Simplification of names of Central Sector Schemes run through the Coir Board during XII Plan

MSME Mobile friendly website launched

Central Sector Schemes being implemented by the Coir Board namely Rejuvenation, Modernization and Technology Upgradation(REMOT) and Coir Plan (General) Scheme, have been re-named as Coir Udyami Yojana (CUY) and Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY) respectively to make it better understood by the Stakeholders. The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by the Union Minister for MSME Shri Kalraj Mishra.The Salient Features of the Coir Udyami Yojana (CUY) are: This is a credited linked subsidy scheme in coir sector, aims to integrate and develop coir units. The scheme provides 40% as Govt. subsidy, 55% as Bank loan and 5% beneficiary contribution for setting up of coir units with project cost up to Rs.10.00 lakh (revised from Rs.5.00 lakh) Marketing support assistance for beneficiaries. No collateral security/third party guarantee is required. There is no income ceiling for the assistance. Assistance is available to individuals, companies, self help groups, NGOs, institutions registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860, co-operative societies, joint liability groups and charitable trusts.Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY) has the following components: Skill Upgradation and Quality Improvement and Mahila Coir Yojana training for men & women coir workers and providing subsidized Ratts to women workers. Development of Production Infrastructure assistance for setting up and expansion of coir units. Domestic Market Promotion assistance to participate in domestic fares, exhibitions etc. Export Market Promotion - assistance to participate in international fares, exhibitions etc. Welfare Measures(Coir Board Coir Workers Group Personal Accident Insurance). Trade and Industry related functional support services.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao(BBBP) SchemeSmt Maneka Gandhi urged the DCs to give their personal attention and commitment to the said programme and appealed to engage themselves fully in successful implementation of BBBP scheme. She emphasized on a comprehensive strategy to focus on both- strict implementation and monitoring of Pre-Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PC&PNDT Act) and as well as media & advocacy efforts towards changing societal mind-sets and creating value of girl child.The Minister laid thrust on the key actionable points mainly focusing on ensuring early registration of pregnancies; institutional deliveries, registration of birth; training and sensitization of front line workers- ASHAs, AWWs and ANMs; creating gender champions at local level; celebrating birth of the girl child & felicitating the mother, incentivizing and recognizing individuals, villages, gram panchayats supporting the cause of BBBP. Smt. Gandhi encouraged the DCs to develop a mechanism through informers and community watch groups to keep a vigil on the ultrasonography centres or persons indulging in unfair or illegal practices. She told DCs to ensure that Gudda-Guddi boards should be displayed in every panchayat office providing the details of number of boys and girls born in a month.National Programme for LED-based Home and Street LightingPrime Minister Narendra Modi today described the LED bulb as a Prakash Path way to light, as he launched a scheme for LED bulb distribution under the domestic efficient lighting programme in Delhi; and a National Programme for LED-based Home and Street Lighting.The Prime Minister called for making energy conservation through the spread of LED bulbs, a peoples movement. He noted that it is much more economical to conserve power, than to produce power. However, he added, it is much more difficult to conserve power, than to produce power, because while one producing entity can produce a large quantity of power, it requires the active participation of crores of people to conserve that amount of power. Therefore, he called for generating awareness among people for the same. He called for extensive involvement of celebrities and eminent citizens in these programmes, who could motivate people to adopt LED bulbs.The Prime Minister said these programmes launched today also represent a challenge to manufacturers, to rise to the occasion, and produce LED bulbs without any compromise on quality. Suggesting innovative ways to generate awareness and spread the message of energy efficiency, the Prime Minister said gifts such as diaries and calendars on New Year should be replaced by gifts of LEDs. Companies could distribute LED bulbs along with dividend payments, he suggested. The Prime Minister called for setting district level goals, and to prioritize this scheme in all towns with population above one lakh.

The Prime Minister said involvement of entrepreneurs, eminent citizens and common people in this programme would represent an act of patriotism as it would reduce import bills, and an act of social service as it would save the environment.

The initiative is part of the Governments efforts to spread the message of energy efficiency in the country. LED bulbs have a very long life, almost 50 times more than ordinary bulbs, and 8-10 times that of CFLs, and therefore provide both energy and cost savings in the medium term.

The Prime Minister launched a web-based system to enable consumers in Delhi to register requests for procuring LED bulbs under Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP). Consumers can register either through the programme website (www.eeslindia.org/Delhi-Launch) or by sending an SMS to a designated number. Shri Narendra Modi also handed over two LED bulbs to one common citizen of Delhi who was the first person to register.

LED bulbs shall be distributed in a phased manner from March 2015 onwards. The entire project of installing LED bulbs for domestic and street-lighting in 100 cities is targeted for completion by March 2016.

MHA proposes to set up Investigative Units on Crimes Against WomenThe Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) proposes to set up Investigative Units on Crimes against Women (IUCAW), in 20% of the districts of each State on a 50:50 cost sharing basis with the states.

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has written to the Chief Minister of the States that there is a need to strengthen various elements of the criminal justice system, namely, Investigation, Prosecution and Trials by courts to deal with the issue of rise of crimes against women.

MHA has proposed to set up 150 such IUCAW units initially on pilot basis in most crime prone districts of each state. Elaborating the IUCAW, the Home Minister mentioned that these units may consist of 15 personnel, preferably five of them women. The states will have full flexibility on whether to create new posts or to designate from the existing strength. Each IUCAW will be headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police assisted by two DSPs. Out of the total 2250 personnel required for the 150 IUCAWs, 750 will be women. This will involve a total expenditure of 84 crore rupees annually, out of which 42 crore rupees will be provided by the Centre.

Shri Rajnath Singh mentioned that the objective of these units will be to investigate cases referred to them, augment the investigative machinery of the States in relation to the heinous crimes against women, especially Rape, Dowry Death, Acid Attack and Human Trafficking, instill confidence and encourage women to come forward and lodge their complaint and improve the gender ratio in the State Police forces which is adversely impacting effective implementation of the legislations relating to women. Besides, these units will have the additional functionality of proactive policing, intelligence gathering, tackling organized crime, monitoring proper implementation of the legislative provisions, helping awareness generation and promotion of social participation in checking crimes against women.

The Home Minister mentioned that these measures will help in ensuring higher conviction rate in different states to check crimes against women and human trafficking.

Shri Rajnath Singh has also advised the states to set up separate Fast Track Courts to deal with these cases expeditiously. He has also assured all possible assistance to the States in taming the menace of crimes against women.

Motivated Teachers Inversely Proportional to Needy Students (CAN BE USED IN ESSAY)The demand for good motivated teachers at the university level has gone up but the supply for it has gone down, said Mr.A.S.Kolaskar, Consultant and Mentor of the Neotia University, Kolkata. He was speaking at the session on Internet 2025- its impact on Research and Higher Education, being conducted at the National Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnology at day three of the 102nd session of the Indian Science Congress, at University of Mumbais Kalina Campus here in Mumbai today.

Kolaskar was speaking about the exponential growth of new knowledge, globalization of commerce and culture, lifelong educational needs of citizens in a knowledge-driven, global economy being challenges of our times in the arena of higher education. He presented Case Studies of Internet Impact on Research and Education, where he underlined that textbook structure hasnt really changed as such. We need to bring about pedagogical changes where one is thinking about the job of the teacher as not a provider of information but as someone who can tell you how to learn. Assessing children should be driven not by examinations but by competency driven credentialing. Technology should be helped to grow both parts of the brain. Children should be evaluated differently and not examined so that a great future musician does not end up in an engineering college without his wish. He also added that there should be improved collaboration between researchers through next-gen high definition Skype or Telepresence for conferences. Stressing on affordable, inclusive access to higher education by all, he put forth that while combating existing severe faculty shortages, relying on experts globally is essential.

Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) Multiplexing is a potential technology which requires new fibers and there is room for improvement in the current technology, said Stephen Wolff, Principal Scientist from Washington, DC 200036, USA. He was speaking on The Internet, Reloaded.

Prof. Bharat Bhaskar from IIM Lucknow very confidently told that it was time to think of newer ways of folding the future in today. He was speaking on the Impact of Digital Technology on Society. Redundant IT plants bring overspending and inefficiency, said he. With digital camera countless sensors and IoT becomes reality. With improvement in technology, the big data and AI based analysis technique would probably be anticipating our every move! With wearable devices and augmented reality, early detection of disease risks would be possible and lifestyle and medication, gaming sectors would be benefited.

