ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Defence
GEN MANOJ PANDE TAKES OVER AS THE 29th CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF
General Manoj Pande took over as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff on 30 April 2022 from General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who superannuated after four decades of an illustrious career.
The General officer is alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in December 1982 in the Corps of Engineers . He has commanded an Engineer Regiment during Operation PARAKRAM in the sensitive Pallanwala Sector of Jammu and Kashmir, along the Line of Control. The General Officer is a graduate of Staff College, Camberley  and attended the Higher Command and National Defence College Courses.
In his four decades of distinguished military career, he has tenanted important and challenging command and staff appointments in different operational environments which include command of an Engineer Brigade in the Western Theatre, as part of Strike Corps, an Infantry Brigade along Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, a Mountain Division in the High Altitude Area of Western Ladakh and command of a Corps, deployed along the Line of Actual Control and in Counter Insurgency Operations area of Eastern Command. His staff exposures include Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade in the North East, Assistant Military Secretary in Military Secretary’s Branch, Colonel Q of a Mountain Division in High Altitude Area and Brigadier General Staff  at Headquarters Eastern Command. The General Officer has served as Chief Engineer in the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. He has also tenanted the appointments of Additional Director General in the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters, Chief of Staff Headquarters Southern Command and Director General Discipline Ceremonial & Welfare at the Army Headquarters. He was Commander-in-Chief Andaman & Nicobar Command from June 2020 to May 2021 and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command from June 2021 to January 2022 and was tenanting the appointment of Vice Chief of the Army Staff from 01 February 2022.
For his illustrious service, he has been conferred with the award of Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. The General Officer is also The Colonel Commandant, The Bombay Sappers.
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SC/VBY/GKA
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Ministry of Defence
Indian Air Force Commanders' Conference
The Air Force Commanders’ Conference  will be conducted from 22-24 Jul 20, at Air Headquarters  New Delhi. The theme of the conference is "IAF in the Next Decade". Hon'ble Raksha Mantri is likely to grace the occasion by inaugurating the AFCC on 22 Jul 20. The Defence Secretary and Secretary Defence Production are also expected to be present during the inauguration.
The AFCC will be chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. During the three day conference the discussions would take stock of the current operational scenario & deployments. The plan of action for operational capability enhancement of the IAF in the next decade will also be discussed.
Election Commission
Biennial Elections to the Council of States to fill the seats of Members retiring April 2020
The term of office of 55 members of the Rajya Sabha elected from 17 States is due to expire on their retirement in April, 2020 as detailed below:
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Sl. No.
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State
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No. of seats
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Date of retirement
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-
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Maharashtra
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7
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02.04.2020
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-
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Odisha
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4
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-
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Tamil Nadu
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6
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-
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West Bengal
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5
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-
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Andhra Pradesh
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4
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09.04.2020
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-
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Telangana
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2
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-
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Assam
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3
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-
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Bihar
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5
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-
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Chhattisgarh
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2
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-
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Gujarat
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4
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-
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Haryana
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2
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-
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Himachal Pradesh
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1
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-
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Jharkhand
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2
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-
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Madhya Pradesh
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3
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-
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Manipur
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1
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-
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Rajasthan
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3
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-
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Meghalaya
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1
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12.04.2020
A statement showing the details of the above mentioned vacancies is given in ‘Annexure-A’ . The Commission has decided that above mentioned biennial elections to the Council of States shall be held in accordance with the following programme: -
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Sl.No.
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Events
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Dates
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Issue of Notifications
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06thMarch, 2020 
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Last date of making nominations
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13th March, 2020 
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Scrutiny of nominations
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16thMarch, 2020 
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Last date for withdrawal of candidatures
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18th March, 2020 
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Date of Poll
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26thMarch, 2020 
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Hours of Poll
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09:00 am to 04:00 pm
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Counting of Votes
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26thMarch, 2020 
at 05:00 pm
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Date before which election shall be completed
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30th March, 2020 
The Commission has directed that for the purpose of marking preference on the ballot paper only integrated violet colour sketch pen of pre-fixed specification, provided by the Returning Officer, shall be used. No other pen shall, under any circumstances, be used in the above said elections.
Adequate measures for close monitoring of the election process by appointing observers shall be taken to ensure free and fair election.
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Prime Minister's Office
PM pays tributes to Chandra Shekhar Azad on his Jayanti
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Chandra Shekhar Azad on his Jayanti.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Remembering the valiant son of Bharat Mata, the remarkable Chandra Shekhar Azad on his Jayanti. During the prime of his youth he immersed himself in freeing India from the clutches of imperialism. He was also a futuristic thinker, and dreamt of a strong and just India."
