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Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today discussed with scientific experts, the modalities of installing the latest UV-C Disinfection Technology in the Parliament House, on the eve of the upcoming session on the 19th of this month. The technology has been developed by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), affiliated to the Union Ministry of Science & Technology.

The Minister later informed that, to begin with, the technology meant for mitigation of airborne transmission of SARS-COV-2 will be installed in the Central Hall, Lok Sabha Chamber and Committee Rooms 62 and 63.

However, Dr Jitendra Singh cautioned that even after installation of this disinfection technology, everybody is advised to strictly adhere to COVID appropriate behaviour including use of Face Mask, maintaining social distance, avoiding crowds etc.

CSIR-CSIO has developed an UV-C air duct disinfection system. The disinfection system can be used in auditoriums, large conference rooms, class-rooms, malls etc. which provides a relatively safer environment for indoor activities in the current pandemic. It can also be used in buildings, transport vehicles, etc.

The technology has been developed according to the requirements for deactivation of SARS COV-2 virus contained in an aerosol with necessary ventilation measures, necessary safety and user guidelines and tested Bio-safety standards etc. UV-C deactivates viruses, bacteria, fungus and other bio – aerosols etc. with appropriate dosages using 254nm UV light. Use of UV-C may also help in ameliorating the fungal infections being witnessed during the current wave of the pandemic.

  Addressing a semi- virtual conference of scientists from across the country at the CSIR Headquarters here today Dr.Jitendra Singh said that inter-ministerial formal arrangements for better coordination is needed to further step up efficiency of different departments. Pointing out that the Prime Minister is particularly keen about this initiative, the Minister urged the officials to explore the feasibility for the same without delay.

The Minister commented on the legacy of CSIR in scientific pursuit and urged the scientists to highlight the role played by the organisation in different segments of the day-to-day life of the common man. CSIR enjoys a unique status globally in the field of science and technology, he added.

Urging the CSIR to preserve and showcase its achievements over the decades Dr.Jitendra Singh said that the feasibility of setting up a museum in the national capital needs to be explored.

Earlier, welcoming the Minister to the virtual conference Director General, CSIR & Secretary, DSIR Dr.Shekhar  C Mande informed the Minister about the structure and functions of CSIR and the innovative research initiatives underway in different units across the country.  Besides senior functionaries of CSIR Headquarters, top scientists of 37 CSIR laboratories and five units spread across the country participated in the virtual conference.

(Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the scientists from across the country at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) headquarters, New Delhi,on Tuesday.) 

Technology Meant for Mitigation of Airborne Transmission of SARS-COV-2 will be Installed in Parliament House says Union Read More

 

The Union Home Ministry has requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to inquireinto the case of the deaths of Ms. Rosy Sangma and Shri Samuel Sangma.

The case relates to death of Ms. Rosy Sangma a hospital in Gurgaon on June 24 this year after she had complained of a medical condition. Later, Shri Samuel Sangma, a relative of Ms. Rosy Sangma, suspecting medical negligence, had an altercation with doctors and staff of the hospital.  On the next day, June 25 the Delhi Police received information regarding the death of Shri Samuel Sangma New Delhi.

          The family of the deceased has alleged that Ms. Rosy Sangma had died due to negligence on part of the hospital.  They also attributed some alleged foul play in the death of Shri Samuel Sangma by the hospital personnel. 

Union Home Ministry Requests CBI to Inquire into the Deaths of Ms. Rosy Sangma and Shri Samuel Sangma Read More

 

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi interacted with Indian athletes’ contingent bound for Tokyo Olympics today through video conference. The interaction by the Prime Minister is an endeavour to motivate the athletes ahead of their participation at the games. Shri Anurag Thakur, Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports; Shri Nisith Pramanik, MoS Youth Affairs and Sports and Shri Kiren Rijiju, Law Minister were also present on the occasion.

In an informal and spontaneous interaction, the Prime Minister motivated the athletes and thanked their families for their sacrifice. Talking to Deepika Kumari (Archery), the Prime Minister congratulated her for the Gold in the World Championship. The Prime Minister mentioned that her journey began with plucking mangoes through archery and enquired about her journey as a sportsperson.  The Prime Minister lauded Pravin Jadhav (Archery) for staying on the path despite difficult circumstances. The Prime Minister also interacted with his family and praised their efforts. Shri Modi interacted with the family in Marathi.

