Your Excellency राष्ट्रपति सामिया हसन जी,
दोनों देशों के delegates,
मीडिया के साथियों,
नमस्कार!

सबसे पहले मैं राष्ट्रपति और उनके डेलिगेशन का भारत में स्वागत करता हूँ।

तंज़ानिया के राष्ट्रपति के रूप में यह उनकी भारत की पहली यात्रा है। किन्तु वे भारत और भारत के लोगों से लम्बे अरसे से जुड़ी हुई हैं।

भारत के प्रति उनका यह लगाव और प्रतिबद्धता, हमें हर क्षेत्र में हमारे संबंधों को और मज़बूत करने के लिए प्रेरित कर रहे हैं।

अफ्रीकन यूनियन के G20 मे स्थायी सदस्य के रूप मे जुड़ने के बाद, पहली बार हमें किसी भी अफ्रीकन head of state का भारत में स्वागत करने का अवसर मिला है।

इसलिए इस यात्रा का महत्त्व हमारे लिए कई गुना बढ़ जाता है।

Friends,

आज का दिन भारत और तंज़ानिया के संबंधों में एक ऐतिहासिक दिन है।

आज हम अपनी सदियों पुरानी मित्रता को Strategic Partnership के सूत्र में बाँध रहे हैं।

आज की बैठक में हमने इस भावी रणनीतिक साझेदारी की नींव रखते हुए कई नए initiatives की पहचान की।

भारत और तंज़ानिया आपसी व्यापार और निवेश के लिए एक दूसरे के महत्वपूर्ण पार्टनर्स हैं।

दोनों पक्ष local currencies में व्यापार बढ़ाने के लिए एक agreement पर काम कर रहे हैं।

हमारे आर्थिक सहयोग के पूरे पोटेंशियल को realise करने के लिए हम नए अवसरों की तलाश जारी रखेंगे।

तंज़ानिया अफ्रीका में भारत का सबसे बड़ा और करीबी development partner है।

भारत ने ICT centres, vocational training, defence training, ITEC तथा ICCR scholarships के माध्यम से तंज़ानिया की skill development और capacity building में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दिया है।

Water supply, कृषि, स्वास्थ्य, शिक्षा जैसे महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रों में मिलकर काम करते हुए हमने तंज़ानिया के लोगों के जीवन में सकारात्मक बदलाव लाने का प्रयास किया है।

इसी प्रतिबद्धता से हम आगे भी अपने प्रयत्न जारी रखेंगे।

IIT मद्रास द्वारा ज़ान्ज़िबार में कैंपस खोलने का निर्णय हमारे संबंधों में एक महत्वपूर्ण milestone है।

यह केवल तंज़ानिया के लिए ही नहीं बल्कि क्षेत्रीय देशों के छात्र-छात्राओं के लिए भी high quality education का hub बनेगा।

दोनों देशों की विकास यात्रा का एक बढ़ा आधार technology है।

आज डिजिटल public goods sharing पर हुए समझौते से हमारी साझेदारी को बल मिलेगा।

मुझे ख़ुशी है कि UPI की success story को तंज़ानिया में अपनाने के लिए कदम उठाए जा रहे हैं।

Friends,

रक्षा के क्षेत्र में हमने five year roadmap पर सहमति बनाई है।

इसके माध्यम से military training, maritime cooperation, capacity building, defence industry जैसे क्षेत्रों में नए आयाम जुड़ेंगे।

ऊर्जा के क्षेत्र में भी भारत और तंज़ानिया के बीच करीबी सहयोग रहा है।

भारत में तेज़ी से बदल रहे clean energy landscape को देखते हुए हमने इस महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्र में मिलकर काम करने पर सहमति व्यक्त की।

मुझे ख़ुशी है कि तंज़ानिया ने भारत द्वारा G20 समिट में launch की गयी Global Biofuels Alliance से जुड़ने का निर्णय लिया है।

साथ ही तंज़ानिया द्वारा लिए गए International Big Cat Alliance से जुड़ने के निर्णय से हम big cats के संरक्षण के लिए वैश्विक प्रयासों को सशक्त कर सकेंगे।

आज हमने space और nuclear technology को जन कल्याण के लिए इस्तेमाल करने पर बल दिया। इन महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रों में ठोस initiatives की पहचान करते हुए हमने आगे बढ़ने का निर्णय लिया है ।