PIB Headquarters
National Education Policy 2020 will transform India into a global knowledge powerhouse: Th Radheshyam, Education Minister, Manipur
Discussion and participation necessary to effectively implement the new National Education Policy
New National Education Policy 2020 will transform India into a global knowledge powerhouse, but it will require extensive discussion, information dissemination and participation of all stakeholders for effective implementation. This view was expressed by Shri Th Radheshyam Singh, Education Minister, Manipur, at the Webinar organized by Press Information Bureau and Regional Outreach Bureau, Imphal today.
In his keynote address, Shri Radheshyam recalled that Albert Einstein had said that if we spend hours to understand a problem, it will take us only minutes to find a solution. He stressed on the need to understand and discuss the comprehensive and transformational National Education Policy that was announced by the Central government recently.
Education Minister said that the policy aims at providing the best possible education system that is rooted in the Indian ethos. He hailed it as a historic moment in the life of our nation.
Shri Radheshyam pointed out that the new policy does away with the language barrier that was keeping large number of students away from schools. He said that data shows that only 20 percent of tribal students in the county reach high school due to this barrier. He said that students till class 5, and preferably till class 8th , will be taught in their mother tongues under the new policy, helping increase in enrolment and decrease in dropout rates.
Dr. M Meenakumari Devi, Director, State Education Research and Training, summed up the salient features of the policy and gave an overview of the steps being taken to implement it.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Additional Director General , Shri S N Pradhan said that Hon’ble Prime Minster has called for wider discussions through webinars and seminars to take the provisions of the policy to the people. He urged the media to give platform to such discussions so that the implementation process becomes smooth and fast.
Shri Abhishek Dayal, Director, PIB Imphal thanked the Hon’ble Minister, participants and the media persons for actively participating in the webinar. The webinar was attended by over 50 persons including media persons and officials of state government, PIB and RoB of Guwahati and Imphal region.
Ministry of Defence
Parallel Taxi Track Operation by all women crew
In a first for the IAF,the “OTTERS” squadron of Western Air Command has undertaken Parallel Taxi Track  Operations with a full women crew in the Dornier 228 aircraft. The pilots, Sqn Ldr Kamaljeet Kaur and her co-pilot Sqn Ldr Rakhi Bhandari carried out successful parallel taxi track landing and take-off operations at Sirsa. This achievement highlights the theme of Aero India 2019 which is earmarked on 23 February as the day to highlight the Achievements of Women in Aviation Sector.
Parallel Taxi Track Operations are carried out to enable unhindered operations even when the runway is not available due to enemy action or any other reasons.
PTT Operations is a challenging task as the crew is required to land and take off from the taxi track, which is considerably smaller in width than the runway, with proximity to obstructions as compared to the main runway. There is no of error during the most critical phases of flight, landing and take-off.
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PIB Headquarters
“Dak Adalat”
“Dak Adalat” will be conducted by the Senior Superintendent of Post offices, Chennai City North Division at the office premises at No.5, , IV Floor, Ethiraj Salai, Egmore, Chennai-600 008 at 11.00 hours on 04.11.2019 
The members of the public are requested to send their unsettled grievances / pending complaints relating to postal services in respect of post offices under the administrative jurisdiction of Chennai City North Division on or before 02.11.2019, according to a press release issued by the Smt. R.P.Chitra Devi, Senior Superintendent of Post offices, Chennai City North Division, Chennai.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
DEGRADING PRACTICE OF MANUAL SCAVENGING
There is no report of people currently engaged in manual scavenging in the country. Manual scavenging as defined under Section 2   of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 ” is prohibited with effect from 6.12.2013. No person or agency can engage or employ any person for manual scavenging from the above date. Any person or agency who engages any person for manual scavenging in violation of the provisions of the MS Act, 2013 is punishable under Section 8 of the above Act, with imprisonment upto 2 years or fine upto Rs. One Lakh or both.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, since October 2, 2014, more than 10.84 crore sanitary toilets have been constructed in rural areas and over 62 lakh in urban areas and insanitary toilets have been converted into sanitary toilets. This work made a huge contribution towards ending the practice of manual scavenging. After receiving reports from the social institutions working in this field, about continuation of this practice, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a mobile app “Swachhata Abhiyaan” on 24.12.2020 to capture the data of insanitary latrines still existing and manual scavengers associated with them. Any person can upload the data of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers on the mobile app. Thereafter, the data is verified by the concerned district administration. However, not a single insanitary latrine has been confirmed so far.
This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Ramdas Athawale in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Competition Commission of India
CCI approves acquisition of certain additional equity by Kubota Corporation of Escorts Limited
The Competition Commission of India  approves acquisition of certain additional equity by Kubota Corporation  of Escorts Limited  under Section 31 of the Competition Act, 2002.