At a time when selfies are a craze amongst the youngsters, Bijendra Nath Jain, Vice-Chancellor, BITS, Pilani spoke about e-attendance being a reality. By using selfies with smart devices and automated attendance in large classes, face recognition in cloud and analytics on recorded attendance, he transported the audience into a completely digitalized educational institution. With ERP system using PeopleSoft, multi-campus high-definition video conferencing has also been made possible. With changing technology trends in internet, speed, reach and security become prime areas of importance and change. With time, internet would achieve greater reach in developing and developed countries with wireless access beyond 3G, 4G or LTE. He also echoed the audiences concern about greater access control and robust user authentication. He also spoke about ICTBioMed, a consortium built on foundation of domain knowledge, network and computing resources. The session also shed light on foreign institutes using Indian facilities for research and development, on the request of a member in the audience.

A Well Educated Population, Equipped with Relevant Knowledge, Attitudes & Skills is Essential for Economic and Social Development in this Century-Vice PresidentThe Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that Education is a critical tool for developing a modern economy, a just society and a vibrant polity. It provides skills and competencies for economic well-being and social mobility. Education strengthens democracy by imparting to citizens the tools needed to fully participate in the governance process. It also acts as an integrative force in society, imparting values that foster social cohesion and national identity.Imparting quality education to our youth is one of the highest forms of service, an individual or institution, can render to the nation. Its importance was best described by the Greek philosopher, Diogenes, who said the foundation of every state is the education of its youth.

Education is a critical tool for developing a modern economy, a just society and a vibrant polity. It provides skills and competencies for economic well-being and social mobility. Education strengthens democracy by imparting to citizens the tools needed to fully participate in the governance process. It also acts as an integrative force in society, imparting values that foster social cohesion and national identity. A well educated population, equipped with the relevant knowledge, attitudes and skills is essential for economic and social development in this century.

India has a younger population not only in comparison to advanced economies but also in relation to the large developing countries. In 2011, around 50% of our population was less than 24 years of age. By 2020, around two thirds of our population will be in the working age group (15-64 years). Over the next 20 years, labour force in India is expected to increase, while it will decline in industrialized countries and in China.

This demographic structure presents us with an opportunity of a potential demographic dividend, which tapped, could add to our growth potential, provided two conditions are fulfilled. First, higher levels of health, education and skill development are achieved. Second, an environment is e created in which the economy not only grows rapidly, but also enhances good quality employment/livelihood opportunities to meet the needs and aspirations of the youth. It is thus evident that education is a vital ingredient for actualizing the demographic dividend and for achieving higher, sustainable and more inclusive economic growth. India has the potential to capture a higher share of global knowledge-based work, for example by increasing its exports of knowledge-intensive goods and services, if there is focus on higher education and its quality is globally benchmarked.

We have made progress in the field of higher education since 1947. Today, India has the third largest higher education system in the world. We have around 652 universities and university level institutes that impart higher and technical education. They also provide affiliation to more than 33,000 colleges and institutes. However, our higher education system continues to be afflicted with the three problems of access, equity and quality. Enrollment rates in our higher education institutions have gone up to around 17% but are still well below the world average of 26 per cent. Wide disparities exist in enrolment percentages among the States and between urban and rural areas while disadvantaged sections of society and women have significantly lower enrolments than the national average.

The higher education sector is plagued by a shortage of well-trained faculty, poor infrastructure and outdated and irrelevant curricula. The use of technology in remains limited and standards of research and teaching at Indian universities are far below international standard.

Curricular reforms leading to regular revision and upgrading of curricula, introduction of semester system, choice-based credit system, and examination reforms are yet to take place in higher educational institutions across the country. Exceptions apart, majority of our higher education institutions perform poorly in the area of quality on a relative global scale. Our system turns out nearly seven lakh science and engineering graduates every year. However, industry surveys show that only 25 percent of these are employable, without further training. The picture is more dismal in other disciplines if a recent, non-official, employability report is to be believed.

In recent years, the massive expansion in enrolment in higher education in the country has resulted in unbearable burden being put on the physical and pedagogic infrastructure of colleges and universities. This is reflected in overcrowded classrooms and distortion of desirable student-teacher ratios, overall shortage of teaching and tutorial space, overloading of laboratory and library facilities, and often a lowering of quality of teaching. All these issues require urgent correctives.

Curricular and academic reforms are required to improve student choices, with a fine balance between the market oriented professional and liberal higher education. Higher education must be aligned to the countrys economy and also to the needs of the global market. Innovative and relevant curricula should be designed to serve different segments of the job market or provide avenues for self-employment. Emphasis must be given to the expansion of skill-based programmes in order to make our youth employable in the job market.

Another aspect relates to the fact that today, around 60% of total enrolments in higher education are in private institutions. Some of them excel in their chosen areas. There also exist legitimate concerns about many of these institutions being substandard, exploitative and suffering from the general shortcomings mentioned earlier. Governance reforms are required to enable these institutions to have their autonomy to develop distinctive strengths, while being held accountable for ensuring quality and fulfilling their responsibility to society.

The future expansion of education would have to be carefully planned so as to correct regional and social imbalances, reinvigorate institutions to improve standards and reach international benchmarks of excellence, match demand with supply by improving employability, and extend the frontiers of knowledge. The reform of higher education system will require a comprehensive and collective efforts of the Government, private sector, academia and civil society, so that the three objectives of access and expansion, equity and inclusion, and quality and excellence can be achieved in a time bound manner.

Review of the policy on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pharmaceutical Sector- carve out for medical devicesGreenfield- 100% (automatic) and Brownfield-100% (Government)Conditions-(i) Non-compete clause would not be allowed except in special circumstances with the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.(ii) The prospective investor and the prospective investee are required to provide a certificate along with the FIPB application.(iii) Government may incorporate appropriate conditions for FDI in brownfield cases, at the time of granting approval.Note: i. FDI up to 100%, under the automatic route is permitted for manufacturing of medical devices. The abovementioned conditions will, therefore, not be applicable to greenfield as well as brownfield projects of this industry.ii. Medical device means-a. any instrument, apparatus, appliance, implant, material or other article, whether used alone or in combination, including the software, intended by its manufacturer to be used specially for human beings or animals for one or more of the specific purposes of-(aa) diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of any disease or disorder;(ab) diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, alleviation of, or assistance for, any injury or handicap; (ac) investigation, replacement or modification or support of the anatomy or of a physiological process;(ad) supporting or sustaining life;(ae) disinfection of medical devices;(af) control of conception,and which does not achieve its primary intended action in or on the human body or animals by any pharmacological or immunological or metabolic means, but which may be assisted in its intended function by such means;b. an accessory to such an instrument, apparatus, appliance, material or other article;c. a device which is reagent, reagent product, calibrator, control material, kit, instrument, apparatus, equipment or system whether used alone or in combination thereof intended to be used for examination and providing information for medical or diagnostic purposes by means of in vitro examination of specimens derived from the human body or animals.iii. The definition of medical device at Note (ii) above would be subject to the amendment in Drugs and Cosmetics Act.FM: Infrastructure Sectors Such as Coal, Power and Cement have been Recording Double Digit Growth in the Last Few Months While Growth in Manufacturing Sector is Still Patchy; Reviving Manufacturing is One of the Major Challenges of our Economic ManagementThe Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said that the Infrastructure Sectors such as coal, power and cement have been recording double digit growth in the last few months while growth in manufacturing sector is still patchy. He said that reviving manufacturing, diversifying its base and equipping it for robust long run expansion is one of the major challenges of our economic management. The Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley was making the Opening Remarks during the Pre Budget Consultative Meeting with the representatives of Trade and Industry here today. He said that we still have lot of distance to cover. The Finance Minister said that ease of doing business is high priority for the Government. He said that we are working on a task given the Prime Minister to improve Indias ranking on the ease of doing business index. He said that implementation of GST is expected to improve the tax administration regime and would help in bringing more transparency in the system and ensure smooth flow of goods. It will also help in better implementation and collection of taxes. He said that reforms measures undertaken by the present Government in coal sector, insurance and amendments in Land Acquisition Act etc will make a major difference in improving the Indian economys performance. The representatives of Trade and Industry made various recommendations for consideration of the Union Finance Minister while formulating the budgetary proposals for the financial year 2015-16. The major recommendations include measures for fiscal consolidation, promoting investment (both domestic and foreign), containing inflation, generating employment and creating skills as well as for facilitating ease of doing business among others. Other recommendations include flag-off strategic sale of loss making Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), deployment of PSUs surplus funds to add and expand capacity, effect phased dilution of Government stakes in Public Sector Banks to 51%, create a National Asset Management Company (NAMCO) which would take NPAs off the banks balance sheet and also focus on reconsolidation, recapitalization and refinancing of banks, encourage use of the reverse BOT structuring to finance infrastructure projects where the initial construction cost is borne by the Government/PSUs ; and to fund programmes such as Swacch Bharat Ahbiyan, Clean Ganga Programme, creation of Smart Cities, create an SPV based on a revenue generated model among others.