Friends,

आज हमने कई वैश्विक एवं क्षेत्रीय मुद्दों पर विचार विमर्श किया।

हिन्द महासागर से जुड़े हुए देशों के रूप में हमने maritime security, piracy, drug trafficking जैसी चुनौतियों का सामना करने के लिए आपसी समन्वय बढ़ाने पर बल दिया।

इंडो-पेसिफिक में सभी प्रयासों में हम तंज़ानिया को एक बहुमूल्य पार्टनर के रूप में देखते है।

भारत और तंज़ानिया एकमत हैं कि आतंकवाद मानवता के लिए सबसे गंभीर सुरक्षा खतरा है।

इस संबंध मे हमने counter-terrorism के क्षेत्र में आपसी सहयोग को बढ़ाने का भी निर्णय लिया है।

Friends,

हमारे संबंधों की सबसे महत्वपूर्ण कड़ी हमारे मज़बूत और सदियों पुराने people-to-people ties हैं।

गुजरात के मांडवी पोर्ट और ज़ान्ज़िबार के बीच दो हज़ार साल पहले व्यापार किया जाता था।

भारत की सिदी tribe का origin ईस्ट अफ्रीका के ज़ान्ज़ coast पर हुआ।

आज भी बड़ी मात्रा में भारत के लोग तंज़ानिया को अपना दूसरा घर मानते हैं।

उनकी देखरेख के लिए तंज़ानिया से मिल रहे समर्थन के लिए मैं राष्ट्रपति हसन को हृदय से आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ।

योग के साथ साथ कबड्डी और क्रिकेट की popularity भी तंज़ानिया में बढ़ रही है।

हम दोनों देशों के लोगों के बीच आपसी नजदीकियां बढ़ाने के प्रयास जारी रखेंगे।

Excellency,

एक बार फिर आपका और आपके डेलिगेशन का भारत में स्वागत है।

बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद।

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed 89^th General Council meeting of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in New Delhi today.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that NCDC is playing a crucial role in fulfilling Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahakar se Samridhi. Cooperatives are the only medium for economic development of 60 crore population of the country, which do not have capital. He said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi, since its formation the Ministry of Cooperation has taken 54 initiatives in the last 27 months to strengthen cooperative movement in the country and increase cooperatives’ share in GDP. These initiatives have special focus on strengthening the Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS). The initiatives aimed towards ease of doing business include computerization of PACS, model byelaws, widening the functioning of PACS to undertake more than 30 business activities like dairy, setting up of godowns, LPG/Petrol/Green energy distribution agency, banking correspondents, PACS can provide more than 300 services as Common Service Centres (CSC) and preparation of an updated data repository of cooperatives.

Minister of Cooperation said that significant initiatives like Jan Aushadhi Kendras, PACS as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendra and PACS as Paani Samiti to undertake the work of Operation and Maintenance of Piped Water Supply schemes in rural areas can provide sustainable income to the PACS and employment opportunities to the youth in rural areas. He added that a National Cooperative Database has been developed with the assistance of State Governments, which is having comprehensive, authentic and updated data of more than 8.00 lakh cooperative societies.

Shri Amit Shah said that NCDC is implementing agency for various schemes of the Government of India and dovetail the subsidy component with its loan to benefit cooperative societies. He said that NCDC has disbursed financial assistance of more than Rs.41,000 crore in the Financial Year 2022-23 across the country including rural areas. Minister of Cooperation said that NCDC is set to achieve 10 times growth in disbursement of financial assistance in the current financial year from Rs. 5,300 crore in 2013-14. Shri Shah said that with such an impressive performance, I am confident that the NCDC will be able to achieve the target of Rs. 50,000 crore kept for 2023-2024. He added that it is a matter of pride that net NPA of the Corporation is maintained at ‘Zero’ with loan recovery rate being over 99% for 2022-23.

Union Minister of Cooperation said that NCDC should set a target of achieving Rs.1 lakh crore yearly disbursement in next 3 years along with targets for every quarter. The Minister desired that NCDC should explore avenues for borrowing on lower rates and lend to cooperative sector keeping the interest rate low. NCDC’s objective must not only to make profit but to achieve overall development of cooperative sector.

Shri Amit Shah lauded the role of the NCDC in helping cooperative development in the country, he said that from agricultural marketing and inputs to processing, storage and cold chain the ambit of NCDC has widened to include areas in keeping with the needs of the society and boost income of youth in the country. He said there are more than 8.00 lakh cooperatives in the country with 29 crores farmers as their members. Since its inception in 1963 NCDC has provided cumulatively financial assistance of Rs.2,78,378 crore to cooperatives including agricultural and horticulture cooperative societies.