Talking to Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw), the Prime Minister inquired about the athlete’s experience with the Indian Army and also his recovery from injury. Shri Modi asked the athlete to give his best without getting bogged down by the weight of expectation. With Dutee Chand (Sprint), Shri Modi started with the meaning of her name that is ‘brightness’ and complimented her for spreading the light through her sporting skills. The Prime Minister asked her to forge ahead fearlessly as the entire India is behind the athletes. The Prime Minister asked Ashish Kumar (Boxing) why he chose Boxing. PM asked how he fought with both COVID-19 and kept with his training. The Prime Minister also praised him for not wavering from his goal despite the loss of his father. The athlete recalled the support network of family and friends in the process of recovery. Shri Modi recalled the occasion when cricketer Sachin Tendulkar lost his father in similar circumstances and how he gave tribute to his father through his sports.

The Prime Minister lauded Mary Kom (Boxing) for being a role model for many athletes. He also enquired how she was able to take care of her family and continue with her sport especially during the pandemic. The Prime Minister asked about her favourite punch and her favourite player. He wished her the best.  With PV Sindhu (Badminton), the Prime Minister enquired about her practice in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. He also asked the importance of diet in her training. The Prime Minister asked her parents for advice and tips they want to give to parents who want to make their children a sportsperson. Wishing the athlete success in the Olympics the Prime Minister said that he too will have ice cream with her when he will welcome the athletes on their return.

The Prime Minister asked Elavenil Valarivan (Shooting) why she got interested in the sport. On a personal note, Shri Modi talked to the shooter who was raised in Ahmedabad, in Gujarati and greeted her parents in Tamil and recalled her early years as he was MLA from her area Mani Nagar. He enquired how she balances both her studies and sports training.

The Prime Minister talked to Saurabh Chaudhary (Shooting) of the role of yoga in improving concentration and mental poise. The Prime Minister asked the veteran player Sharath Kamal (Table Tennis) about the difference between previous and this olympics and learnt about the impact of pandemic on the occasion. Shri Modi said that his vast experience will help the entire contingent. With another Table tennis ace Manika Batra (Table Tennis), the Prime Minister was full of praise for her for training the poor children in sport. He remarked about her practice of wearing tricolor in her hand while playing. He asked whether her passion for dancing acts as a stress buster in her sports.

The Prime Minister asked how Vinesh Phogat (Wrestling) copes up with the heightened expectations due to her family legacy. Referring to her challenges, the Prime Minister asked how she dealt with them. He also talked to her father and asked about the ways of grooming such illustrious daughters. He enquired from Sajan Prakash (Swimming) about his grave injury and how he overcame it.

Talking to Manpreet Singh (Hockey) The PM said that interacting with him reminds him of hockey legends like Major Dhyan Chand, etc. and expressed the hope that his team will keep the legacy alive.

With Saina Mirza (Tennis), the Prime Minister remarked about the increasing popularity of Tennis sport and asked the senior player for her advice to the new aspirants. He also enquired about her equation with her partner in Tennis. He asked about the change she witnessed in sports during the last 5-6 years. Sania Mirza said that India is witnessing a self belief in recent years and that will reflect in the performance.

While addressing the Indian athletes, the Prime Minister regretted the fact that he could not host the athletes due to the pandemic. He remarked that the pandemic has changed their practice and even the year of the Olympics. He recalled his Mann ki Baat address when he exhorted the citizens to cheer for their sportspersons in the Olympics. He noted the popularity of the #Cheer4India. He said that the whole country is behind them and the blessings of all the countrymen are with them. He informed that people can login to the NaMo app and cheer for their sportspersons where special provisions have been made for the purpose. “These wishes of 135 crore Indians are the blessings of the country for all of you before entering the field of sports,” said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister noted common traits among the athletes i.e. Bold, Confident and Positive. He said that all the athletes have  common factors of  Discipline, Dedication and Determination. The Prime Minister noted bothe commitment and competitiveness in the sportspersons. The same qualities are found in New India. Athletes reflect the New India and symbolizes the nation’s future.

He said all the athletes are a witness to how the country is standing with each of its players today with a new thinking and a new approach. Today your motivation is important for the country. He said that top priority has been given for the athletes to play freely, with their full potential and improve their game and technique. The Prime Minister noted the changes that have been brought in the recent years to support the sportspersons

The Prime Minister said that efforts were made for the players to have better training camps and better equipment. Today, more international exposure is also being provided to the players. He said that so many changes have happened in such a short time since sports related institutions have given priority to suggestions by the sportspersons. He also expressed happiness that for the first time, such a large number of players have qualified for the Olympics. He said that campaigns like ‘Fit India’ and ‘Khelo India’ contributed to this.  He said for the first time, players from India are participating in so many sports. There are many sports in which India has qualified for the first time.

