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The government has allocated Rs. 98,000 crores for 100 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/5-pillars-of-Smart-Cities-Top-honchos-finally-unveil-the-key-to-the-lock-called-Smart/articleshow/48544126.cms">Smart Cities Mission</a> in India. Clearly it is not enough, agrees <keyword id="2827654" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pratap-Padode">Pratap Padode</keyword>, founder and director of <keyword id="2827653" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smart-Cities-Council-India">Smart Cities Council India</keyword>. So this is where the private players come in and a lot is dependent on them. Are they willing to take risk? What is the current status of their involvement in this project? Here it from a player itself; <keyword id="1488022" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pratap-Pradhan">Pratap Pradhan</keyword>, Director, Smarter Planet Business, <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword> India and South Asia, who is leading IBM’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/India-to-soon-get-100-Smart-Cities/articleshow/47095969.cms">Smart City plans in India</a>, in talks with Business Insider India.
 

	What challenges will be faced in implementing the internationally accepted reference models of Smart Cities in India?
 

	We have to first consider what the legacy setup is. Most of the data may not be digital, a lot would be in pen and paper. Just getting the whole operation digitised would be the first challenge. 
 

	Second issue is the process discipline. There are books in India on disaster management. But it is not feasible that everybody who is in the middle of a disaster has read and memorised it. It can be done through command and control. This is where video analytics comes in.
 

	Third is institutional capacity, which means that there are people in the department who may not be typically trained in these areas. Most cities in US have Federal Emergency Management Agencies. Technology is a challenge but there also needs to be functional experts in these areas. This is one of our closest programmes with the Indian government.
 

	The government funds allocated for the project is not enough. So a major chunk of investment is expected from the private players. Are the private players willing to take that risk?
 

	The whole concept that smarter cities mean more money is a fallacy. Most of these projects would pay for themselves because the benefits that they reap would bring money. 
 

	It can be explained with an example. In one of the cities in US, sewage water was leaking into drinking water. US govt imposes fines for that. The civic authorities were mandated to create infrastructure which would have cost $100 million. So through analytics we installed sensors and found out which are the main blocking areas. We were able to open up 10 million additional capacity of water in the same sewerage system that they already had. So this investment was no longer required.
 

	Another instance was in the city of Sao Paolo in Brazil. The city wanted to understand where are all its civic issues were? Instead of installing hundreds of sensors and cameras, we gave the citizens a mobile app. We said wherever you go, if you are having inconvenience in terms of waste, sewage, traffic, potholes, street lights, click a photo, the app geo codes it and sends it to the city. 
 

	In 3 hours we were able to map 4 sq kilometres area of the city and each and every civic issue of that area was noted. The city did not spend a penny because of citizen participation. 
 

	Our brains are actually a better asset than our money.
 

	What is the global perception of India’s smart cities mission? Does India have the necessary infrastructure to make the cities smart, considering even the remotest areas?
 

	From a technology deployment perspective, India’s situation is very good. For most brown field areas that we are targeting, there is a fair bit of readiness.
 

	And, through Digital India campaign, government is trying to create a seamless communication system between the government, gram panchayats and the citizens of the remotest areas.
 

	What smart technologies are available?
 

	The technology is predominantly in two categories. One of these is highly vertical solutions like water management, waste management, disaster management etc.
 

	The other thing is horizontal technologies like mobile engagement, city wide command and control.
 

	Where technology and analytics comes in, the question of cyber security comes in. And India’s security system, both physical and cyber, is abysmal. How is IBM playing a part in the solution?
 

	Cyber security is one of the key element which is part of all of our solutions. Enterprise security is our key element. We design for security. We also have threat assessment programmes in an existing system through penetration analysis. For example if you are entering a legacy system which you need to improve and also have to fix some loopholes, we have a team called X-Force Exchange, comprising of threat assessment specialists, who can do threat assessment on any given system, find loopholes and plug those loopholes.
 

	In terms of physical security, we implement video analytics to solve problems like crowd management, traffic management and accidents.
 

	For instance, we deployed a surveillance system during the Navakalevara festival of Orissa. The city basically needed a much more advanced way of surveillance. Through analytics we solved the problem. What it solved was that if you have 100 cameras you can’t have 100 eyes constantly focussed on that. Analytics are very important because you manage by exceptions. Video analytics are able to speak out specific exceptions from the feed itself. They are able to alert somebody to take action.
 