It was suggested that all major subsidies be made available to only BPL households, create a Fuel Price Stabilization Fund to check volatility in fuel prices, implement PSU disinvestment systematically, strategy required on restructuring/ privatization of loss making PSUs (both Centre and States). The representatives of trade and industry also suggested incentives to kick start investment, fast track clearance of stalled/stuck projects and encourage investments in infrastructure funds/trusts, and development of an efficient and Vibrant Corporate Bond Market among others.

Various suggestions were also made with regard to tax reforms and tax administration including genuine efforts to establish non-adversarial and conducive tax environment, tax regime to be made predictable, sustainable and transparent among others.

Some of the representatives suggested the need for affordable housing, digitization of land records, single window clearances, introduction of municipal bonds, smart city bonds. Some of the representatives emphasized the need for higher investment in health care and education sector and to focus on generation of resources through railways to meet requirements of other infrastructure sector, and consolidation of regulators etc. It was also suggested that woman on Board of Directors of all Public Sector Banks and Financial Institutions be made mandatory, establishment of National Tourism Holding Company with tripartite agreement with State Government for global bidding fund for large international conventions and sport events tec.

In order to boost the exports, it was suggested among others that the removal of duty on petroleum products imports under advance licenses, expediting payment of duty drawback and central excise rebate claims, exemption from excise duty on purchase of capital goods from indigenous manufacturers under EPCG scheme, service tax exemptions for exports and currency hedging not be treated as speculative transaction rather be treated at par with trading in derivatives, incentivizing manufacturing firms in exports, safe harbor rules for contract manufacturing for other sectors including pharma, continuation of interest subvention scheme for a further period of three years( it expired on 31st March, 2014) and setting-up of an Export Development Fund with focus on marketing research and innovative tools of marketing as it would help not only existing exporters but would also attract new entrepreneurs in the field of exports.

Other suggestions include continuous support for export of small cars, extension of Investment Allowance under Section 32 Ac of IT Act to the non-corporate sector including readymade garment manufacturers and minimum ceiling of investment maybe scaled down from Rs. 25 crore to Rs. 1 crore among others.

Some of the trade representatives appreciated the Governments bold steps to issue Ordinances with regard to coal blocks auction, insurance laws and Amendments in Land Acquisition Act etc. which indicates that Government is decisive and fully committed in making reforms.

Government Assures the Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Financial Institutions (FIS) and Insurance Companies of Freedom of Non-Interference in Matters of Commercial Decisions, Transfers, and Postings etc.The Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance issued a circular yesterday to the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of all Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Financial Institutions (FIs) and Insurance Companies assuring them of freedom of non-interference in matters of commercial decisions, transfers, and postings etc. It was conveyed in very clear terms that the Government will not interfere in the commercial decisions of the Banks/FIs. It is further amplified as follows:

The Banks/FIs should take all commercial decisions in the best interest of the organization without any fear or favour. All decisions should be taken based on facts of the case and objectivity. No such decision should be taken out of any other extraneous considerations such as the influence or the position that the borrower is holding.

Each Bank/FI should have their own objective, well laid out transfer and posting rules which should be followed strictly. No exception should be made in such rules at the behest of any recommendation given by anyone including anybody from the Ministry of Finance. If, for genuine reasons, any exception to the rule is made, it should be done only by CMD by giving proper reasons.

Each Bank/FI should have a robust grievance redressal mechanism for borrowers, depositors as well as staff. The aggrieved person should have an opportunity to represent his case at least at two levels.

It is trusted that the freedom given to Banks/FIs by assurance of non-interference will be used in the most objective manner. However, if any complaint comes to this Department from anybody informing that exceptions were made in certain cases without any objective basis, and in order to favour somebody, the person taking such decision would be accountable.

Ministry of Labour and Employment strives to safeguard the interests of workers in organized and unorganized sectors

Following material was distributed in the Press Conference addressed by the Minister of State (IC) for Labour & Employment, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, here today. The Ministry of Labour and Employment strives to safeguard the interests of workers from the countrys organized and unorganized sectors, while simultaneously providing an enabling environment for industry. Labour is one of the most critical factors of production. The Ministry of Labour & Employment is committed to promote an environment conducive for the countrys inclusive growth and development. The welfare and social security of workers besides imparting training to the unskilled labour force via vocational skills training, to improve their quality of life through progressive policies, programmes, schemes constitutes the core priorities for the Ministry.Initiatives for Organised worker: Social Security for Organized Workers: Initiatives by EPFO:(i) Digitization of complete database of 4,24,58,329 EPF subscribers and allotment of UAN to each of them. (ii) UAN is being seeded with Bank account and Aadhar Card and other KYC details for financial inclusion.(iii) EPF account of employee to be updated monthly and at the same time he will be informed through SMS. (iv) Direct access to their EPF accounts and will also enable them to consolidate all their previous accounts.Initiatives in Progress:(i) Special drive is being taken up for enrolling contract and construction workers.Initiatives by ESIC:(i) Ceiling on funds given to States increased from existing Rs.1500 per IP family to Rs.2000 from 1.4.2014 with provisions of incremental increase every year(ii) State Executive Committee to be constituted which would ensure availability of medical/para medical manpower, drugs, monitor SST referrals and shall have powers to empanel/de-empanel tie up hospitals and also powers for special repairs i.e. Rs. 3 crore for 200 bedded and Rs.5 crore for more than 200 bedded hospitals(iii) To ensure wider access of medical care to Insured Persons(IP)/their families as well as to non-IPs, the Corporation has taken up with all State Governments for utilization of underutilized dispensaries/ hospitals of ESIS/ESIC to non-IPs and vice a versa.(iv) Coverage of ESI Act extended to 56 new areas in the country during 2014-15(upto 30.12.2014).(v) Completion of 300 bedded hospital at Kandivali, Mumbai and 300 bedded portions at Alwar, Rajasthan.Initiatives for Unorganised Worker:1. Social Security for Unorganized Workers:Initiatives in progressIssue of Unorganised Workers Card as per the Act(i) Identification and registration of unorganized workers as per the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008 leading to creation of database of unorganized workers.(ii) Issue of portable, smart card to unorganized workers with linkages with Aadhar No. and Bank account No. (iii) Convergence of three Social Security Schemes for unorganized workers on a single platform namely RSBY, AABY and IGNOAPS.(iv) Workers Facilitation Centre as Single point of contact for Social Security Scheme for Unorganized Workers. (v) Holistic monitoring of schemes for assessment of access to and quality of services to unorganized workers. 2. National Workers Vocational University:(i) Vocational stream is important for our economy. Recent studies have shown that only around 18% of engineering graduates are employable due to lack of hands on practice. People with strong skill background and strong knowledge background are the important drivers in areas like advanced design, testing, research and teaching/training.ii) Present academic structure in our country lays great emphasis on class room learning which is not suitable for providing career pathways to vocational trained persons who acquire very significant experiential learning.(iii) Therefore, in order to provide career pathways in vocational stream leading to higher qualifications, and also to develop proper research and develop infrastructure for vocational training, a national institute of higher learning has become absolutely necessary.(iv) Germany has demonstrated the success of vocational training by attracting large number of its population to this stream. It has several universities offering courses of higher learning which leverage experiential learning of skilled workforce.(v) Building upon the agreement in Indo-German cooperation, Ministry of Labour & Employment has constituted a Steering Committee under the chairpersonship of Secretary, Labour & Employment and with representatives from NSDA, Ministry of HRD, DEA, Planning Commission, Universities and expertise institutions and CII to evolve the objectives and other details of the proposed institution.(vi) The Steering Committee has agreed that the Ministry of Labour & Employment should immediately take steps for setting up National Workers Vocational University in order to leverage experiential learning, provide pathways for upward mobility and to provide necessary framework and expertise in the areas of research and institutional development for vocational training. The university would facilitate continuous learning by Indian workforce. A Core Group is being set up to work out further details.(vii) Collaboration with industry would be a key feature of the structure of the proposed university. Industry would be associated with its various activities. The university would also have partnerships with other universities/institutions of higher learning and training institutions. It is proposed that the university would have main campus at Hyderabad, Telengana with regional campuses at Ludhiana, Kolkata, Gujarat and Chennai. Land/premises are already available at Ludhiana, Kolkata and Chennai.National Seminar on Tribal Health IssuesMinistry of Tribal Affairs in association with ICMR has organized a national level seminar to discuss all tribal health issues covering thematic areas i.e, malaria, nutrition, sickle cell anaemia and maternal and child health. The daylong seminar will be held here tomorrow. Statistics says that the tribal health issues are different from the mainstream health issues as a result of which they are in the bottom line of indication.

