. During XI Plan,2100 Water Bodies restored with irrigation potential of 0.92 lakh hectare. The proposalsfor inter-linking of 16 links under Himalayan component and 14 links under Peninsularcomponent are under consideration.

The work relating to Inter Linking of Rivers is in operation since 1982. Renewed thrustto Inter-Linking of Rivers (ILR) has been imparted. In 2014, first ILR project ofKen-Betwa has been initiated. The Ken - Betwa link project would have a dam onriver Ken along with 221 Km Link Canal, provide annual irrigation to 6.35 Lakh Hectare,supply drinking water to 13.42 lakh people and generate 78 MW hydropower in MadhyaPradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has been expanded by includingMinister (WR, RD and GR) as vice-chairman and also other Ministers concerned withwholesome development of Ganga.

The First National Dialogue i.e 'Ganga Manthan' was held on 7 th of July 2014; morethan 500 spiritual leaders of all beliefs, academicians & technocrats, NGOs &Environmentalists, and Policy makers & implementers actively participated in thedeliberations.

An ambitious National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM)has been launched entailing mapping of aquifers in an area of 8.89 lakh sq. km of thecountry on a scale of 1:50,000 and in 3-D. Six pilot projects of Aquifer mapping havebeen carried out in five States viz. Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu andKarnataka using advanced techniques including heliborne Transient Electromagneticsurveys for faster and accurate mapping of aquifers. This will help in managing Aquiferrecharge, river bank filtration and identification of critically stressed blocks as well asidentification of contaminated blocks.

An agreement has been signed between India and Nepal during the recent visit of IndianPrime Minister to Nepal paving the way for constitution of Pancheshwar DevelopmentAuthority. The Pancheshwar Mutipurpose Project will have an installed capacity of5600 MW and will create an irrigation potential of 0.37 MHa (0.24 in Indian side MHaand 0.13 MHa in Nepal) at a cost of Rs. 29,704 crore (2011 prices). It will also mitigatefloods in the States of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Future Directions

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SS Nirmal and Aviral Ganga

SS Providing irrigation water to each field through creation of enhanced irrigation projects

SS Conservation of water bodies and ground water

SS Bridging the gap between irrigation potential created and utilized

SS Incentivizing the States to undertake water sector reforms.

SS National Aquifer Management Programme through community participation

SS Use of latest technology for modernization of water resources and flood management

SS Active participation of water users associations (WUAs).

SS Water Sector Schemes to be rationalized for easier implementation; effective use ofwater, inclusiveness and sustainability.

SS Comprehensive planning for Dam Safety.

***

Statement of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development, Wed, Sep 24, 2014social, PIB, National Skill Development mission,

"Friends, India is one of the youngest nations in the world and we are committed tochannelise the immense youth energy for nation-building. NYKS and NSS are amongthe largest youth organisations in the world,

The focus of our Government is on youth-led development. We plan to introduce'National Young Leaders Programme' for developing leadership qualities among theyouth. NYKS youth clubs shall be enabled to evolve as 'neighbourhood youth parliament'to get the village youth actively involved in governance process. This will inculcatethe spirit of 'dignity of labour' and 'community service' and develop the personalityof the youth involving 1.67 Crore youth of the Nation.

NYKS and NSS will also play a key role under 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' throughmass awareness and mobilisation across the country and to fulfill the vision of theHon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji.

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Dr Harsh Vardhan showcases government's early achievements in Health "Four Mon, Sep 29, 2014millenium development goals, social, PIB, MDG,

On July 3, the Prime Minister announced the expansion of India's Universal ImmunisationProgramme (UIP) to cover-Rotavirus, diarrhoea,Rubella, Polio and adult cases ofJapanese Encephalitis. This will cover 2.7 crore children and give momentum to India'saim of achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG-4) targets that include reducingchild mortality.