	What difficulties would be faced if this needs to be implemented on a pan India basis?
 Smart cities get thrown around as a little bit of generic concept, you put in technology and you will get a <keyword id="513113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="smart-city">Smart city</keyword>. 

	Smart City is about local context and tapping what is best in that particular city. The issues are unique at each city. There isn’t a one size fits all solution. 
 

	We did a study in Vishakhpatnam post Hudhud. The city has a vibrant MSME sector. When Hudhud came there wasn’t that much loss of lives but there was lot of loss of livelihoods. So, in Vizag before we try any other smart city interventions, the very first intervention required is to make it a resilient Vizag where there is an integrated command and control. Another reasons of such massive damage was lack of adherence to building codes. Other coastal cities like New York have put in strong norms to protect the city from these climate related disasters.
 

	We can really be the drivers of that city if only digitally it becomes easier for us to engage with that city. Like through a single app, we can promote tourism of Ajmer (as tourism is the strength of this city).
 

	Is IBM working on any such kind of apps?
 

	We have a very strong digital engagement portfolio which includes apps, devices. There is technology and then there is design. One really needs to work closely with the city to design the right solution. How can it really push the economy? Can the city then do analytics? How can it reach all the people living in that city? There are some pockets within Ajmer that are getting left out because of reach.
 

	We have done 2500 Smart Cities projects around the world and these assets are what we are bringing to our India programme
 

	How long will it take to build a Smart City in India?
 

	If you see the roadmap, the roadmap for selection of cities is a three year roadmap. So, say in the first year 20 cities get selected. When the first round of selection occurs, then it will take 2-3 years for those 20 cities to see some progress.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: youtube)

IBM’s India
Head reveals how creating Smart Cities in India is really no ‘rocket science’

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/PMModis-Smart-Cities-Housing-for-All-is-smart-but-ambitious/articleshow/47814233.cms">Narendra Modi</a> government has allocated Rs. 98,000 crore for the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Smart-City-imperative-in-India/articleshow/47831312.cms">Smart Cities</a> project. So, funds have been allocated, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Read-on-to-know-what-makes-a-city-a-smart-city-in-India/articleshow/46986772.cms">blueprints</a> are ready, but what is the blueprint based on? Top players involved in the plan reveals what it takes to build a smart city.
 

	1. Healthcare
 “You can’t dream about being smart without being healthy,” said <keyword id="3009246" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lux-Rao">Lux Rao</keyword>, cto of technology services and country leader of <keyword id="6367983" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="HP">HP</keyword> Future Cities. 

	India is a destination of medical tourism. Yet, the urban poor do not have easy access to even the basic healthcare amenities. For making cities <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Smart-Cities-Are-Good-Idea-But-What-About-Existing-Ones/articleshow/45963855.cms">smart</a>, we must make healthcare affordable first. The way forward is Telemedicine, which is in simple definition a doctor or specialist remotely monitoring a patient via an intermediary who is perhaps an intern or a doctor.
 

	This virtual doctor or ‘studio doctor’ (the term given to them) would need access to medical records in real-time. What if one loses their medical records, which is more likely with the urban poor with all their immigration from one place to another?
 

	HP introduces the solution to this- Digital locker within EMR, which stores all the medical records. So one just needs to biometrically access the locker and the virtual doctor can get access to the patient’s details immediately, hassle-free.
 

	“We have executed e-healthcare centres meeting the needs of 140,000 patients in 44 locations in 6 states throughout the country. We have 25 ‘studio doctors’ who are in remote locations addressing the needs of patients,” he informed.
 

	This is just the start of smart healthcare! With introduction of IoT and mobility technology, a lot more can be done.
 

	2. Education 
 

	How can we make education an egalitarian platform?
 

	The answer is ‘Future Classroom’, which is not only having a virtual teacher, but the contents are available online too. So what one need is an internet connection and education can reach even the remotest place in India.
 

	Besides, though India has immense potential in the young generation but the educational resources are limited.
 

	“Does an engineering student have such an ecosystem to make him walk into a lab and turn his idea into a product instantly?” Lux raised the question.
 