The Proposed Combination involves Kubota’s acquisition of certain additional equity shares of Escorts by way of preferential allotment and a mandatory tender offer in compliance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India  Regulations, 2011.
Kubota was founded in 1890, and it is a company incorporated under the laws of Japan. Kubota is a comprehensive agriculture product manufacturer and offers various machinery such as tractors, combine harvesters, and rice transplanters. Kubota also offers engineering, procurement, construction to maintenance, contributing to safety and security of water.
Escorts is a public limited company incorporated in India. Escorts is engaged in the business of manufacturing and sale of agri-machinery, construction equipment and railway equipment in India. Further, Escorts through its subsidiaries and joint ventures is also engaged in the business of crop solutions, finance and securities in India.
Detailed order of the CCI will follow.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Boost to Public Transport and Connectivity in Patna
Cabinet approves Patna Metro Rail Project comprising two corridors
 Danapur to Mithapur  Patna Railway Station of New ISBT
26.94 km stretch of Metro from Danapur to Mithapur corridor
14.45 km stretch of Metro from Patna Junction to New ISBT
Rs.13,365.77 crore metro project to be completed in five years
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Patna Metro Rail Project having two Metro Rail Corridors,namely  Danapur to Mithapur  Patna Railway Stationof New ISBT at an estimated cost of Rs.13365.77 crore.
Project Details:
- The Project will be completed in five years.
- DanapurCantt to Mithapur corridor will pass through the heart of city and connect densely populated areas Raza Bazar, Secretariat, High Court, Law University Railway Station.
- Patna Jn. to ISBT corridor will connect Gandhi Maidan, PMCH, Patna University, Rajendra Nagar, Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Transport Nagar and ISBT.
- The Metro will provide Eco friendly and sustainable Public Transport to residents, commuters, industrial workers, visitors and travelers.
Patna Metro Project Highlights:
- The length of Danapur to Mithapur corridor is 16.94 km, which is mostly underground  and partly elevated  and comprises of 11 Stations .
- The length of Patna Station to New ISBT corridor is 14.45 km, which is mostly elevated  and partly underground  and comprising of 12 stations .
The existing population of 26.23 lakh of Patna agglomeration area is expected to be benefitted by Patna Metro Rail Project directly and indirectly.
The approved corridors will be having Multimodal Integration with Railway Stations &ISBT Station and will have feeder network of Bus, Intermediate Public Transport  and Non Motorised Transport . The Project will have non-fare box revenue from rental & advertisement as well asValue Capture Financing  through mechanism of Transit Oriented Development  and Transfer of Development Rights .
The residential areas along thisMetro Rail corridorsshall be immensely benefitted by this project, as the people of these areas will be able to travel on trains from their own neighborhoods to reach different areas of the city conveniently.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves MoU signed between India and France in the field of Renewable Energy
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval tothe Memorandum of Understanding  signed between India and France in the field of Renewable Energy on 10th March, 2018 in New Delhi.
Both sides aim to identify research/ demonstration/ pilot project between National Institute of Solar Energy , India and Commissariat aI'EnergieAtomique et aux Energies Alternatives , France in the mutually identified areas. Based on mutual agreement, both parties would work for implementation & deployment of pilot project in ISA member countries. Collaboration may occur through several means, including joint research projects, joint R&D, joint workshops, Research and Technology exchange including exchange of domain experts. The MoU also aims for exchange of expertise and networking of information.
The MoU will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Shri Mansukh Mandaviya takes charge as Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare
Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar takes charge as Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare
Shri Mansukh Mandaviya took charge as the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, here today.
Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar took charge as the Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare.
They were received by senior officers of the ministry including Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, Ms. Vandana Gurnani, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, NHM , Dr Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary , Shri Vikash Sheel, Additional Secretary , Shri Alok Saxena, Additional Secretary, Dr. Sunil Kumar, DGHS , Shri Arun Singhal CEO, FSSA and other key officials.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
NIPCCD organizes training programme on ‘Home- Based Early Childhood Stimulation  Activities’ for Functionaries of Anganwadi Services Scheme and Poshan Abhiyan at Guwahati
National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development  organized a Training Programme on ‘Home- Based Early Childhood Stimulation  Activities’ for Functionaries of Anganwadi Services Scheme and Poshan Abhiyan from 3 to 5 July, 2023 at Regional Centre, Guwahati. 33 Participants attended the programme.
Early childhood stimulation is essential for brain development. It is a technique that involves activities and exercises which helps the child to develop physical, intellectual or interpersonal skills.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Seafood Exports
During 2018-19, China bought frozen shrimp worth USD 392 million  from India against USD 89 million  in 2017-18. In the current year , China has imported frozen shrimp worth USD 404.94 Million  from India as compared to USD 131.03 Million  during the same period last year, registering a growth of about 209%.