On September 18, India followed up by launching the India Newborn Action Plan, apackage of measures and interventions, to reduce the number of neonatal deaths from29 per 1,000 live births at present to a single digit by 2030 -well ahead of the globaldeadline set for the country, 2035.

launched for the first time the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) for theperiod covering July 28 to August 14. It had the slogan, "Zero child death due todiarrhoea" and comprised a set of activities to prevent deaths due to childhood diarrhoeaacross the country.

These included the intensification of advocacy programmes, awareness generatingactivities, providing diarrhoea management services, establishing ORS-Zinc cornersand organising their distribution through ASHA volunteers, etc.

Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy have been given pride of place inthe country's public health system. The existing AIIMS in New Delhi and the six newones coming up in Bhopal, Raipur, Jodhpur, Patna, Rishikesh and Bhubaneswar are tohave AYUSH departments.

The Health Ministry argued successfully in favour of the highest ever rate of tax onsmoking and non-smoking tobacco -11 to 72percent increase. It is a step not only todiscourage smoking but also increase the government's revenue income. According toestimates, about Rs 3,500 crore will be raked in through the enhanced taxes - enoughto build three new AIIMS every year.

*Put in place online food product approval systems which got operational on September9.

*Central Drug Standards Control Organisation has started uploading on its website alldetails of pending applications.

*Launched e-prescription in government institutions in a phased way, and graduallyplan to make it mandatory for all doctors in the country.

*Central Government Health Service since September 1 has been uploading on its

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website all information regarding medical claims that are pending for more than 30days. This addresses the complaints over opaqueness of the process of reimbursingclaims. There were also complaints of CGHS doctors prescribing branded drugs beyondthe approved list. Taking all factors into consideration, it has been decided that allbeneficiaries and the public at large ought to know which drugs are on the list and sothey will be on view on the web site.

*Steps initiated to make drug procurement completely IT-guided and their delivery togovernment institutions across the country to be tracked online and by installing GPSon trucks to prevent diversion.

No Need to Open Another Bank Account to Avail of Benefits Under Pradhan Man Mon, Sep 22, 2014PIB, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, economics,

Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has issuedinstructions that in case people are already holding bank accounts, they need not openanother bank account to avail of benefits under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana(PMJDY). In fact insurance benefits are available through the RuPay Card. The existingaccount holders can submit an application to the concerned branch to enable them toget a RuPay Debit Card in order to avail of the benefits of insurance under PMJDY.Micro credit limit of Rs. 5000/- can also be extended in existing bank accounts onapplication depending on the satisfactory conduct of the account.

Government announces 'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana'- DAY for uplifThu, Sep 25, 2014Rural Development, social, PIB, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana,

The Government today announced an overarching scheme for uplift of urban and ruralpoor through enhancement of livelihood opportunities through skill development andother means. The scheme has been named as 'Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana - DAY'.

The Minister further informed that under the current urban poverty alleviation programmes,only 790 cities and towns are covered and the government has decided to extend thesemeasures to all the 4,041 statutory cities and towns, there by covering almost the entireurban population.

Rs.500 cr will be spent on skill development of over 5,00,000 urban poor. He said, forrealizing the 'Make in India' objective, skill development is essential.

1.Imparting skills with an expenditure of Rs.15,000 - Rs.18,000 on each urban poor;

2.Promotion of self-employment through setting up individual micro-enterprises andgroup enterprises with interest subsidy for individual projects costing Rs.2.00 lakhs

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and Rs.10.00 lakhs for group enterprises. Subsidized interest rate will be 7%;

3.Training urban poor to meet the huge demand from urban citizens by imparting marketoriented skills through City Livelihood Centres. Each Centre would be given a capitalgrant of Rs.10.00 lakhs.

4.Enabling urban poor form Self-Help Groups for meeting financial and social needswith a support of Rs.10,000/- per each group who would in turn would be helped withbank linkages;

5. Development of vendor markets besides promotion of skills of vendors; and

6. Construction of permanent shelters for urban homeless and provision of other essentialservices.

pib sep 22 to sep 30

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