	3. Quality of life
 

	How can a city be smart if its citizens do not have a work life balance? Easy access to the basic amenities like water, parking space, cheap energy etc makes a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Michael-Bloomberg-soaks-in-Delhi-life-talks-of-smart-cities/articleshow/46273869.cms">smart city</a> literally smart.
 “Smartest cities are driven by local priorities and local interventions. Also, technology interventions should be pragmatic,” said <keyword id="901850" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prashant-Pradhan">Prashant Pradhan</keyword>, Director, Smarter Planet Business, <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword> India and South Asia. 

	IBM started a fairly successful pilot project in Bangalore on equitable water distribution and reducing non-revenue water. In Allahabad, they are working on solid waste management as that is the main need of that city to be made smart. It is also working closely with the power sector in generating renewable energy.
 <keyword id="3009245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aamer-Azeemi">Aamer Azeemi</keyword>, MD, <keyword id="6390344" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cisco">Cisco</keyword> India came up with a simple solution to the traffic problems in India, particularly near Connaught Place, Delhi; solve the parking problem. 

	“Half the traffic is because they are in search of a parking space. This can be solved by allowing free entry into the nearby building (apartment or malls) parking space which remains empty especially in the evening,” he said.
 

	4. Safety
 

	A smart city needs to be safe for citizens to live a smooth life. 
 

	Introducing smart surveillance technology or analytics to manage the crowd, traffic and following the building code (Code to be followed strictly while constructing a building, which sadly is not done in India) to manage natural/man-made disasters would make a city safe and secured for a citizen to live in.
 

	Azeemi said that if we install CCTV in numerous places around the city, a perception of the city being safe is created.
 

	“Even the perception of it being safe helps to attract citizens into the city,” he added.
 

	5. Enterprising solutions
 

	Every company and authorities related to the city needs to participate in the game. There should be seamless communication between the state government, local bodies and the citizens.
 “One central authority (like, one IAS or one CEO of the city) should be there to look into all the issues and integrate it into one,” said <keyword id="2827654" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pratap-Padode">Pratap Padode</keyword>, founder and director of <keyword id="2827653" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smart-Cities-Council-India">Smart Cities Council India</keyword>. 
	 
	(Image credits: Indiatimes)

5 pillars of Smart Cities: Top honchos finally unveil the key to the lock called ‘Smart’!

India has witnessed rapid growth in recent years driven by the increase in new-age industries. The increase in purchasing power has resulted in the demand for a new level of quality of service. However, there is a growing shortage of skilled manpower in the country. In the wake of the changing economic environment, it is necessary to focus on inculcating and advancing the skill sets of the young population of the country.
 
India lags far behind in imparting skill training as compared to other countries. Reports indicate that only 10% of the total workforce in the country receives some kind of skill training (2% with formal training and 8% with informal training). Further, 80% of the entrants into the workforce do not have the opportunity for skill training. But all that is changing. 
 
The other day when I was at speaking at the African Development Conference at Harvard, I was excited to share the present government’s interest in the skill building in India. Our Prime Minister has become the brand ambassador of skilling as he passionately mentions ‘Skilling India’ in each of his speeches without fail during his tours beyond the shores of the country. The new government has also been able to recognize the disparities in the extent to which young people have been able to acquire formal skills. 
 
Realizing this need the government has made provisions for upgrading skills under multiple disciplines and allocated resources across the length &amp; breadth of the country. To list a few, the centre is taking efforts to come up with a legislation to set up a <keyword id="6418027" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Skill-development">Skill Development</keyword> University. Further, a separate Ministry for Skills Development &amp; Entrepreneurship has been tasked to coordinate and streamline multiple skill development initiatives undertaken by the government to build a skilled &amp; employable India. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, recently gave its approval for the Pradhan Mantri KaushalVikasYojana (PMKVY) with an outlay of Rs1500 crore. 
 
Being the largest partner of <keyword id="6380206" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSDC">NSDC</keyword> for the second year in a row, we harbor dreams to provide workforce to power global youth. Our youth is our biggest strength and we have to entrench ‘dignity for labor in the minds of Indians. As a country, India has a strong surplus in working population (age 15-50), which has helped the nation to maintain the momentum in the growth story. A significant portion of this demographic dividend lies in rural areas, which is Centum Learning’s primary area of focus. With presence in 383 districts in India, we are now customizing training as per the requirements of the industries and doing our bit to bridge the skills shortage. 
 
