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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 8th edition of the International Telecommunication Union - World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (<keyword id="23549707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITU-WTSA" source="keywords">ITU-WTSA</keyword>) at <keyword id="19950568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Mandapam" source="keywords">Bharat Mandapam</keyword> here in the national capital today. This is the first time the ITU-WTSA will be hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific. Prime Minister will also inaugurate the 8th edition of the <keyword id="21058244" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-Mobile-Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="India Mobile Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="India Mobile Congress">India Mobile Congress</keyword> (IMC), with the theme, "The future is now." Prime Minister Modi took to X to announce both events, saying, "At 10 AM tomorrow, 15th October, the International Telecommunication Union - World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly and the India Mobile Congress 2024 will be inaugurated. These forums are important ones, bringing together leading stakeholders from across the sector." Aa per a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the event will be facilitating interactions with various industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over one ninety countries. It is a pivotal global event that will bring together more than 3,000 industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over 190 countries, representing telecom, digital, and ICT sectors. The ITU-WTSA event will also facilitate discussion on the standards set for new age technologies such as 6G, AI, IoT, Big Data, cybersecurity, etc. "Hosting this event in India will provide the country an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the global telecom agenda and to set the course for future technologies. Indian startups and research institutions are set to gain critical insights into developing Intellectual Property Rights and Standard Essential Patents," the PMO said. India Mobile Congress 2024 will be showcasing the telecom ecosystem, with leading telecom companies highlighting advancements in Quantum technology and Circular Economy along with spotlight on 6G, 5G use-case showcase, cloud &amp; edge computing, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, satcom and electronics manufacturing. India Mobile Congress is Asia's largest <keyword id="21099140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-technology" source="keywords">digital technology</keyword> forum, and has become a well-known platform across the globe for showcasing innovative solutions, services and state-of-the-art use cases for industry, government, academics, start-ups and other key stakeholders in the technology and telecom ecosystem. The IMC will feature over 400 exhibitors, 900 startups, with participation from over 120 countries. The event also aims to showcase more than 900 technology use case scenarios, host more than 100 sessions and discussion with over 600 global and Indian speakers.

PM Modi to inaugurate 8th ITU's telecom standard meet, India Mobile Congress in Delhi today

Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> urged CEOs of US majors to take advantage of India's growth story as the country is making all efforts to become the third largest economy of the world in his third term. India is currently the fifth largest economy of the world after the US, China, Germany and Japan with a GDP of around USD 3.9 trillion. India has been the fastest growing large economies of the world with GDP growth rate of over 7 per cent for the last three consecutive years. Addressing CEOs of the large US tech firms on Sunday, Modi said India will make every effort to become the third largest economy in the world in his third term (2024-29). Companies should take advantage of India's growth story for collaboration and innovation by co-developing, co-designing, and co-producing in India for the world, harnessing the opportunities from the country's economic and technological growth, he said. Assuring the business leaders of India's deep commitment to the protection of intellectual property and to fostering tech innovation, Modi highlighted the economic transformation happening in the country, particularly in electronics and information technology manufacturing and semiconductors. Modi asserted that his government was committed to making India a "global hub of <keyword id="20073013" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="semiconductor-manufacturing" source="keywords">semiconductor manufacturing</keyword>". The meeting took place at the Lotte <keyword id="19904497" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-York" source="keywords">New York</keyword> Palace Hotel on Sunday during the second leg of Modi's three-day US visit. It saw the participation of CEOs of 15 major US-based firms working on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing and semiconductors. "Had a fruitful roundtable with tech CEOs in New York, discussing aspects relating to technology, innovation and more. Also highlighted the strides made by India in this field. I am glad to see immense optimism towards India," Modi said in a post on X. During the conference, Modi said technology collaboration and efforts such as the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) lie at the core of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, according to a Ministry of External Affairs press release. Organised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, the CEOs of top US tech firms, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayena, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang attended the meeting. Others who participated in the roundtable included AMD CEO Lisa Su, HP Inc. CEO Enrique Lores, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Dr Noubar Afeyan, Chairman of Moderna, and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg. Modi also talked about India's BIO E3 (biotechnology for environment, economy and employment) policy to develop the country into a biotech powerhouse and on the topic of AI, noted that India's policy is to promote AI for all, underpinned by its ethical and responsible use. The CEOs appreciated India's growing prominence as a global technology hub, driven by its innovation-friendly policies and flourishing market opportunities. They also expressed strong interest in investing and collaborating with India, agreeing that investing in startups would be a synergistic opportunity to innovate and develop newer technologies in the country. Others who attended the conference included Biogen Inc CEO Chris Viehbacher, CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, Chris Boerner, Eli Lilly and Company CEO David A. Ricks, LAM Research CEO Tim Archer, GlobalFoundries CEO Thomas Caulfield, and the CEO of Kyndryl, Martin Schroeter. "Further cementing technology and business connect. PM @narendramodi interacted with the top tech leaders and CEOs of USA, in a Roundtable hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering, in New York today. PM emphasised India's growth prospects and discussed initiatives to foster collaborations and innovation across diverse sectors," the official account of the MEA said in a post on X. The prime minister had a separate meeting with Krishna P Singh, CEO of Holtec International, which is into nuclear and solar power generation. They discussed Holtec's plan for expanding manufacturing in India and advancing energy cooperation, PMO India said in a post on X. Earlier on Sunday, Modi addressed the <keyword id="20115166" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-diaspora" source="keywords">Indian diaspora</keyword> at the packed Nassau Veterans Coliseum on Long Island in New York. He also held bilateral meetings with world leaders at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session here. Modi reached New York on Saturday after attending the Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113516805" title="Why is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the US this weekend?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