The main objective of this seminar is to share good case studies and researches done by ICMR and RMRC to eradicate burning health problems of the tribals and to find out how the findings from these case studies can be replicated by other states.

More than a decade of research has shown that small and affordable measures can significantly reduce the health risks that women face when they become pregnant. Most maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to quality Antenatal care (ANC) during pregnancy, childbirth, and immediately afterwards. Quality ANC includes minimum of at least 4 ANCs including early registration of pregnant mother and first ANC in first trimester along with physical and abdominal examinations, Hb estimation and urine investigation, two doses of T.T Immunization and consumption of IFA tablets for 100 days.

Web Enabled Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) is being implemented by Department of Health as a mission mode project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) to register and track every pregnant woman. Having said so, till date significant percentage of ST women do not fall under the radar of MCTS registration mechanism and hence being deprived of quality ANC service. As per NFHS-3 estimates, the likelihood of having received care from a doctor is lowest for scheduled tribe mothers (only 32.8% compared to all India total of 50.2 % and 42% for Scheduled Caste).

In spite of providing facility for free immunization to the pregnant mothers, only 32.4% of ST mothers (lowest among all social groups) received advice about where to go if they experienced pregnancy complications. The seminar would discuss the reasons attributing to this and interventions required to achieve 100% coverage of immunisation of pregnant mothers amongst tribals. Role of various Ministries and agencies including NGOs will also be discussed. More than a dozen experts from all over the country will be participating in the seminar.Chemcials and Fertilizers Minister says there would neither be increase in Urea price nor change in subsidyThe Government has taken steps to encourage production and availability of fortified and coated urea in the country. In this regard, the cap / restrictions to produce Neem coated urea has been removed. The Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Sh. Ananth Kumar today said that a notification in this regard has been issued. Addressing a press conference here today, he said that using neem coated urea will not only increase crop yields but also lower input cost to farmers. He said it will also reduce imports of precious fertilizers as well as reduce ground and soil pollution.

Shri Ananth Kumar said that presently India is using only 60 lakh mt neem coated urea which can be increased to full demand of 310 lakh MT in the country. He said that neem coated urea is costly by 5% compared to plain prilled urea but it reduces Nitrogen loss by more than 10%, thereby incurring a net savings of Rs. 13.5 per bag for farmers. Due to higher nitrogen use efficiency, the use of nitrogen coated urea can also eliminate import of urea resulting in huge foreign exchange savings. Presently, India is importing about 71 lakh MT urea. He said that, additionally, farmers will also get advantage of better yield, less pest attack due to less use of urea which will also ensure better NPK use ratio and balanced use of fertilizers.Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Gandhinagar today, as a precursor to the main Pravasi Bharatiya Divas starting tomorrow. She exhorted young global Indians to come, Connect, Celebrate and Contribute to build Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.Smt. Sushma Swaraj speaking at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas said, what excites the world today is India`s economy which is showing new dynamism under the new government under PM Narendra Modi. Even though situated thousands of miles away, Indian Diaspora have kept the spirit of Bharat alive. The Minister said, providing skills to our people, particularly the young, is also our priority The External Affairs Minister and Overseas Affairs Minister said that she feels great joy in addressing this gathering of youth from across the world, who share a special bond with India, a bond of the heart. Speaking to the young generation of Pravasis, she said that this Youth PBD is about 3Cs.The first C is Connect.Today, an estimated 25 million people of Indian origin and non-resident Indians live and work outside India. The Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas is essentially a platform to connect this Indian diaspora with the motherland and involve the diaspora in the development and advancement of India. With this PBD we mark 100 years of the return of the greatest Pravasi Bharatiya, Shri Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who arrived back in India from South Africa on January 9, 1915, she said. Today, India is seen as a rising power, and appreciated across the world for the way it has converged strong democratic institutions with rapid development. The biggest asset of this new India is its youth.Even though India is an old civilization, today it is also one of the youngest countries in the world, with more than 50 per cent of our population being under the age of 25, which means that soon one fifth of the worlds working age population will be in India.The Youth PBD seeks to connect the new generation of Indians who are confident, aspirational and transcend the old boundaries of caste and class, the minister said.The second C is Celebrate.We want the young Pravasis to take pride in the history and civilizational heritage of India which is their cultural inheritance. M K Gandhi came back to India a hundred years ago and brought about momentous changes to this land, which made him a Mahatma. Gandhi thought that it was necessary for him to get to know India better before he launched himself into the national freedom movement. He went around the country on trains, always traveling in third class, to be among the people, and observed many things about the country. This voyage of discovery opened his eyes to the true face of India and its problems, which he then set out to solve. To know more about India, its traditions, and its art and culture, a session on Bharat ko Jano will tell you that zero and the decimal system were Indias gift to the world. The value of Pi was first calculated by Budhayana in the sixth century. The worlds first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. The earliest school of medicine known to humans was Ayurveda which was consolidated by Charaka, the father of medicine, some 2,500 years ago.Ideas such as non-violence, tolerance and respect for diversity and difference are enshrined in our way of life and have shown the world the way to live with peace and harmony. In second plenary session called Bharat ko Mano tells youth about the remarkable strides that modern India has taken, especially in the fields of science and technology. The nation which gave the world the concept of zero, has also mastered the nuclear cycle, sent expeditions to Antarctica and even unmanned missions to the moon and Mars. In fact ISROs Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan was recently named among the best inventions of 2014 by TIME magazine. The spacecraft, which took just four years from feasibility study to arrival in Mars orbit, cost approximately 25 million dollars, less than the budget for the Hollywood film Gravity. India also became the first nation to reach Mars orbit in its very first attempt.Indias soft power has also been spreading around the world. The intensity of Indias international engagement has also increased manifold which can be seen from the calendar of high level visits both to and from India. Prime Minister Modis out-of-the-box initiatives and whirlwind tours have raised Indias global profile. In a few days from now President Obama will grace our Republic Day parade as the Chief Guest, she said. The Indian economy which is now the third largest in terms of purchasing power parity, is showing new dynamism under the NDA government , with a complete transformation in the business sentiment vis--vis India.To enhance ease of doing business, the Government has taken multiple steps to simplify procedures, rationalize rules and increase use of technology for efficient and effective governance. Efforts are on to identify obsolete laws and regulations which need to be repealed. Skilling our people, particularly the young, is also a priority.There is also a clear focus on infrastructure. Several steps have been taken to enhance financing of infrastructure, and we have moved towards a more transparent policy on natural resources. Given the enormous requirements for infrastructure development over the next few years, foreign investment is going to be extremely important.And the third C Contribute.We want you, the Pravasis, to contribute to the development of India. We want you to participate in the vision that Prime Minister Modi has for Indias future. We have launched several programmes that have the potential to transform India. The Jan Dhan Yojana, the worlds largest programme of financial inclusion, has just crossed the 100 million mark and 98.4 per cent of households in India now have bank accounts.The Swachh Bharat campaign for cleanliness has become a mass movement. This is an issue that affects not only peoples health but is also an attack on social ills like untouchability and manual scavenging. The Make in India programme signals our commitment to transforming India into the manufacturing hub of the world.The Digital India initiative aims at delivering government services electronically by 2018. It will encompass not only e-governance, but also broadband for all, IT-enabled education and telemedicine. We have already rolled out biometric attendance in government offices as a practical example of this initiative.The Smart Cities programme aims to build 100 smart cities in India which will be well-planned, technologically integrated and environment-friendly.The Government has been working in mission mode to implement all these programmes. The Modi Government is fully committed to good governance, efficiency, accountability, transparency, and speedy decision making. There are tremendous opportunities today for you to join us, especially in the fields of manufacturing, infrastructure development, education, health, skills development, science and technology, research and innovation, knowledge economy and youth development as part of our effort to realise Indias full potential. Friends, just as Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest ambassador of peace, non-violence and truth during his time, you can become the ambassadors of the new India. Today, the pravasi is the most significant example of Indias soft power. Through your work abroad as software gurus, tech wizards, eminent academics and trail blazing business persons, a clear and powerful message of Indias capabilities has been conveyed to the world. Your honest work ethic, law abiding and hard working nature have contributed to the global image of India and Indians.The Minister said that most important of all, the diaspora have retained a bit of India in their hearts. Even though situated thousands of miles away, you have kept the spirit of Bharat alive. For some of you this may be the very first visit to the land of your fathers or forefathers. For some others it may be yet another link in the voyage of discovery that you have embarked upon. So global Indians, come, Connect, Celebrate, Contribute and become a part of the momentous transformation taking place in the country to build Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. Earlier, delivering the keynote address, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, Indian diaspora shared strong links with motherland and have been partners in progress. He said overseas Indian remittances totalled $ 70 billion last fiscal. The Minister further said "these are exciting times for partnering. Ideas and investments are needed for Clean Ganga, Smart Cities and Make In India initiatives, which in turn offer tremendous opportunities". He said the government is also simplifying rules to promote engagement for building a modern India.Two interesting sessions on the opening day deal with themes - `Bharat Ko Jaano` focusing on Indian Diaspora youth linkage with traditions, culture and philosophy, and `Bharat Ko Maano` highlighting innovations and contributions of modern India. Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 PromulgatedThe President of India has promulgated the Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 on January 06, 2015 with immediate effect which provides for the following amendments to the Indian Citizen Act, 1955:

At present one year continuous stay in India is mandatory for Indian Citizenship which is relaxed stating that if the Central Government is satisfied that special circumstances exist, it may, after recording such circumstances in writing, relax the period of twelve months specified upto a maximum of thirty days which may be in different breaks.

To enable for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) by a minor, whose parents are Indian Citizens.

To enable for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) by a child or a grand-child or a great grandchild of such a citizen.

To enable for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) by such spouse of a citizen of India or spouse of an OCI registered under Section 7A and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application under this section.

In respect of existing PIO card holders central government may, by notification in Official Gazette, specify a particular date from which all existing PIO card holders will be deemed to be OCI card holders.

The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955 provides for acquisition, termination, deprivation, determination of Indian Citizenship and other related aspects. The Act provides for acquisition of Indian citizenship by birth, descent, registration, naturalization and incorporation of territory under certain circumstances, and also for the termination and deprivation of citizenship.

EBook of Ministry of MSME launchedThe Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Shri Kalraj Mishra today launched the e-book of the Ministry of MSME. The E-Book initiative of MSME is an entrepreneur-friendly step and can be accessed at the Ministries website:- http://msme.gov.in/WriteReadData/Whatsnew/MSME%20eBook%202015-07012015.pdfThe EBook details priority and programmes relevant to different stakeholders. It covers the following: INTRODUCTION ACHIEVEMENTS Thrust on Khadi & Village Industry Focus on Coir Sector E-Governance initiatives Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENTS HIGHLIGHTS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES IN LAST SEVEN MONTHS FUTURE PLANS Skill Development for entrepreneurship and enterprise creation Talent Mela: Focus Area: Employment Generation Job-led Growth Focus Area: Growth Orientation Zero Defect Action Plan for Make in India Ministry of MSMEMSME sector has been playing an important role in socio economic development of the country. MSME sector contributes around 8% of GDP. MSME sector accounts for around 40% of the total exports and around 45% of the manufacturing output. As per the Fourth All India Census of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, total number of Enterprises of the MSME sector is 361.76 lakh of which 15.64 are registered Enterprises. The sector provides employment to 805.24 lakh persons.The role of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (M/o MSME) and its organizations is to assist the States in their efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, employment and livelihood opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs in the changed economic scenario.The schemes/programmes undertaken by the Ministry and its organizations seek to facilitate/provide: i) adequate flow of credit from financial institutions/banks; ii) support for technology up-gradation and modernization; iii) integrated infrastructural facilities; iv) modern testing facilities and quality certification; v) access to modern management practices; vi) entrepreneurship development and skill up-gradation through appropriate training facilities; vii) support for product development, design intervention and packaging; viii) welfare of artisans and workers; ix) assistance for better access to domestic and export markets and x) cluster-wise measures to promote capacity building and empowerment of the units.Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry Deliberates on Steps for prevention of alcoholism and substance (Drugs) Abuse Welfare of De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic TribesThe Minister informed the Members about the steps taken by the Ministry regarding the prevention of alcoholism and substance (Drugs) Abuse and Welfare of De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes. He said that the Department of SJ&E is the Nodal Ministry for drug demand reduction and has adopted a three pronged strategy towards addressing the issue which is awareness building and educating people community based intervention for motivational counseling and training of volunteers/service providers to built a committed as skilled cadre for achieving whole person recovering.

The Minister further informed that a Working group has been constituted by National Statistical Commission (NSC) under the Ministry of Statistics & Prog. Implementation to devise the modalities of advance Pilot survey. As the problem of drug abuse is reported to be high in the State of Punjab and Manipur, the Department has initiated a survey work in these two States. RRTC in Punjab under the aegis of Department has been assigned to conduct survey in collaboration with NDDTC, AIIMS. The Survey is expected to be completed by June, 2015. The Minister added steps have also been taken for prevention of Alcoholism and drug abuse by formulation of the First National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction which is under finalization; Awareness generation programmes through Voluntary Organization, Regional Resource Training Centres, NYKS, NSS and NCC and setting up of a prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Helpline.

The Minister also informed that the Government has set up National Commission for DNTs (Denotified Nomadic Tribes) which will work for framing of an appropriate scheme for pre and post metric scholarships and construction of hostels for such DNT students not included in the SCs/STs/OBCs, the commission will also prepare a State-wise list of castes belonging to DNTs besides identifying the castes belonging to DNTs in the list of SCs, STs and OBCs.Retracting the Governments commitment for the welfare of DNTs the Minister said that his Ministry would also release financial assistance to the State/UTs/Universities which would cater to the requirements of the students belonging to DNTs.Benefits of Demographic Dividend will flow only if our Population is Healthy, Educated and Properly Skilled; Meets Representatives of Social Infrastructure, Human Capital and Development Groups as Part of his Pre Budget Consultative MeetingThe Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said that apart from on-going schemes and programmes for the marginalized and vulnerable section of the society, the Government has initiated various special social sector programmes. He said that these programmes among others include Swacch Bharat Mission (Gramin), which will set the base for improving sanitation and health standards; Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and RuPay debit card which will extend financial inclusion and give financial empowerment to the account holders at large. The Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley was making his Opening Remarks during the Pre Budget Consultative Meeting with the representatives of Social Infrastructure, Human Capital and Development Groups here today. He said that more than 63% of the population is in the age group of 15-59 years, broadly termed as Indias demographic dividend. He said while this young population provides India a great opportunity, but it also poses a great challenge to the Government. He said that benefits will flow only if our population is healthy, educated and properly skilled. In this context, he said that investments, especially in social infrastructure that build-up human capital are crucial. Shri Jaitley said that India needs to take advantage of this demographic window in the next couple of decades and garner its benefits. Therefore, the Finance Minister said that his Government has put thrust on skill development as well as on Make in India as the Governments endeavour to improve employability and create large employment avenues for the youth among others. He said that skill development has been given focused attention for which a dedicated Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has been created in the Central Government. He said that the challenge for the country now is in planning and acting towards converting its potential demographic force for enhancing opportunities of growth by dovetailing the quality of manpower to the requirements of employers, both domestic and international. Various suggestions were received from the representatives of the different social sector groups during the meeting. Major recommendations include that immediate steps be taken in the budget to prevent any scope of diversion and misallocation of funds meant for the benefit of dalits and adivasis. This will result in about Rs. 30,000 crore to be available for the development of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. Other suggestions include to set apart in the coming budget the entire 16.2% for Scheduled Castes and 8.2% for Scheduled Tribes, establishment of well designed and dedicated institutional mechanism for Schedule Caste Sub Plans (SCSPs) Tribal Sub Plans (TSPs) separately at the Centre and State levels, creation of a separate unit within Niti Ayog with power to review, monitor and direct to ensure effective implementation of the SCSP and TSP as well as setting-up of a nodal unit headed by a Joint Secretary with the responsibility of preparation of Annual SCSP Plans and their subsequent implementation.