Minister of Cooperation also said that work is on to bring uniformity in the working of the PACS, which have different by-laws in the country. He added that most of the states/UTs have adopted the model by-laws on PACS drafted by the Ministry of Cooperation. Shri Shah said that the scope of work of PACS has been widened now, they can work in 25 different areas like dairy and fishery and can also work as Common Service Centres (CSCs).  PACS by becoming CSCs can provide more than 300 services to rural people.

Shri Amit Shah said that recognizing the potential of the NCDC, it has been designated as a project implementing agency under the world’s largest food storage scheme in the cooperative sector. NCDC is one of the implementing agencies promoting the Government of India’s ambitious schemes such as the Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) which provide for registration and support of new cooperatives as FPOs. NCDC is also an implementing agency for Formation and Promotion of Fish Farmers Producer Organisation (FFPOs) under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Union Minister of Cooperation emphasised that NCDC should focus on promoting the three new national level cooperative societies on Exports, Organic and Seed production, so that these societies grow in their business like many big brands in cooperative sector. NCDC should also be the first contributor of equity in the proposed umbrella organisation of Urban Cooperative Bank.

Addressing the gathering at World Habitat Day (WHD) 2023, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural said , significance of World Habitat Day is increasingly being understood now. Recalling the conceptualisation of WHD in 1980s, he said that the concept of the World Habitat Day was first introduced in 1986 in Nairobi, Kenya. The theme of the first celebration of the World Habitat Day was ‘Shelter is my Right’, underlining the most acute problem of 1986 – that of adequate shelter in cities. Since then, the Minister said that the discourse around human settlements has evolved. In the next few years, the annual themes varied to reflect the priorities of the time – from safety to women’s empowerment, and from sanitation to dignity of work.

The approach towards development has also evolved through Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. SDGs are designed from citizen centric perspective and focus more on inclusive and bottom-up approach.

Talking the evolution of urban spaces in India, the Minister said that the focus of Government on Urban Transformation has increased considerably. There was neglect in urban development before 2014. Only Rs. 1.78 lakh crores were invested in urban areas between 2004 to 2014. Under the farsighted leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he said this has changed. “More than Rs. 18 lakh crores have been invested since 2014 in the transformation of our cities and towns”, he emphasised.

He said that in 2014, the amount of urban waste processing was around 17 percent and now it has increased to 76 percent. He expressed confidence that in the coming time, the urban waste processing will reach to 100 percent. The huge legacy dumpsites in urban areas will aslo be removed through bioremediation in next 2 years, he added further.

Shri Puri said that this year’s theme ‘Resilient urban economies: Cities as drivers of growth and recovery’ is aptly chosen. A discussion on this subject assumes greater significance now as the world enjoys its first year without the disruption of the pandemic. This theme underscores the role of cities as the epicentres of economic recovery and growth in the post-pandemic global order, he said.

Speaking on the sustainable growth of urban spaces, the Minister said that the element of sustainability is incorporated in urban transport and other policy matters related to urban development. He mentioned about the green alternatives such as electric vehicles that are being promoted to fill the vacuum in the urban transport.

He said that a country’s economic growth can be measured from its energy consumption and from its urban landscape as well. Across the world, he said that urban areas are the productive hubs of economies, with more than 75 percent of the world’s GDP generated here. “In India, despite the relatively low urbanisation, cities already contribute 66 percent to the national GDP”, he said. This number is expected to go as high as 80 percent by 2050 when more than half of the country’s population resides in its urban areas. This year’s theme focuses on future-proofing urban economies to make them better prepared to handle black swan events, pandemics and other such catastrophic events, he added.

The Minister urged the cities to use innovative ways such as municipal bonds for raising the finacial resources. Complimenting the cities for raising for using municipal bonds to raise resources, he said through the AMRUT mission, the government has pressed for cities to go to the markets to raise capital investment. 12 cities have raised more than Rs. 4,384 crores through municipal bonds. Such actions have increased ULB creditworthiness and made them attractive investment destinations.

Talking about the India’s model of planned urbanisation, the Minister said that  underpinned by a focus on Antyodaya Se Sarvodaya has ensured that our cities remain vibrant and economically thriving in turbulent times. There is much that other countries can learn from the manner in which we have operationalised large-scale programmes and brought about green transition in our cities, he said.