PM Modi invites US CEOs to take a 'byte' out of India's growing technology sector

The Indian government will come out with a "<keyword id="1708150" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="payment-security-mechanism" source="Orion">payment security mechanism</keyword>" to support large-scale rollout of electric buses as it eyes a major transition towards green public transport across the country, <keyword id="184951" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tarun-kapoor" source="Orion">Tarun Kapoor</keyword>, advisor to the Prime Minister at the <keyword id="6365387" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pmo" source="Orion">PMO</keyword>, said on Thursday. He also emphasised on the need to bring down the cost of electric vehicles to accelerate their adoption. While the government will continue to provide subsidies like those being offered under the <keyword id="7723547" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="fame-ii-scheme" source="Orion">FAME-II scheme</keyword> because the price difference is huge and it has to be bridged, "we have to look at ways and means to bring down the price also, because government subsidy cannot be forever", he said, while addressing an <keyword id="1668995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="assocham-conference" source="Orion">Assocham conference</keyword> on electric mobility here. Kapoor highlighted the need to be "a little more serious" in battery manufacturing "because we can't depend on imports". He said while China has taken the lead on lithium-ion batteries, India can catch up very fast and the government is looking at the entire ecosystem. He cited the example of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Amendment) Bill passed by Parliament in the ongoing session, which seeks to allow larger participation of the private sector in mineral exploration and production, including that of lithium. Kapoor said a "payment security mechanism" is being established after feedback was received about the difficulties in obtaining lending by financial companies. "Something major and very good is already planned and it will come out. So we should be able to roll out a large number of electric buses all over the country," he said.

New payment security mechanism to support large-scale e-bus rollout in the works

The <keyword id="6375960" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="twitter-account" source="Orion">Twitter account</keyword> of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was compromised on Wednesday. The account, however, was restored later on. The hacker renamed the account as <keyword id="6355315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="Orion">Elon Musk</keyword> and tweeted a great job. The account was restored and posts made by hackers were deleted. "The account @Mib_india has been restored. This is for the information of all the followers," the ministry tweeted. Last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi's <keyword id="6354616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter" source="Orion">Twitter</keyword> account was compromised for a brief period and a post claiming that India had officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender was tweeted from it. "The Twitter handle of PM @narendramodi was very briefly compromised. The matter was escalated to Twitter and the account has been immediately secured. In the brief period that the account was compromised, any tweet shared must be ignored," <keyword id="1197746" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pmo-india" source="Orion">PMO India</keyword> had said in a tweet. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/content-moderators-for-meta-threaten-to-stop-work-until-paid-in-full/articleshow/88848336.cms">Content moderators for Meta threaten to stop work until paid in full</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/tiger-global-led-82-million-round-in-fintech-startup-refyne/articleshow/88837462.cms">INTERVIEW | This one-year-old startup raised $82 million led by Tiger Global to offer employees advance on their salaries</a>

Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Twitter account hacked, restored later

<keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> could make a comeback to India soon, according to a trademark filed by its parent company <keyword id="3749909" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bytedance">ByteDance</keyword>. The short video app was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-banned-tiktok-china-apps-tensions-2020-7?IR=T#:~:text=Become%20an%20Insider%20and%20start,on%20June%2029%2C%20including%20TikTok.&amp;text=India%20says%20the%20ban%20is,champions%20to%20replace%20Chinese%20apps.">banned in India</a> last year along with 58 other Chinese apps due to security concerns. TikTok was one of the most popular apps in India, and it also had the highest number of users in the country. ByteDance has filed a trademark with the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, according to a <a href="https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/tiktok-india-launch-comeback-bytedance-ticktock-files-trademark-2490553">report</a> by NDTV Gadgets. It was first spotted by tipster Mukul Sharma who shared a screenshot of the same on <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword>. The trademark has been filed under the name “TickTock” and under Class 42 which is defined as, “Scientific and technological services and research and design relating thereto; industrial analysis and research services; design and development of computer hardware and software.” This doesn’t confirm that TikTok will indeed make a return to India but it does add to the ongoing speculation of the app’s possible comeback. ByteDance has also reportedly continued engaging in talks with the government on making TikTok available in India. The company has also approached the IT Ministry and <keyword id="6365387" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pmo">PMO</keyword> officials and assured them that it would comply with the new IT rules, according to a report by The <keyword id="75583" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="print">Print</keyword>. It also appointed its chief nodal and grievance officer in India late last year. ByteDance is also hopeful of the government lifting the ban on TikTok so that it can resume its operations, the report added. Ever since the ban on TikTok last year, there have been reports around the app possibly returning to India. ByteDance was also in talks with the government to get the app back but there hasn’t been any progress yet. The company continued to employ its workforce of 2,000 employees in India but it started layoffs earlier this year after the ban was made permanent. SEE ALSO- <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-multi-device-beta-how-to-download/articleshow/84542073.cms">WhatsApp multi-device beta – here’s how it works and how you can get it</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapps-new-privacy-policy-in-effect-from-may-15-heres-what-happens-if-you-dont-accept-it/articleshow/82734500.cms">WhatsApp’s new privacy policy — here is why you don't have to lose sleep over it</a>