 

PM interacts with Indian athletes’ contingent bound for Tokyo Olympics Read More

 

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that the progress of small and medium farmers is the main aim of the government. Under the historic Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme, an amount of Rs 1.35 lakh crore has been transferred directly to bank accounts of more than 11 crore such farmers. Keeping in view the cost of cultivation and with the objective of making it remunerative for the farmers, the government has continuously increased the MSP, procurement through state agencies. NABARD played an important role in record purchase by disbursing about Rs. 50 thousand crore rupees to the state marketing associations. Shri Tomar said this while addressing the webinar on 40th foundation day of NABARD.

Shri Tomar said that it is extremely important to provide timely credit to small and marginal farmers. The government successfully campaigned in mission mode to provide Kisan Credit Cards to PM-Kisan beneficiaries even during the Corona pandemic. In the budget of the current financial year, Rs.16 lakh crore lending target has been set up for the sector. Shri Tomar expressed satisfaction over the fact that NABARD has made available crop loans to farmers at concessional rates through cooperative and regional rural banks and in 7 years this amount reached to Rs.6.5 lakh crore. Shri Tomar said that the government has also reformed agricultural marketing. There are one thousand Integrated National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) mandis and in the current year one thousand more mandis will be linked to this portal. The launch of ‘Operation Greens’ scheme and ‘Kisan Rail’ are also historic steps in this direction. The losses are being reduced by transporting fruits and vegetables from the fields to the consumer cities. A scheme has also been launched to form 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), which will work on the model of collectivism. He expressed happiness that NABARD has been a pioneer in the implementation of this ambitious scheme.

The Union Minister said that under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, laying emphasis on rural and agricultural infrastructure, the Prime Minister has allocated Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the development of agriculture and allied sectors. Rs. 1 Lakh crore has been allocated for special ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’ with the objective to promote investment. Farmers will now get financial assistance from the government with 3% interest and loan guarantee. NABARD, a participant in the scheme, has set a target to develop 35 thousand primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) as ‘one-stop shops’. NABARD has sanctioned Rs. 1,700 crore to 3 thousand PACS for setting up multiple service centres. Shri Tomar said that in the last 7 years, NABARD has given Rs 1.81 lakh crore to the states under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of which one-third is used for irrigation. This fund has been increased to 40 thousand crores. NABARD and others have also contributed well in ‘Per Drop – More Crop’ under PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana. In this campaign, the Center has increased the group amount of Micro Irrigation Fund under NABARD to Rs.10 thousand crore.

Addressing the webinar, Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramaniam said that there is a need for private investment to develop Indian agriculture and to promote innovations through investment. In this context, he mentioned that the new farm acts are very important for the development of small and marginal farmers. Commenting on the development of the agriculture sector, Dr. Subramaniam said Credit is very important for small and marginal farmers and institutions like NABARD ensure that proper provision is made to provide credit to these farmers across the country.

NABARD Chairman Dr. G.R. Chintala said that there is a need to make appropriate investments in green infrastructure, which will be around Rs 18.37 lakh crore by the year 2024-25, out of which Rs.7.35 lakh crore will be kept for agricultural infrastructure. Dr. Chintala said that the agricultural eco-system is changing, due to which the life of the farming community will become more convenient than before as farmers will be able to use information technology for farming systems, processing as well as export, which will increase their income. He said that since the last several decades, NABARD has been striving for the upliftment of the agricultural and rural community through various measures. “Our commitment is to develop a system where small and marginal farmers, rural women and agricultural laborers can avail benefits of such institutions”, he added.

Farm Acts, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund can boost investment in agriculture: Dr. Subramaniam Read More

 

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will interact with the Indian athletes’ contingent bound for Tokyo Olympics on 13th July at 5 PM via video conferencing.

The interaction by the Prime Minister is an endeavour to motivate the athletes ahead of their participation at the games. He had recently reviewed the preparations for facilitation of India’s contingent at Tokyo-2020. He had also discussed the inspirational journeys of some of the athletes on Mann Ki Baat, besides urging the nation to come forward and wholeheartedly support them.

The event will be attended by Shri Anurag Thakur, Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports; Shri Nisith Pramanik, MoS Youth Affairs and Sports and Shri Kiren Rijiju, Law Minister.

About the Indian Contingent

A total of 126 athletes across 18 sports disciplines from India will be heading to Tokyo. This is the biggest-ever contingent India is sending to any Olympics. The 69 cumulative events across the 18 sport disciplines that India will participate in is also the highest ever for the country.

There are several notable firsts in terms of participation. For the first time in its history, a Fencer from India (Bhavani Devi) has qualified for the Olympic Games. Nethra Kumanan is the first ever female Sailor from India to qualify for an Olympic Games. Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj are the first Swimmers from India to qualify for an Olympic Games by achieving the ‘A’ Qualification Standard in Swimming.

PM to interact with Indian athletes’ contingent bound for Tokyo Olympics on 13th July Read More