About World Habitat Day:

Each year, World Habitat Day is held on the first Monday of October and launches Urban October globally. The day centres around the global observance, which is held in a different country each year with keynote speakers and roundtable discussions focused on a specific theme. World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 in Nairobi, Kenya, with the theme ‘Shelter is my right’.

This year’s Global Observance of World Habitat Day under the theme of “Resilient urban economies. Cities as drivers of growth and recovery.” looked at how cities can position their economies to benefit residents. Aligning with the theme, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, hosted an event at Vigyan Bhawan today i.e. on 9th October 2023.  Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, and Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, MoHUA attended the event. The focus of the event was to convene various urban stakeholders to discuss ways in which cities can be primed to address economic and environmental challenges to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Addressing the 10^th “India-Sweden Innovation Day” meet in New Delhi today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh called for strengthening India-Sweden collaboration to effectively address pressing global challenges while remaining steadfast in the pursuit of immediate objectives on the path to achieving a net-zero future.

Speaking on behalf of the Govt of India, Dr Jitendra Singh said, companies from both sides must be encouraged to engage in collaborative research and the exchange of human resources.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that this year, nine Swedish companies made a visit to India under the India-Sweden Innovations Accelerator with the aim of enhancing export and investment prospects in the field of green technology, thereby fostering stronger ties between Sweden and India in this sector.

The Minister noted that in 2023, both the countries are commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the diplomatic relations and Fifth anniversary of the Sweden-India Joint Declaration on Innovation Partnership for a Sustainable Future. He described it as a momentous occasion that serves as the guiding theme for the 10^th India Sweden Innovation Day.

Dr Jitendra Singh reiterated that this milestone event is centered on harnessing our respective areas of expertise and spearheading environmentally sustainable growth, all with the aim of realizing a net-zero future.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that in May 2022, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Ms Magdalena Andersson of Sweden reiterated their dedication to fostering collaborative research and innovation across multiple domains, including polar and space research.

The Minister said, the partnership covers several areas, including smart cities, transportation and eMobility, energy, clean technologies, new materials, space, circular and bio-based economy, and health and life sciences. He also added that the India-Sweden Innovation Partnership bridges institutions, R&D intensive industries and creative entrepreneurs to address global challenges in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, recently, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, in collaboration with the Swedish Government Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA), has announced the INDIA–SWEDEN Collaborative Industrial Research & Development call. He said, this initiative forms an integral part of the broader Sweden-India Innovation Partnership, which collectively enhance competitiveness and tackle pressing global issues such as climate change and sustainable development through innovative solutions.

Dr Jitendra Singh noted that only last year, India and Sweden announced the India-Sweden Joint call for proposals within Circular Economy. The Joint programme is co-funded by 09 Indian and Swedish funding agencies and a total of 03 major projects were supported under this call.

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was formally endorsed on March 13, 2023, forging a partnership between the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology and the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT). This collaboration is geared towards enhancing cooperation and fostering research connections among academic institutions in India and Sweden and also to promote knowledge exchange and research advancement by facilitating seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Dr Jitendra Singh expressed his gratitude to Mr Andreas Carlson, Minister of Infrastructure, Government of Sweden for participating in the 10^th edition of the India Sweden Innovation Day and said that India is ready to enhance the bilateral partnership, especially in the realm of Science & Technology, and to bolster our innovation ecosystem.

The Minister concluded by saying that the bilateral diplomatic ties have prospered due to our shared values and dedication to fair trade and globalization. It brings me great joy to see that innovation cooperation is the most rapidly expanding aspect of the bilateral relationship between India and Sweden, he added.

Ambassador of Sweden to India, Mr Jan Thesleff; Ambassador of India to Sweden, Shri Tanmaya Lal; Shri Robin Sukhia, President, Sweden-India Business Council and Shri Sanjoo Malhotra, CEO India Unlimited also gave their addresses on the occasion.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said that the nation is thrilled as our athletes have surpassed the milestone of 100 medals in the Asian Games.

The Prime Minister will host and interact with the contenvent on 10th October.

Shri Narendra Modi posted on X :

“A momentous achievement for India at the Asian Games!

The people of India are thrilled that we have reached a remarkable milestone of 100 medals.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our phenomenal athletes whose efforts have led to this historic milestone for India.

Every awe-inspiring performance has made history and filled our hearts with pride.

I look forward to hosting our Asian Games contingent on the 10th and interacting with our athletes.”