TikTok eyes a possible comeback in India, trademark filing shows

New Delhi, Dec 8 () Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan said India is in the midst of a "growth recession" with signs of deep malaise in the Indian economy that is being run through extreme centralisation of power in Prime Minister's Office and powerless ministers.
Penning down his recommendations to help the ailing Indian economy out of the ongoing slowdown in the India Today magazine, he called for reforms to liberalise capital, land and labour markets, and spur investment as well as growth.
He also urged India to join free trade agreements judiciously in order to boost competition and improve domestic efficiency.
"To understand what has gone wrong, we need to start first with the centralised nature of the current government. Not just decision-making but also ideas and plans emanate from a small set of personalities around the Prime Minister and in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
"That works well for the party's political and social agenda, which is well laid out, and where all these individuals have domain expertise. It works less well for economic reforms, where there is less of a coherent articulated agenda at the top, and less domain knowledge of how the economy works at the national rather than state level," Rajan wrote.
Stating that previous governments may have been untidy coalitions but they consistently took path of further economic liberalisation, he said, "extreme centralisation, coupled with the absence of empowered ministers and the lack of a coherent guiding vision, ensures that reform efforts pick up steam only when the PMO focuses on them, and lose impetus when its attention switches to other pressing issues".
"The Modi government came to power emphasising 'minimum government, maximum governance'. This slogan is often misunderstood. What was meant was that government would do things more efficiently, not that people and the private sector would be freed to do more. While the government continues the creditable drive to automation -- direct benefit transfer to recipients is an important achievement -- the role of the government in many spheres has expanded, not shrunk," he said.
Rajan said the starting point to address the economic slowdown will be for the Modi government to acknowledge the problem.
"The starting point has to be to recognise the magnitude of the problem, to not brand every internal or external critic as politically-motivated, and to stop believing that the problem is temporary and that suppressing bad news and inconvenient surveys will make it go away," he said. "India is in the midst of a growth recession, with significant distress in rural areas."
India's economic growth slowed to a 6-year low of 4.5 per cent in the July-September quarter. With inflation rising, fears of stagflation -- a fall in aggregate demand accompanied by rising inflation -- have resurfaced.
He said construction, real estate and infrastructure sectors are in "deep trouble" and so are lenders to it like the non-bank finance companies. The crisis among shadow lenders and a build-up of bad loans at banks have curbed lending in the economy.
Seeking asset quality review of the non-bank finance companies, he said corporate and household debt is rising, and there is deep distress in parts of the financial sector.
Unemployment, especially amongst youth, seems to be growing, as is the accompanying risk of youth unrest. "Domestic businesses have not been investing either, and the stagnation in investment is the strongest sign that something is deeply wrong," he said.
Rajan called for reforms in land acquisition, labour laws, stable tax and regulatory regime, fast track bankruptcy resolution of developers in default, proper pricing of electricity, preserving competition in telecom sector and giving farmers access to inputs and finance.
Calling for not selling already dominant family enterprises to avoid concentration of power, he also wanted decentralisation of power by empowering ministers and engaging states, beginning with amending the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission by not curtailing states' share of tax revenue.
Rajan said the government should desist from cutting personal income tax rates for the middle-class for now and should use its scarce fiscal resources to support the rural poor through schemes such as the MGNREGA.
The repeated government allusions to a USD 5-trillion-economy by 2024, which would necessitate steady real growth of at least 8-9 per cent per year starting now, seem increasingly unrealistic, he added.
"Furthermore, even if some of the problems are legacies, the government, after five-and-a-half years in power, needs to resolve them. A massive new reform thrust is needed, accompanied by a change in how the administration governs," he said.
Rajan said the Modi government has shown "surprising timidity" when it comes to unfinished reforms on the business environment, land acquisition, labour and the role of the public sector. ANZ BAL
BAL

India in growth recession; extreme centralisation of power in PMO not good: Rajan

The PMO on Saturday called as "mischievous interpretation" the criticism over Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>'s remarks at an all-party meeting that no one has entered Indian territory or captured any military post while referring to the <keyword id="9241086" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Galwan-Valley">Galwan Valley</keyword> clash in eastern Ladakh. In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the focus of Modi's remarks at the meeting on Friday was the events of June 15 at Galwan that led to the loss of lives of 20 Indian military personnel. "The prime minister's observations that there was no Chinese presence on our side of the LAC (Line of Actual Control) pertained to the situation as a consequence of the bravery of our armed forces," it said. The Congress as well as a number of strategic affairs experts raised questions over Modi's remarks asking if there was no transgression by the Chinese military in Galwan Valley then where did Indian soldiers die. They also wondered whether Modi gave a clean chit to China over the standoff. "The sacrifices of the soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment foiled the attempt of the Chinese side to erect structures and also cleared the attempted transgression at this point of the LAC on that day," the PMO said. "The words of the prime minister 'those who tried to transgress our land were taught a befitting lesson by our brave sons of soil', succinctly summed up the ethos and the values of our armed forces," it said. The PMO said Modi assured that India's armed forces will leave no stone unturned to protect the country's borders. "Attempts are being made in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation to remarks by the prime minister at the all-party meeting on Friday," it said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/three-reasons-why-china-showed-aggression-against-india-on-border-according-to-a-former-diplomat/articleshow/76462632.cms">China wants India to stay in its lane — three reasons why China is puffing its chest, according to a former diplomat</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/ladakh-military-faceoff-with-china-may-go-on-for-longer-than-the-doklam-conflict/articleshow/76477753.cms">Ladakh military faceoff with China may go on for longer than the Doklam conflict</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/after-modi-says-no-incursions-china-claims-galwan-valley/articleshow/76477620.cms">After Modi says no incursions, China claims Galwan valley</a>