Chinese Customs authorities through Embassy of India in Beijing have informed the detection of White Spot Syndrome Virus  and Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus in 10 consignments of Vannamei shrimp exported from India and suggested to investigate the cause of detection and take effective control measures in this regard. Since this issue of detection of viruses occurred before India opting out of RCEP, it may not be linked to the same.
This information was given by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Education
Trainings for gender sensitisation and awareness of rights in HEIs
University Grants Commission  has notified University Grants Commission  Regulations, 2015. UGC has issued advisory to all Universities/ Colleges to conduct gender awareness programmes to sensitise the students and employees about the provisions of The Sexual Harassment of Women at work place  Act, 2013.
UGC Human Resource Development Centres  conduct Refresher Courses and/or Short Term Courses on Gender Sensitization for Teachers. In the year 2020-21, 35 HRDCs conducted Refresher courses/ Short Term Courses on Gender Sensitization.In addition, UGC Human Resource Development Centres  conduct faculty Induction programme for all newly recruited teachers. It has a module on Constitutional Value, Human Rights and Fundamental Duties. As per the available data, 716 workshops on gender awareness programmes were conducted in the colleges during the year 2020-21.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar attends “South-South Knowledge Sharing Series” by World Bank
“DPIs have changed the perception of Governance altogether, large democracies are no more destined to have dysfunctional Governments”: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar
“India serves as a global case study for how technology can profoundly impact people’s lives”: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar
“India will offer DPIs to other nations, especially those who lagged behind in digitisation”: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, participated in a virtual conference on Monday organized by the World Bank known as the “South-South Knowledge Sharing Series.” This event centered around India’s Digital Public Infrastructure  and its potential to serve as an inspiring model for African nations, especially in light of the African Union’s recent inclusion in the G20 during India’s presidency of the summit this year.
The conference's theme was “Digital Public Infrastructure: The India Story” and representatives from the African Union highlighted the significant opportunities DPIs could offer to countries whose citizens are not yet connected to the internet.
During the discussion, Minister Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar shared India’s journey in adopting DPIs and how they have positively impacted the lives of people. He emphasized the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi — using technology to improve both people’s lives and Governance while providing opportunities for young Indians and entrepreneurs.
Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Today we are at a stage where digitization has transformed the lives of Indians drastically whether or not they are digitally literate. DPIs have changed the perception of Governance altogether. Earlier there was a perception that large democracies are destined to have dysfunctional Governments but in India’s case, we ensured that all the leakages are plugged through DPIs.”
The Minister also highlighted some key elements of India’s DPI ecosystem, such as Aadhaar, which serves as the backbone of digital authentication and facilitates access to government welfare programs, and UPI, a fintech layer that enhances financial inclusion.
“So far, India has signed memoranda of understanding  with nearly eight countries to share its India stack. This is a testament to India's success in leveraging technology to improve lives. The G20 has recognized the DPI based approach. There is also a recognition that countries that have lagged behind in the digitization journey can benefit from the Global DPI Repository. India serves as a global case study for how technology can profoundly impact people’s lives. India is eager to share its experiences and collaborate with other nations, offering them the India stack and digital public goods. This aligns with India’s commitment to the vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, promoting technology as a means to empower all as one global family. The overarching goal is to make the internet an enabler, promoting transformation, resilience, safety, and trust,” the Minister further added.
Ministry of Power
PFC and JKPCL signs and exchanges an agreement for Liquidity Infusion Scheme under “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan” for the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory
PFC sanctions Rs 2790 crore to JKPCL to clear outstanding dues
Government-owned Power Finance Corporation Ltd , India's leading NBFC, has sanctioned Rs 2790 crore to Jammu Kashmir Power Corporation ltd  for clearing its outstanding dues.
PFC and JKPCL today signed and exchanged an agreement for Liquidity Infusion Scheme under “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan” for the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. The money sanctioned under the scheme will be used to clear the outstanding dues of CPSU, GENCOs & TRANSCOs, IPPs and RE Generators on 31st March 2020.
The exchange agreement was signed in presence of Shri RohitKansal, Principal Secretary, PDD along with senior officers from JKPDD, KPDCL, JPDCL, PFC & REC.
In May, the government announced a Rs 90,000 crore liquidity infusion for discoms under which these utilities would get loans at economical rates from PFC and REC. This was an initiative of the government to help gencos to remain afloat. Later, the liquidity infusion package was increased to Rs 1.2 lakh crore.
RCJ/M
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