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the 49th All India Police Science Congress as the chief guest in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, today. Several dignitaries, including Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Union Home Secretary, the Director-General of BPR&D, were present on the occasion.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that the 49th All India Police Science Congress assumes great significance as it is the first Police Science Congress during the Amrit Kal. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has named the period between 75-100 years of India’s independence as “Amrit Kal.” This journey of Amrit Kal is very important for every citizen of India as the Prime Minister has termed it as a time for all of us to make resolutions and work towards accomplishing them (Sankalp se Siddhi). Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set a goal before the people of the country that when India celebrates its centenary of independence, our nation should be at the forefront in every field in the world. Shri Shah said that to achieve this, hard work is required in every sector, and the first condition for it is that the country’s law and order, internal security, and border security must be robust. He added that until a country ensures the security of its borders and maintains internal security, it cannot develop. Good law and order situation is the first condition for development and for this, in the year of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Home Ministry has brought about many changes to further strengthen the law and order in the country. These changes will be implemented on the ground during the Amrit Kaal to showcase their success to the country.

Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, significant changes have been brought in every sector in the country from 2019 to 2023. He said that the complete blueprint for implementing these changes on the ground, from the Home Ministry of the Government of India to the last police station of the country, will be laid out during this Police Science Congress. Shri Shah said that during the Police Science Congress, discussions will be held on six topics: Policing in the 5G Era, Narcotics-A Game-Changing Perspective, Challenges of Social Media, Community Policing, Challenges of Internal Security, and Coordination between Police and CAPFs-Security of borders. He said that all these topics cover internal security, law and order and security of borders in-toto. He said that both, Police Reform and Police Reforms, have different definitions.

Mentioning abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Amit Shah said that now looking at the current situation, every citizen of the country can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that it has now become an integral part of India, and no one can take it away from us. He added that due to reduction in violence in regions affected by Left-Wing Extremism, development is reaching every village and individual. A new era of health, education, and infrastructure has begun.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that today a Compendium of the 49th All India Police Science Congress, BPR&D’s prestigious Hindi Magazine – Police Vigyaan and Uttarakhand Police magazine – Marching with the Times have been released. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has taken several steps to strengthen BPR&D in the last 5 years. The charter of BPR&D has been expanded to include maritime border management and capacity building of CAPFs, internal security challenges, police image and police community interface, etc. A separate vertical has been created to develop indigenous devices and for this a meaningful dialogue has been held with researchers, scientists, professors, students and industries. Shri Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India is moving towards becoming self-reliant in terms of resources and equipment required for internal security. He said that Modernization Division of the Bureau has organized webinars and workshops on topics like cyber security, cybercrime prevention, drone forensics and emerging challenges of cyber laws.

Shri Amit Shah said that recently the Government of India has introduced three new criminal laws in the Parliament which are currently under consideration with the Standing Committee on Home Affairs. He said that these three new bills will replace IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act, which were enacted by the British. He said that no changes were made in these laws since 1860 till 2023. He said that changes in the society necessitate changes in the laws because the scale and method of crime has changed and now crimes are also being committed with the use of technology. He said that due to lack of changes in our old laws, there was a backlog of cases in the courts and our criminal justice system had become infamous for delays. Shri Shah said that now after the passage of these three new criminal laws, the people of the country will get justice at the earliest. He said that by defining terrorism and organized crime in three new criminal laws, the Modi government has worked to protect the country. Strict provisions have been made in these laws for inter-state gangs, a lot of emphasis has been laid on capacity building of the office of the Directorate of Prosecution, to increase the use of forensic science, visits of forensic science experts have also been made compulsory in crimes having more than 6 years punishment. He said that action has been taken and a time bound plan has also been made to increase the conviction rate.

The Union Home Minister said that Indian Criminal Justice System is entering into a new era with the use of Forensic Science, role of CCTNS & ICJS and three new laws to replace IPC, CrPc and Evidence Act in Amrit Kal. This will not only provide security to every citizen but also ensure internal security. He said that this is not possible without using technology. Under ICJS, computerization of 99.9% i.e. 16733 police stations of the country has been done and they are connected with CCTNS.  22000 courts have been connected with e-courts, data of more than two crore prisoners is available through e-prison, more than one crore prosecution data is available through e-Prosecution and more than 17 lakh forensic data is also available through e-Forensics. More than 90 lakh fingerprint records are available through NAFIS, data of all 22,000 cases registered under UAPA is also available over iMOT and through NIDAN, data of more than 5 lakh narco offenders in Narco is also available with us. Apart from this, data of about one lakh human traffickers is also available under NDHTO, in cases of human trafficking. Data of more than 14 lakh alerts is available in CRIMAC, data of more than 28 lakh complete complaints is available in the National Crime Reporting Portal and we are also going to do complete computerization of the prison. Shri Shah said that we will have to strengthen our criminal justice system on the basis of such a vast database.