Modi's remarks were given a 'mischievous interpretation' says PMO office after facing criticism

<ul><li>Two days after Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were brought directly under the central government's control, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to make a special address to the nation.</li><li>Modi also said that the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir is a temporary measure and the state will get its own assembly as soon as possible.</li><li>While the contentious decision has been contested by his rivals, both houses of the Indian Parliament have approved the Presidential order that redefined Jammu and Kashmir's political status.</li><li>Article 370 and Article 35A had given nothing but terrorism, separatism, dynasty politics, and corruption," he said.</li></ul>Two days the state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the Ladakh region, were split into two Union Territories, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that this is a temporary measure only. While Ladakh will remain under the direct control of the central government, Jammu and Kashmir will get to hold its elections once again and elect a local leader. To those who oppose the move to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A in Jammu and Kashmir -- provisions that allowed the state to make its own laws -- Modi said that he respects their right to disagree but urged them to keep aside the differences in 'national interest'. This speech has come two days after the central government wrested direct control over the volatile Jammu and Kashmir state by disbanding the province into two Union Territories namely Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, first through a Presidential order and later got it ratified by the Parliament. Watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi's full speech here: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="rIQVbEuxYWg" title="Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the Nation | PMO" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rIQVbEuxYWg/mqdefault_live.jpg"></div>


















 He assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the situation in the region will come back to normal as soon as possible and promised that there will be no obstacle in the upcoming Eid celebrations next week. In his address, PM Modi said that "Article 370 and Article 35A had given nothing but terrorism, separatism, dynasty politics, and corruption." He also added that Pakistan had been using this as a weapon to push its agenda in Kashmir and that over 42,000 people lost their lives in the process. Modi also said that the women of Kashmir were denied equal rights, poor workers did not not get the benefit of India's minimum wage laws, and socially marginalised Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were deprived of the benefits of the central government's affirmative action. He also promised state benefits, for government employees including the Police in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Ladakh, like leave travel allowance, house rent allowance, and allowance for children's education among others. "We have removed the obstacles to the development of Jammu and Kashmir," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his special address to the nation, which will also be aired on the state-owned All India Radio. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/jammu-and-kashmir-and-ladakh-will-now-be-two-separate-union-territories/articleshow/70531866.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will now be two separate Union Territories</a>

Jammu and Kashmir will become a state again but after some time, reveals Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi [India], April 23 (ANI): India reported over 10,000 COVID cases for the fifth straight day with 10,112 <keyword id="7571551" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-infections" source="Orion">new infections</keyword> in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. The country saw a little dip from Saturday's COVID cases tally. India recorded 12,193 on April 22, 11,692 on April 21, 12,591 on April 20, 10,542 on April 19, 7,633 on April 18, and 9,111 on April 17. According to the Union Health Ministry, the country's active cases increased to 67,806 which was 67,556 yesterday. Presently recovery rate stands at 98.66 per cent, the Health Ministry stated further. As many as 9,833 patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the overall count of people cured of the infection to 4,42,92,854, according to the Ministry. Under the nationwide vaccination drive, India has so far administered 220.66 crore Covid vaccine doses (95.21 cr second doses and 22.87 cr precautionary doses), of which 1,947 doses were administered in the last 24 hours. The total number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours is 1,43,899, the health ministry stated. In wake of the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, Dr PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister earlier chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation. The PMO informed in a statement that the focus of the meeting was on the status of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, drugs, vaccination campaign in the country and the key necessary steps as a response to the recent surge in Covid cases. "Dr PK Mishra stressed that the time tested 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence COVID Appropriate Behaviour must continue to be implemented and equally crucial to promote awareness within the community regarding COVID appropriate behaviour and caution citizens against complacency," the PMO statement read. During the meeting, a comprehensive presentation was made by Rajesh Bhushan, the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare providing an overview of the global COVID-19 situation. The presentation also provided an overview of the Genome Sequencing of different variants since January 2023 and noted the proportion of circulating variants in India. The status of vaccination was discussed, followed by drug availability and infrastructure preparedness across the country, the PMO stated. As per directions of the Prime Minister, a nationwide mock drill for the assessment of functional infrastructure was conducted and the status of the mock drill was presented to participants. Further, the expenditure of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and budget provisions for drugs and vaccine raw materials were also reviewed. (ANI)