Other suggestions include adequate allocation for ICDS budget, Mid Day Meal Scheme and for the programmes for the nutrition of mother and child under Food Security Act as well as clear demarcation of funds to remove malnutrition among children of dalits and adivasis etc. Besides this, there was suggestion for budget transparency at local level in order to have better utilization of funds and results of various social welfare schemes at the grass root level etc. Other suggestions made during the aforesaid meeting include that a mechanism needs to be built to develop entrepreneurship among dalits, schemes to be brought out for developing art and culture of dalit and adivasi communities. Suggestions were also made about proper implementation of Prevention of Domestic Violence against Women Act, appointment of women protection officers, increasing the scope of Nirbhaya Fund to cover the domestic violence against women etc. A suggestion was made that Finance Minister may include a statement in his Budget Speech condemning violence against women showing unequivocal commitment of the Government in this regard. Some suggestions were also made on investment on youth, especially from those of socially excluded communities, investment in skill and entrepreneurship building, more spending on education and social enterprises, inclusion of youth leadership in CSR activities, higher spending to change the social mindset of people against the use of toilets etc. Other suggestions include adoption and implementation of the National Competition Policy to push the growth on higher trajectory, adoption and implementation of Public Procurement Act. As public procurement accounts for almost 30% of the total GDP worth US $136 billion annually, therefore, Public Procurement Act would help in promoting the good governance by curbing corruption in public procurement; and adoption of a National Public Procurement Policy; adoption and implementation of Financial Consumer Protection Act, fixing of fiscal management practices by establishment of Parliamentary Budget Office, adoption of international best practices in budgetary planning and reduction of non-merit subsidies among others. In end, suggestions were also made for enhancement of allocation to education with an emphasis on making functional investment in early childhood and elementary education, enhanced allocation to education to 6% of GDP in line with Kothari Commission and National Education Policy recommendations and enhance allocation to elementary education by 1% to accommodate a cumulative gap in education, enhanced allocation to areas with strongest implications on qualityavailability of teaching learning materials, improved libraries and strengthening of the capacity of the resource unit at the cluster level, enhance allocation for research, monitoring and evaluation, address gaps in financial and planning process to ensure full expenditure of allocated funds in education sector among others.

PM calls upon the Indian diaspora across the world to unite as a positive global force in the cause of humanityThe Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today called upon the Indian diaspora across the world to unite as a positive global force in the cause of humanity. In his inaugural address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, the Prime Minister recalled that exactly 100 years ago, a Non Resident Indian - Gandhi - had returned to India to serve the people. Today, he said, he was welcoming NRIs from across the world as a Non Resident Gujarati.The Prime Minister said NRIs are present across the world, in more than 200 countries. "India is global because of you," he told the gathering. He said that in the past, Indians had travelled across the world in search of opportunity, or to gain knowledge and exposure. "Today, opportunities beckon you in India," he asserted, adding that today, the world looks at India with hope. He said times are changing quickly, and India is rising with great strength.The Prime Minister exhorted the Indian diaspora to contribute to India`s success in any way possible, including knowledge, expertise or skills. The Prime Minister mentioned in particular, the Namaami Gange project to clean the River Ganga, and make it a source of economic empowerment for 40 percent of India`s population. He said he was sure all NRIs would be inspired to contribute to this cause.The Prime Minister welcomed the dignitaries from Guyana, South Africa and Mauritius. He recalled how Indian festivals such as Holi and Diwali are enthusiastically celebrated in Guyana. He recalled that today - January 8th - was the founding day of the African National Congress in South Africa. He mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi`s birth anniversary - October 2 - is observed in Mauritius with even greater vigour than it is observed in India.The Prime Minister called upon NRIs across the world to forge and take pride in a common identity and heritage, and to use this strength collectively. He said even if a solitary NRI is present anywhere in the world, India is alive and present in that corner of the world through him.The Prime Minister said he had met representatives of 50 countries since assuming office, and he could say with confidence that rich or poor, all nations across the world, today feel that their goals and objectives can be met in partnership with India. He said this was a rare opportunity, and it was now upto everyone to use this opportunity for the benefit of humanity, and for India`s benefit.The Prime Minister said the world was showering affection on India, as was evident from the fact that a record 177 nations out of 193, had co-sponsored India`s resolution on International Day of Yoga at the United Nations.The Prime Minister said he firmly believes that NRIs are a big strength of India, and India can make a global impact by reaching out to them. The Prime Minister said he was happy to announce that he had fulfilled all promises made to NRIs, such as lifelong visa for PIO cardholders, merging of PIO and OCI schemes, visa on arrival for 43 countries, and electronic travel authorization.Contribution of Indian diasporaMinister for External and Overseas Indian Affairs, Ms Sushma Swaraj in her welcome address said the 25 million strong Indian diaspora has become a unique force in the world culture. She said, the government is keen to work closely with the Indian diaspora and welcomed the investors and professionals to partner with India. I promise, it will be a mutually rewarding experience, she added. Recalling Indias close ties with nations having significant population of people of Indian origin, Ms. Sushma Swaraj said , Mauritius calls itself a chhota Bharat and celebrates its national day on March 8, the day when Mahatma Gandhi began his historic Dandi March. The Minister informed that the government is setting up a monument of arrival of indentured labour in Guyana. She also mentioned about Indias close bilateral relations with South Africa, the other karm-bhoomi of Gandhiji, which is also the partner country at the Vibrant Gujarat summit. Ms. Swaraj said her Ministrys doors are open to all for any assistance.Chief Guest Donald Ramotar, President of Guyana and Guest of Honour, Ms. Maite Nkona Mashabane, South African Minister for International Affairs Relations and Cooperation also spoke on the occasion and stressed upon close bilateral ties their countries shared with India. President of Guyana recalled the influence the Indian Independence Movement had in shaping political and economic destinies of other colonial countries. Referring to Indias growing economic clout, Mr. Ramotar urged India to provide leadership to other developing countries, who have no voice, to realize their potential. Stressing upon the need for reforming the UN system, Mr Ramotar said the global struggle for equality continues. Ms.Mashabane claimed Mahatma Gandhi to be the national hero of South Africa, as much he is of India. She expressed South Africas keenness to deepen ties with India in the fields of Information and Communication Technology, health care and clean energy. Ms. Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat said that her state is elated to be the partner state of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on the centenary of Mahatma Gandhis return to India. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to fulfill the dreams of Mahatma through various schemes like Swachch Bharat, skill India etc. She extended a warm welcome to the diaspora delegates and invited them to absorb the culture and ethos of Gujarat. Dandi KutirEarlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Dandi Kutir museum located opposite the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The three storey exhibition, housed in a dome shaped structure, traces the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi through various faces as barrister, his struggles in South Africa, return to India and successfully leading the freedom struggle. Depiction of Gandhiji breaking the salt law after the Dandi March is a major draw. Key concepts of Gandhian thoughts like Satyagraha, non-violence, self reliance, gram swaraj are elaborately explained through a number of exhibits. There is also an audio-visual presentation of milestone incidents of the Indian Independence Movement. The contents of the museum are expressed through a combination of traditional and contemporary media. Nearly 4,000 delagates from 44 countries are attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 in Gandhinagar. A mega exhibition spread over 1.1 million sq ft has also been organized as part of the programme.