Shri Amit Shah said that we have made arrangements to present all types of documents before the court electronically, to make summons, warrants and testimony from prison online under the legal provisions in all these laws which will ensure justice without any delay. He said that implementation of all these provisions is possible only when the police of the entire country imbibe them and these are taken to the level of the police station. He said that the Modi government has also taken many steps for the security of digital public goods.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country is progressing in every field and will emerge as a strong economic power in coming days, at such times, the police and agencies will be required to protect our financial institutions more rigorously. He said that when there is development in every field, many challenges also arise and our police will have to prepare themselves to meet those challenges. Shri Shah said that our young police officers will also have to work on new issues like security of the country’s critical infrastructure, cyber security audit in states, social media and continuous monitoring of visa. Shri Shah said that in the approach of counter terrorism, time has come to completely uproot terrorism from our country by going beyond the zero tolerance policy and moving towards zero tolerance strategy and zero tolerance action.

Shri Amit Shah said that there is a need to increase coordination between various agencies in the police forces of the states. He said that police across the country should associate themselves with Rashtriya Raksha Shakti University and Forensic Science University. They should also study Modus Operandi Bureau and start developing it in their respective states. There is a need to strengthen the system of Directorate of Prosecution, revival of the beat system, regularization the parade and revival of the information gathering system. He said that no one can analyze intelligence better than the human brain, for this we will also have to revive the information gathering system. Shri Shah said that the Left Wing Extremism states should cooperate in the efforts being made to establish base camps in the forward areas.

The Union Minister for Ayush, Ports, Shipping & Waterways  Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the 50 bedded Ayurvedic Hospital at Sriram Chapori in Majuli today. The hospital is aimed at further strengthening the Ayush healthcare system in the state.

The new hospital is equipped with specialised OPD services for Shalya (General Surgery), Prastuti Tantra & Stree Roga or PTSR (Obstetrics & Gynaecology), Panchakarma as well as Kayachikitsa (General Medicine). Apart from it, a modern laboratory, Panchakarma & Ksharasutra Therapy set ups, a Yoga unit, Anorectal clinic, Infertility clinic, Geriatric & rejuvenative clinic, Rheumatology clinic, Lifestyle Disorders as well as Skin & Cosmetic clinic are also available at the newly opened hospital. In the OPD section, 50 patients will be treated at a time.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Majuli possesses tremendous potential to become a hub for Ayush healthcare in the region. With its rich flora and heritage, our beautiful Majuli has the unique ability to  become a healthcare hub. This Ayurvedic hospital, while offering treatment to local people, can become a lynchpin to make Majuli become the Ayush hub of the region, aiding to the vision of ‘Swastha Bharat’ as envisaged by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi ji.”

The Union Minister also announced that 6 new Ayush hospitals are being planned to set up in Assam. Among them, four 50 bedded hospitals to come up in Kaliabor, Morigaon, Kokrajhar and Baksa, while one 30 bedded hospital will come up in Diphu and one 10 bedded hospital in Bajali. Apart from these, the Union Ayush Minister also confirmed operationalisation of 289 Ayush Health & Wellness Centres in the state, while 200 more AHWCs will be operational in Assam soon. Sonowal also announced that 100 Ayush dispensaries will be set up in all districts of Assam.

On this occasion, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Assam, Shri Keshab Mahanta; MP (Lok Sabha) for Jorhat, Shri Topon Kumar Gogoi; MP (Lok Sabha) for Lakhimpur, Shri Pradan Baruah; MLA (Majuli), Bhuban Gam among other senior officials of Ministry of Ayush, Government of India and state government were present.

Amidst global competition for hi-tech medical devices, India has emerged among the world’s top five healthcare manufacturers, but at a much lesser cost, said Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today. India is manufacturing life-saving high-risk medical devices but the cost is just a fraction of the rest, he said.

The Minister was delivering the Inaugural Address at the 8th CAHOTECH, Annual International Healthcare Technology Conference, organised by Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations (CAHO) in New Delhi.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the Medical Devices is considered as one of the sunrise sectors in the country and the Government under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership is taking every possible step to make India its manufacturing hub.

“India is set to become the global hub of medical technology and devices with the market size estimated to grow up to US$ 50 billion by 2050 from the present $11 Bn (approximately, ₹ 90,000 Cr),” he said.