India reports over 10,000 COVID cases for fifth straight day

By Namita Tewari New Delhi, Apr 26 () Thousands of Indian seafarers are currently stuck aboard cruise and cargo vessels in far off waters, and the country may face disruption in supply chain if they are not brought back, maritime bodies said on Sunday. With the Indian airspace remaining closed for domestic and international passenger flights, the bodies have sought intervention of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for devising a strategy to bring back such "essential supply workers". India is the second largest supplier of seafarers, after the Philippines. As per industry estimates, about one lakh seafarers are engaged in Indian and foreign flag cargo vessels across the globe. Presently, Indian seafarers aboard only those vessels which call at Indian ports are allowed to disembark, after following the standard operating procedures as specified by the Directorate General of Shipping. Leading ship management companies operating in India said they are facing huge challenges as crew change aboard cargo vessels worldwide is not happening as none of the leading airports in the country have become fully or partially operational so far. Capt Nalin Pandey, CMD of Mumbai-based Pentagon Shipping, told : "Currently, about 4,000 Indian seafarers are sailing aboard various cargo vessels worldwide on extended contracts. By May end, this figure is expected to cross 15,000. This means, at least 400 Indian ship management companies across the country will have to arrange for domestic plus overseas transportation of at least 30,000 Indian seafarers to facilitate the crew change aboard around 10,000 cargo ships across the globe." Pandey said if some strategy is not evolved for seafarers, India's participation in terms of global seafarers will take a hit as sources say there are instances where China has offered all support to its seafarers. Leading ship management firm Suntech Crew Management said it has suspended the crew change temporarily. "Replacement of staff on-board all our vessels across the globe stand suspended at least till third week of May. Our foremost responsibility remains to keep Indian seafarers protected from any form of health risk arising due to travel as they remain vulnerable to being stranded at airports or ports, where they may be unable to leave or get sufficient assistance," said Capt Sanjay Srivastava, CEO, Suntech Crew Management. Capt Agyapal Khuman, chairman of top marine travel company ATPI India, said, "To address this problem, it is essential that Indian government soon allows international travel of Indian seafarers through chartered flights as Indian airspace currently remains open for transport of essential goods and essential workers." Khuman said as a global travel company, ATPI and other bodies are committed to lend required assistance in this endeavour. Various maritime bodies have sought PMO intervention in this, he added. Khuman further said the government can allow special charter flights to important crew change airports such as Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong, Dubai, Rotterdam and others. Directorate General of Shipping recently started issuing 'e-passes' to Indian seafarers enabling them to travel by road on a permitted route to reach home after disembarking at a port, or reach the port to board a vessel. However, the country head of a global ship management company operating in Mumbai, who did not wished to be named, said, "Most merchant navy officers residing in Maharashtra currently fear travelling by road to board cargo vessels calling on ports of Kandla, Kochi, Paradip, Vizag, etc after the violent incident of Palghar lynching in presence of policemen." "On an average, at least 150 senior merchant navy seafarers refuse me in a week to join the vessels calling at ports located outside Maharashtra due to this fear psychosis," the executive said. Director General of Shipping Amitabh Kumar could not be contacted for comments. Earlier, the government had come out with a standard operating procedure (SOP) for Indian seafarers at domestic ports. Shipping Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya had termed it a welcome step. "Change of crew of ship (seafarers) is an important measure for operation of merchant-ships. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued SOP... This SOP has been formulated to streamline the sign-on/sign-off of Indian seafarers at Indian ports for merchant shipping," the government had said. NAM ABMABM