Achievements and Initiatives of Ministries of Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy in the first 200 DaysMission: Affordable, 24x7 power for all homes, industrial and commercial establishments and adequate power for the agricultural sector Long-term energy security of IndiaKey takeaways 5 unions of Coal India Limited have called off the strike after cordial discussions with senior leadership of the company and the Ministry of Coal yesterday. After collapse of grid in Delhi in May leading to frequent power cuts, Central government acted decisively to restore power lines and provide power to all homes. From these learnings, we have prepared a short term and medium term plan to ensure such a crisis does not occur again, for which massive investments worth Rs. 7,700 crores are already underway for:o Upgrading power infrastructureo Bringing more transmission lines to the cityo Underground cablingo Smart metering to stop wrong billingo Emergency response systems National launch of LED and energy conservation mission by Honble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji: 1 crore bulbs in Delhi will be replaced with LED within one year. Similar replacement program of 500,000 street lights of Delhi in one year too. Nationwide rollout thereafter will see a saving of over Rs. 10,000 crores. Amendments in the Electricity Act introduced in Parliament for providing choice to consumers in electricity suppliers (just like we have the freedom to choose a mobile phone operator and can change if dissatisfied, so will be the case with electricity suppliers too). This will ensure more competition, affordable power and better customer service. 50% increase in capacity addition in June-Nov 2014 versus June-Nov 2013 Record 15.8% increase in thermal based electricity generation in June-Nov 2014 versus June-Nov 2013 All time high 14.1% increase in coal production in Oct-Nov 2014 versus 1.0% in Oct-Nov 2013 (and 8.4% production growth in June-Nov 2014 over June-Nov 2013) Central Government grant of Rs. 1.1 lakh crores for comprehensive infrastructure up gradation pan India under two schemes (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) for rural India and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for urban India) towards 24x7 affordable power for all. o DDUGJY will see feeder separation in rural India giving assured power to the farms, and 24x7 for homes and small scale industrieso The Remote villages with small population (e.g., dhanis) will also be covered under DDUGJY. Action plan towards doubling Coal Indias production target to 100 crore tons in 5 years is in place, and transformation process has been initiated. 100,000 MW solar and 60,000 MW wind energy capacity installation target by 2022 for long-term energy security of India. This will entail an investment of Rs. 10 lakh crore. o 40,000 MW of rooftop solar o 20,000 MW of solar parks A world-class Renewable Energy Investment Summit (RE-Invest 2015) is being held in mid-February to show case Indias potential, ease of doing business and to attract such quantum of capital. Historic coal ordinance was promulgated within a month of cancellation of coal blocks by Honble Supreme Court. Allocation and auction process will be held in a transparent manner exclusively by e-bidding. This will protect the interests of Coal India Limiteds employees and increase domestic production towards 24x7 affordable power for all, and long term energy security of India. Coal bearing states will receive over Rs. 7 lakh crores from e-auction of coal blocks in future, for socioeconomic development and accelerating economic growth. Make in India: Rs. 1 lakh crore worth orders being placed by NTPC, Coal India Limited, Energy Efficiency Services Limited, PGCIL etc. to boost manufacturing and kick start the economy. Long pending transmission projects worth Rs. 35,000 crores cleared and government grant of Rs. 10,000 crores for comprehensive strengthening and up gradation of power systems in 8 North Eastern States Supply of coal from nearest mines will reduce transportation costs by Rs. 6,000 crores, reducing tariffs:o Already one exchange between NTPC and Gujarat saved Rs. 300 crores for the customers PSUs under the administrative control of the Ministries of Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy are constructing over 100,000 toilets in schools, by 15th August 2015 towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.Scientific Research to be the Engine for Make In India in Years to ComeDr. Harsh Vardhan said that India today is definitely a more happening place in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) than the West. The Prime Ministers confidence is definitely having an effect, he added.The Modi government has already announced a package of incentives to Indian-origin STEM researchers so that they could get competitive salaries in India. Many private sector companies have already succeeded in wooing back to India talented scientists. This is reflecting well on Indias image as a country with innovation and STEM-based entrepreneurship. Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that Ministry of Science & Technology (BIRAC and CSIR) would work with State Industry Development Corporations for enabling deployment of technology benefitting SMEs.The spurt in the number of Indias intellectually talented students turning to the pure sciences has been noticed worldwide. Recently, the widely respected US think tank, Brookings Institution, has revealed in a report that 8 of the top10 cities worldwide in terms of sending STEM scholars to the United States on F-1 visas are in India. These cities are: Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune. The Minister said that falling world oil prices will not distract Indias commitment to seeking breakthroughs in making renewable energy harnessing and its affordable adoption in everyday lifSolar power The Minister said that he would drive the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to push the frontiers of research into renewable energy research, particularly solar power. World oil prices have fallen from $ 115 a barrel in June to less than $ 50 this week. But Prime Minister Modi, himself a great backer of solar energy research, development and adoption in everyday life, has instructed me not to be distracted from the pursuit of the ultimate goal of having a fossil fuel free economy. This is definitely good news for the Environment as the present dependence on non-renewable forms of energy is killing us all and would be disastrous for the future generationsthe Minister said. The total renewable energy potential from various sources is conservatively estimated at 2.5 lakh MW. According to United Nations, India has achieved less than 12.5 percent of the potential. As for solar power, he said, the potential is unlimited. Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, In solar power the present trend is to think in terms of Gigawatts and not Megawatts because that would lead to prices dropping. In Germany, the government is encouraging house owners to rent out their rooftops so that more and more solar power can be harnessed for feeding into the grid. This policy needs to be incorporated into our national policy.Milestones: 2014-15 Extending his warm New Years greetings to the media representatives, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the Ministries of S&T and Earth Sciences, which he heads, have had a most fruitful 2014. He congratulated all scientists, researchers, technicians and administrative staff of government laboratories and foundations who have made Mangalyaanand other milestones possible.The Indian private sector should also be congratulated because it is functioning in many start up fields and competing with established players in the West. In the past 20 years many Indian companies based on biotechnology, biological sciences and other fields have attracted world recognition the Minister said. Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that India a large youth are now expected to take the country to its glory through the scientific path.

He listed the following achievements of the Department of Science and Technology at the Press Conference.Cutting-edge Technology: Make in India. India is a partner in the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA at a total cost of 1,299.8 Crore from 2014-23. 70% of Indias contribution will be in kind, in the making of quality mirrors and engineering in India. Partners: USA, Japan, Canada, China and India. High performance computing resource of 800 TFLOPS has been commissioned for weather and climate modeling. Most powerful machine in the SE Asia. Supercomputing for the future: India has mounted an ambitious National Supercomputing Mission (NSM): Building Capacity and Capability with the aim of building Exascale computing with a total budget outlay of 4,500 Crore over 7 years (jointly with Department of Information Technology). Understanding Climate Change and Saving the Himalayan Ecosystem: National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change. Tsunami Early Warning System at ESSO-INCOIS designated as Regional Tsunami Service Provider (RTSP) for providing advisories to all Indian Ocean Rim countries. India only country capable of providing advisories for both tsunamigenic zones: Makran coast and Andaman-Sumatra sub-duction zone. Cyclone Prediction. Remarkable improvements: Recent events such as Thane, Phailin, and Helen and Hudhud. Modeling Monsoon: A dynamic model employed to predict quantitative precipitation associated with the southwest monsoon. Helping Recovery of Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) heavy weight torpedo VARUNASTRA. The support and participation by Vessel Management Cell of MoES ESSO-NIOT and crew of Sagar-Nidhi vital. Make in India in High-end S&T: Deployed first Sub-surface Ocean Moored Observatory in the Arctic. ESSO-NCAOR and the ESSO-NIOT successfully deployed IndARC, the countrys first multi-sensor moored observatory in the Kongsfjorden fjord of the Arctic, roughly half way between Norway and the North Pole. This is a testimony to the capabilities of India in designing, developing and installing underwater observatories. Investing for our future talent:, New thrust in Human Resource Development. Indian Scientists teach and train in Scale. International Scientists to teach in India. Opportunities for attracting Overseas Indian Scientists to return to India. Enhanced Innovation Ecosystem: Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council now supports nearly 300 companies, 100 young entrepreneurs. Biotechnology Translational research and industry academia partnership are being promoted through 3 Biotech clusters, 8 Biotech Parks and 13 Bioincubators. Rotavirus vaccine indigenously developed. The developed Rotavirus Vaccine at $1 per dose has been cleared for market license. Decoding the Wheat Genome: 15 countries joined hands to complete this huge task of decoding 17,000 million bases. Indian Scientists participated in Decoding Chromosome 2A. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) provides significant technological interventions in many areas of economic and social importance which include environment, health, drinking water, food, housing, energy, farm and non-farm sectors. CSIR has 90% of US patents granted to any Indian publicly funded R&D organization. CSIR licenses 13.86% of its patents - above global average. National Capacity Building and in some areas, global leadership. Example: CSIR technology provides gasoline with less than 0.3% benzene. A 0.60 MMTPA plant is being constructed at Reliance Refinery in Jamnagar. First in world. Novel Broad Spectrum Confocal Microscope: Under CSIR-CGCRI and NMITLI programme a Broad Spectrum Confocal Microscope, world class Made in IndiaHigh-end Product based on Supercontinuum Light Source. Paved the way for Indias presence in global photonics research. Strategic Sector: DHVANI, a state-of-the-art marksmanship training system and Drishti Systems, airport visibility measuring tools. KrishiShakti, an indigenous diesel engine tractor. Just Announced: Indian Neutrino Observatory. A major high-tech Make in India initiative and a new-thrust in High-Energy Experimental Physics. Collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy.

Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu invites Overseas Indians to partner in building modern Urban India Unveils US $ 1200 billion investment opportunities in new urban initiatives Mahatma was the man of the moment 100 years ago and now it is Shri Modi, says Shri Naidu Minister says, secular development aspirations of people are the Gita, Bible, Koran for government Dwaraka and Puri included for development under heritage cities projectMinister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu today made a fervent appeal to millions of Overseas Indians to join hands in the task of building a modern urban India. Presiding over the Plenary Session on Opportunities in India at the Pravasi Bharati Divas programme at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, Shri Naidu outlined investment need of over US $ 1200 billion in building 100 smart cities, development of 500 cities and towns, Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas, Rejuvenation of cities of cultural heritage, construction of over 20 million low cost and affordable houses and skill development.

Elaborating on the ambitious urban development initiatives of the central government, Shri Venkaiah Naidu informed the participants that domestic and foreign private investments will be the main sources of investments for new urban initiatives. He said that about 60 lakh crore (950 billion US $) investments would be required for providing urban infrastructure across the country and as Operation & Maintenance costs of urban utilities over the next 20 years. About Rs.45,000 cr (US $ 7.50 billion) private investment in Clean India initiative in urban areas besides another Rs.15 lakh crore (US $ 238 billion) in ensuring housing for all is also required.

Giving details of various urban initiatives, Shri Naidu informed that 12 cities with rich cultural heritage assets would be taken for development of core heritage areas and making them more tourist friendly with all services and facilities. The cities identified under HRIDAY (Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana) include: Amritsar, Ajmer, Gaya, Mathura, Varanasi, Amaravati(Andhra Pradesh), Warangal(Telangana), Badami (Karnataka), Kanchipuram and Vellankini (Tamilnadu), Dwaraka (Gujarat) and Puri (Odisha).

Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu said that the mission of the Modi led government is Resurgent India and various initiatives are being taken to improve investment climate and the ease of doing business in the country. He noted that the sentiment within and outside the country has changed significantly after Shri Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister. The country is firmly on the path of recovery. Shri Modis simple mantra is to Make India through Skill India, Digital India and Clean India. The secular aspirations of the people of the country for development were clearly expressed during the recent elections to the Lok Sabha and assemblies of 8 states. These wishes and aspirations of the people constitute the Gita, Bible and Koran for our government. Some efforts are being made to divert the attention from our agenda of development and governance and we will not allow them to succeed. Gandhi ji arrived in India 100 years ago on a mission of liberating our county and Shri Modi has come to Delhi as Prime Minister with a mission of Resurgent India.

Shri Naidu observed that since the formation of Shri Modi led government at the centre, inflation has been steadily declining with Wholesale Price Index recoding Zero during November last year, economic growth rate increasing from 4.60% to 5.70%, Foreign Institutional Investments touching US $ 42 billion in 2014 as against only 12 billion US $ in the previous year, core manufacturing picking up, power generation going by 22% etc. He further said that with emphasis on punctuality and accountability, actual working hours by employees too increased. Shri Naidu noted that in nut-shell, the management of the economy and governance is marked by clear sense of purpose and direction creating the right environment for realizing a Resurgent India.

Vice President Inaugurates World Congress on International LawI deem it an honour to be invited by the Indian Society of International Law to address the World Congress on International Law. This distinguished galaxy of Justices, Judges of the International Court, legal scholars and lawyers constitutes a formidable and learned audience. The relevance of international law in todays rapidly changing world, and the new challenges we have to collectively address, is a good subject for serious cogitation. International Law as it is now understood and practiced is of relatively recent origin. It owes its origin primarily to the Westphalian World Order forged in Europe in the 17th century. Its beginnings, modest and limited, coincide with the rise of nation states in Europe, bore its stamp and focused on common values and the reciprocity of interests. The principles of sovereignty and legal equality of states were first enunciated by the Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius in 1625. The principles of sanctity of agreements entered into, as also the saving conditionality allowing non-compliance, lent balance to the commitments entered into by nation states. The two World Wars presented fresh challenges to the principles and practices of international law. These related to rectification of boundaries, care of refugees and administration of the territory of the defeated enemy. Efforts to address these and related issues through the creation of the League of Nations were unsuccessful. This failure, and the horrors of World War II, led to appreciation of the necessity of international cooperation and the formation of the United Nations as a body capable of ensuring obedience to international law and maintaining peace. The Preamble of the UN Charter assert this as one of the objectives: to establish conditions under which justice and respect for obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained.The period since 1945 has been highly productive in regard to the growth and evolution of international law. International cooperation was widely accepted, though not universally. The first few decades in particular gave cause for optimism. The UN assisted the process of decolonization and the effort to end Apartheid. The UN Multilateral system contributed to the enunciation of normative principles to regulate international conduct. Questions such as disarmament, social development, gender equality, population, food and water and a host of problems relevant for the developing world were addressed. Common trans-national services related to civil aviation, maritime regulations, health, telecommunications, postal systems, refugees, world weather and food security were put in place. 193 nations are now members of the UN and subscribe to its Charter. The ambit of rules of international law has widened and includes intergovernmental organizations, corporations, non-governmental organizations as well as individuals. The founding fathers of Indias Constitution accepted these broad principles and incorporated them in the Directive Principles of State policy. Pursuant to this, the state shall foster respect for international law and treaty obligations of organized people with one another.IIThe United Nation has its limitations. It is a voluntary association of sovereign nation States. These States have their own aspirations and had sought membership of the UN in their perceived self-interest. For this reason, some parts of international law remain highly contested. These relate to the laws of warfare, to the concept of state sovereignty, and to a full range of self serving interests of the powerful who wish to use international law to further their political, economic and security interests. A case in point is the Charter of the International Court of Justice and its Optional clause.Within the ambit of Public International Law, institutions and organizations have been used to impose unequal treaties and evolve concepts that have encouraged curtailment of sovereignty (Right to Protect), seek intrusive presence within Sovereign States (Peace Keeping and Peace Building). Conflicts of laws in civil law jurisdictions, which constitutes Private International Law, seeks to address disputes between business corporations outside a unified legal framework. This has led to increasing use of commercial arbitration (Under the New York Convention 1958). There is also the growing application of Supra-National law to address global commons and such international issues relating to new technologies, evolutions in genetic sciences and problems presented by pandemics and catastrophic disaster events. Globalisation has not only increased the importance of international law but also the complexity of international legal issues. International law has grown to encompass a wide variety of fields including the prohibition of the use of force; human rights; protection of individuals during wars and armed conflicts; fight against terrorism, trafficking in drugs and other serious crimes; environment; trade and development; telecommunication; and transport. The power structure of the Organization created in 1945 clearly reflected the power realities of the world after the Second World War. It was dominated by the victors of the Second World War who fashioned its modalities to further and facilitate the pursuit of power in political and economic terms.Much has changed in the world since then, but the underlying realities of the power lesson remain true. If anything the intervening years have eroded the effectiveness of the UN and its institutions, and the need for reforms has never been more urgent. The world has changed, new power realities have emerged, several new regional and trans-regional groupings have come into being, but the United Nation remains largely unaltered. The need for reforms is widely recognized and several halting efforts have been made to change methods of work, procedures, financing arrangements, delivery mechanisms and accountability criteria, but t