“From a market share of 1.5 per cent, we hope to increase India’s market share to 10-12 per cent over the next 25 years,” he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, medical devices have been identified as a priority sector by the Modi Government and it is committed to strengthen the indigenously manufacturing ecosystem.

“The National Medical Device Policy 2023 and the setting up of the Export-Promotion Council for Medical Devices are aimed at making India the medical devices manufacturing hub. Besides, 100% FDI under the automatic route for both Greenfield & Brownfield setups and ‘Promotion of Medical Devices Parks’ scheme serve to catalyse research and manufacturing. Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has led to 43 critical Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) being produced within the country which were earlier imported from abroad,” he said.

The Central Government is supporting the setting up of 4 Medical Devices Parks in the States of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Under the PLI scheme for Medical Devices, till now, a total of 26 projects have been approved, with a committed investment of Rs.1,206 Cr and out of this, so far, an investment of Rs.714 Cr has been achieved. Out of the 26 projects, 14 projects producing 37 products have been commissioned and domestic manufacturing of high-end medical devices has started which include Linear Accelerator, MRI Scan, CT-Scan, Mammogram, C-Arm, MRI Coils, high end X-ray tubes, etc.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, technologies such as the ones developed by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, like the artificial heart valve, hydrocephalus shunt, oxygenator and drug eluting intra uterine device are being manufactured only in the US, Japan, Brazil and China.

“The world class medical devices made indigenously are available to Indian patients at approximately one-fourth to one-third price of their imported counterparts. This reflects the Atmanirbhar vision of PM Modi to become self-reliant in medical devices as well as medical management,” he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the high-powered Magnetron developed by CSIR-CEERI (Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute), Pilani for commercial use is a path-breaking technology for Oncologists to treat even 2 mm diameter brain tumour with precision radiation with very little side-effects.

Dr Jitendra Singh on August 1, 2023 launched India’s first Indigenously developed, Affordable, lightweight, Ultrafast, High Field (1.5 Tesla), Next Generation Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner in New Delhi.

“With the indigenous MRI scanner, the cost of MRI scanning is expected to reduce considerably for the common man thus allowing a wider access to the otherwise highly priced MRI scans. Additionally, the capital investment of procurement of MRI scanners from the international market will be substantially reduced which in turn will save a lot of foreign exchange,” he said.

“Almost 70% of the world’s population has zero access to MRI diagnostic modality. The reason is prohibitively high capital costs which is a problem in developing countries like India. Currently there is an annual demand of less than 350 machines, but because of the several initiatives of the Government to improve healthcare access and inclusiveness, including the flagship Ayushman Bharat initiative, the annual demand is expected to more than double by 2030,” he said.

The Minister said, India will address many of these problems by making available the first indigenously developed MRI Scanner which is affordable compared to the already available machines. He said, it also offers a prospect of sharing this success with other nations in the Global South to help them to have access to affordable and dependable medical imaging solutions.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, with the handholding of Technology Development Board (TDB), Panacea Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore last year launched India’s first most advanced & innovative SBRT enabled Linear Accelerator (LINAC), SiddharthII, capable of performing treatment modalities like 3DCRT, VMAT, IMRT, SBRT and SRS. He said, this is only the third brand in the world which is ready for the market beside two global giants UK and Japan.

“In line with Modi Government’s mantra of ‘Make in India’ with ‘Made for the World’, the machine can be exported to many countries in the world as the company has already received US FDA clearance,” he said.

The S&T Minister said the Government has circulated the latest draft of the Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill 2023 that has a provision which allows the government to regulate, restrict or ban the online sale or distribution of any drugs by notification.

“In a country with 70% population below the age of 40 and the youth of today are going to be the prime citizens of India@2047, preventive healthcare and widespread mass screening will help achieve our economy the expected rate of growth set out by PM Modi, he said.

Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda inaugurated the Aadi Mahotsav – the National Tribal Festival – at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand today. The mega event is being organized by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, from 7^th – 16^th October 2023.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Munda said that the Aadi Mahotsav is a major platform to take the tribal culture, traditions and art of our country to the national and international markets. He appreciated the live demonstrations by women tribal artisans making their artefacts. The Minister expressed gratitude towards the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for his vision of popularising tribal products by presenting them to visiting dignitaries during the G20 Summit.

Shri Munda called the Aadi Mahotsav as a celebration of the contribution of our tribal ancestors, the culture of various unique tribal communities, their lifestyle and the tribals themselves. The festival provides an opportunity to meet the artisans, learn about their way of life and get acquainted with the tribal culture and traditions. This Aadi Mahotsav completes the feeling of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’, the Minister added.