COVID-19: Maritime bodies seek PMO intervention to bring back stuck seafarers

New Delhi, Mar 29 () The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday constituted 10 different high-level committees to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track, reduce pain and misery of people as quickly as possible post 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.These committees looking after various aspects will work under the overall guidance of P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, sources said.The initiative is being viewed as pro-active step by the government to deal with multiple challenges, which the outbreak of pandemic COVID-19 has posed and made the country to deal with emergency situation, they said, adding these groups will also work on strategy for restoring normalcy in their respective sectors, including healthcare, in the shortest possible time frame.The panel on the 'Economy and Welfare' headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty has been tasked to address the concerns of various sectors, including both formal and informal segments of the economy - hit hard by coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown.The panel is expected to suggest various relief measures to put economy back on track as soon as possible, the sources said.Special emphasis will have to be welfare schemes for the poor who have suffered a lot on account of the lockdown, they said, adding poor and vulnerable section of the society has been the key focus of the government and top priority will be given to deal with the challenges before them in the coming days.Besides, two other working groups under the leadership of NITI Aayog memeber V K Paul and Enviornment Secretary C K Mishra will work on preparedness for medical emergency, seamless supply of medicine, medicalequipment and hospital availability.They have been entrusted with the task of mapping of hospitals across the country and medical facility of public sector undertakings and other government agencies, including police forces and army are roped in to deal with emergency situation post lockdown.Already many agencies, including government school, universities and Railways have committed for setting up isolation ward.In addition to this, the sources said, the panel would also focus on augmentation of trained medical professionals and capacity building.Suggestions are also solicited on increasing capacity for manufacturing of ventilators and other medical equipment. Research and Development in the medical field is another focus area for the panel, they added.Committee under V K Paul and C K Mishra are expected to ease out burden of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which is currently doing heavy lifting in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.At the same time, they will do in-depth study on protective gear to be used by public to ensure infection is contained post April 14.Logistics will be another critical area which would be looked by a working group for ensuring movement of goods, medicine and medical equipment, doctors and other services, source said.Each group will have about 6 members with one officer from the PMO and Cabinet Secretariat, so that there is a full coordination and suggestions accepted are implemented without any delay.In all about 20 secretaries of various departments and ministries and 40 other officials have started working on various issues and come up with measures at the earliest, the sources said.Each group has been given upper time limit of a week to come out with measures on the specified sector.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against coronavirus.In his second address to the nation on the pandemic, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the ''lakshman rekha'' of their homes in the next three weeks.The lockdown lead to large scale exodus of migrant labours from cities to their native places as they were left to fend for themselves.The Prime Minister on Sunday sought the nation's forgiveness for imposing a monumental lockdown on the country, saying it was a question of life and death and expressed confidence that "we will definitely win the battle" against coronavirus menace that has claimed 25 lives in India so far.According to the Health Ministry update released an hour before Modi's address, India has recorded a total of 979 cases and 25 deaths so far. DP CS BALBAL

PMO sets up high-level panels to deal with situation post lockdown; restore normalcy

The faculty and staffers across higher education institutes and universities might see a 15% hike in their salaries being approved by Guru Purnima (July 9). The hike, which has been proposed by the Human Resource Development ministry, would be applicable from January 1, 2016 if approved by the cabinet. The number of such faculty and staff across all Central and state universities as well as the Centrally funded technical institutes, including IITs, IIMs, NITs, IISERs is around eight lakh. This change would cost the government Rs 75,000 crore over a period of three years, which is why it was also taken up for discussion at the <keyword id="6365387" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="PMO">PMO</keyword> on Monday, sources told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/good-news-for-professors-pay-hike-for-university-staff-faculty-likely-in-july/articleshow/59328453.cms">ET</a>. It was in 2006 that there was a pay revision for teachers, giving them a pay packet higher than a civil servant. This edge would most likely be retained in the upcoming revision as well.