Aadi Mahotsav, an annual celebration of tribal entrepreneurship, craft, culture, cuisine, and commerce, serves as a vital platform to display the rich and diverse heritage of tribes from across the nation. This year the festival will highlight the talents of 336 tribal artisans and artists, including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) beneficiaries.

This event will feature 30 artisans’ stalls, around 11 VDVKs’ stalls and 5 cuisine stalls from Jharkhand. The event will successfully demonstrate 68 artisans’ stalls from other states including 15 cuisine stalls. It shall be live demonstrations showcasing exquisite talent across various categories namely textiles, painting, jewellery, metal, cane & bamboo & cuisine.

Dignitaries present during the event included Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato, Member of Parliament, Shri Chanakya Chaudhury, Vice President (Corp. Affairs), Tata Steel, Ms. Geetanjali Gupta, MD, TRIFED, among others.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah along with the Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers and other concerned officials of Left Wing Extremism affected states, chairs a review meeting on Left Wing Extremism in New Delhi, today. Union Ministers, National Security Advisor, Union Home Secretary, Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Secretaries to the Central Government, Chief Secretaries of States, Director Generals of Police and other senior officials also attended the meeting.

In his address, Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, success has been achieved in curbing leftist extremism in the last few years and now this fight has reached to a decisive phase. He said that with the determination of Prime Minister Modi and the cooperation of all the states affected by Left Wing Extremism, major successes have been achieved against it in 2022 and 2023. He said that Left Wing Extremism will be completely uprooted in next 2 years.

Shri Amit Shah said that vacuum areas have been shrinking since 2019, we have established 195 new camps of CAPFs, 44 more new camps will be established. Shri Shah said that the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) against left-wing extremism, rationalization of development and setting up camps in vacuum areas are the priorities of the Modi government.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that there is a need to maintain constant surveillance in the areas liberated from Left Wing Extremism so that this problem does not revive there again. He said that there is also a need to monitor that left wing extremists from areas where this problem has been eliminated do not take shelter in other states.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Modi government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against left wing extremism since 2014. He said that As a result of our zero tolerance policy, the lowest level of violence and deaths has been recorded in 2022 in last 4 decades. There has been a decline of more than 52 per cent in Left Wing Extremism related violence, 69 per cent in deaths, 72 per cent in security forces deaths and 68 per cent in civilian deaths between 2014 and 2023 compared to the period from 2005 to 2014.

Union Home Minister said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are working closely with all state agencies to attack the financing of Left Wing Extremism. He added that all the affected states need to make efforts by forming a joint team of civil and police administration to dismantle the network of financial support of Left Wing Extremism. He said that the Modi government had increased the ex-gratia amount for victims of Left Wing Extremism from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in 2017, now it has been further increased to Rs 40 lakh.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Modi government is taking several steps to speed up the development in Left Wing Extremism-affected states. He said that special attention is being given to areas like road construction, telecommunication, financial inclusion, skill development and education. Shri Shah said the Centre government has launched more than 14,000 projects under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme to accelerate development in the districts most affected by Left Wing Extremism. He said more than 80% of these projects have been completed and Rs 3,296 crore has been released to Left Wing Extremism-affected states under the scheme. He said under the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), projects worth Rs 992 crore have been sanctioned for the construction of Fortified Police Stations, strengthening of State Intelligence branches and Special Forces of Left Wing Extremism-affected states. In last 9 years, Modi government has increased the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) by more than double in comparison to the earlier period.

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal met with CEOs of leading UAE companies Emaar, Sharaf and DP World in Dubai today and discussed their investment plans in India. He assured them of Government of India’s commitment to facilitate UAE investments into India.

Shri Goyal is on his third visit to the UAE as Minister of Commerce and Industry in the last 2 years. This highlights the importance that India attaches to its economic and commercial partnership with the UAE.

Earlier today, Shri Goyal interacted with leading food sector companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and Egypt. Given India’s pre-eminent role as the food security partner in the region, the meeting focussed on ways to promote greater trade and investments in the food sector between India and the GCC countries. Shri Goyal’s interaction also provided a platform for the industry representatives to share their insights and perspectives on building robust food sector cooperation between India and the region.

The Minister also met with leading Indian Chartered Accountants (CA) based in the UAE. The interaction focussed on enhancing the India-UAE relationship. The Minister encouraged the CA community to contribute to the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of India.