University staff and faculty might get a pay hike in July

PM Narendra Modi’s office has asked all government departments to spot unutilised land, especially in developed government colonies, so that it can be transformed into <keyword id="932911" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="affordable-housing-projects">affordable housing projects</keyword>. This move will help boosting the government’s efforts to fulfil the BJP's poll promise of providing affordable housing for all by 2022. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/markets/economy/infra-status-to-affordable-housing-gives-bathware-industry-reasons-to-cheer/articleshow/57513614.cms">Infra status to affordable housing gives bathware industry reasons to cheer</a> 
 For the promise to turn into reality, the government wants to build a land bank, since most of the times <keyword id="4391328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="housing-project-plans">housing project plans</keyword> fail to get executed because of scarcity of land. 
 
By asking government offices to identify such pieces of land, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/markets/economy/PMO-to-look-into-reasons-for-Indias-bad-performance-in-ease-of-doing-business-list/articleshow/55225454.cms">PMO</a> hopes to add land packets to its land bank, after which state governments can send proposals to buy land for housing projects. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Dubais-realty-sector-was-strong-despite-economic-slowdown/articleshow/49692314.cms">Lessons for India: This is how Dubai’s realty sector was strong despite economic slowdown</a> 
 "The <keyword id="6365387" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="PMO">PMO</keyword> is monitoring the progress closely. Our experience is that some states are performing better than others because they already have their beneficiary lists ready and land availability is no problem there. So now directives have gone to all ministries to prepare a list of colonies where new houses can be built," a senior government official told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pmo-seeks-to-spot-vacant-lands-to-push-affordable-housing/articleshow/58055915.cms">ET</a>. 
 
Since government colonies already have basic amenities, and there won’t be issues of delayed approvals, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/yourmoney/spending/Indian-Govts-ambitious-urban-development-plan-gets-Rs-25000-crore-push/articleshow/54828024.cms">urban development </a>ministry is trying to identify land within these colonies. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/indians-pay-too-much-interest-on-home-loans-reveals-study/articleshow/57936834.cms">Indians pay too much interest on home loans, reveals study</a> 
 
Across 30 states and Uts, the Centre has so far approved housing projects worth Rs 90,000 crore, with construction of 16.42 lakh affordable houses. Out of all the states, Tamil Nadu is leading the initiative with 2.27 lakh houses, followed by Andhra Pradesh (1.94 lakh houses) and Madhya Pradesh (1.81 lakh houses). 
 
"With this initiative we hope to tell the states, you have this land available at a certain place. Now send us a proposal because even if it is central land we will get the approvals done. This will hopefully increase the pace of implementation," the official added. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/under-construction-flat-tax-relief/articleshow/52673323.cms">Your under-construction flat could finally provide you some relief</a> 
 
(Image source 99Acres)

All government departments directed to spot vacant lands for more affordable housing projects

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s decision to demonetize Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes have certainly been a major decision from the govt but it has also earned <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> some backlash from various quarters. But Modi stands strong on his decision and has called the nation to go for cashless transactions. 
 
In order to push the idea of a cashless economy, the Prime Minister’s office conducted a training workshop for its staff in mobile banking. "The workshop aimed to train and initiate them in the process of mobile banking and conducting daily transactions through mobile applications such as UPI, e-wallets etc," an official release said. 
 
Officers demonstrated the process of cashless transactions and helped their staff members download the relevant mobile apps on their phones, it added. 
 Officials from the <keyword id="6354731" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-Bank-Of-India">State Bank of India</keyword> and MyGov were also present on the occasion. "Officers, including Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra and Additional Principal Secretary P.K. Mishra, conducted a workshop for the staff of the Prime Minister's Office, located at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg," release said. 
 Prime Minister Modi on Sunday, in his monthly radio talk 'Mann ki Baat', made a strong pitch to turn <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> into a cashless economy and requested people to learn mobile and Internet banking.

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