 
Have the promises made by the industry been fulfilled? 
 
There has been visible effort by the Government to meet their promises on skill development in the country for empowerment of its citizens. The Finance Minister has rightly recognized the most critical aspect, which is taking a step towards effective implementation of the Right to Education Act. Also, the allocation to National Skill Development Fund will aid in capacity building and developing skilled human resource to meet growing demand for India Inc. Another major highlight is the provision of fiscal incentives to the private sector for setting up vocational and skill development institutions. This has motivated a lot of private sector organizations to lay emphasis on the sector. 
 
An increase in budgetary allocation for primary education is a long awaited requirement that been met. National Skill Development Agency is encouraging innovation in skills development and promoting entrepreneurship in the country. The newly set up Skills Ministry is determined to encourage innovative ideas and modules in skill development landscape and at the same time assist the youth of the country in the skilling and entrepreneurial domain, to translate the vision of the Government into a concrete reality. With focus on self-employment as a key aspect to job creation, the Government has chalked out a plan to set up incubation centres at all districts across the country to train budding entrepreneurs. 
 
The Government has also decided to revamp the antiquated industrial training centres that will skill over 20 lakh youth annually and devise special courses based on industry needs. All these are positive signs to show that the government’s promise of skilling 500 million will be achieved in due course of time. 
 
Now, the Govt should incentivize industry to spend 50% of their CSR funds on skills training and Government should match the same. 
 
Ground reality of skill development industry 
 
Unemployment of youth is a ticking time bomb that is perilously close to exploding with the young population that we have. Soon, three of every four people will be 20 years of age. Despite growing as a developing country, the economy has not created youth friendly labor market where millions of young Indians descend every year, creating rising youth unemployment. 
 
The lack of jobs or a limited number of jobs, ineffectual vocational training, lack of skills development, unrealistic expectations from jobs, lack of entrepreneurship, absenteeism in school, early dropouts and a myriad of other factors have given rise to youth unemployment. Growth in economies has not led to a resultant increase in formal jobs or a youth-friendly labor market. The situation is further exacerbated with an influx of youth from rural areas to populous urban centers. 
 
As in other developing countries and countries that have recently bridged the chasm to become developed nations, the problem perhaps also lies in perception and inadequate transition from school to the workplace. Youth are keen to get employment in formal sectors to get full-time employment, which may even offer benefits such as healthcare and paid holidays, instead of pursuing jobs in the informal or traditional sectors that may be seasonal. 
 
Our leaders have recognized this crisis and the Indian Government has taken steps to initiate action to tackle this flashpoint before it explodes. But these are not enough, and the government in isolation cannot tackle such a mammoth problem. The biggest challenge in the Indian ecosystem lies in finding out how to make skilling programmes aspirational? How do you create a desire or need in the mind of people to get pursue skill development programmes vis-à-vis a pure educational course? 
 
As our skill development minister, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy recently said, “the day I find a matrimonial advertisement where the bride or groom is vocationally skilled, I would feel that our initiatives have made some impact.” A welcome step in this direction is the recent announcement where over 11,000 ITIs and other apprentice &amp; training divisions, which were earlier with Ministry of Labour, will now be integrated with the Ministry of Skill Development &amp; Entrepreneurship. 
 
Another big challenge facing the implementation and execution of any skills development-related scheme is reaching out, educating and motivating youth in the rural and remote parts of the country. With over thirty years of experience in Training &amp; Development, we have realized that the only way to increase the efficiency of the employees in the corporate sector is through innovative training methodologies which need to be upgraded from time to time. At Centum Learning we have adopted off-beat training modules which can be as simple and varied as story telling or Team building using theatre workshops. Depending on the clients, Centum Learning, which believes in the mantra of “Business of positive transformation”, has devised training modules which can enhance business results and develop skills as per industry requirements. 
 
There cannot be a more opportune time to consider how closely a nation’s growth agenda is aligned with the skill-level of its manpower. We are playing a key role in evangelizing skilling like a religion in India and making youth job-ready so that in turn they can make India a manufacturing hub in order to fulfill PM’s vision of ‘Make in India’. 
 
Manufacturing cannot become a growth driver if the lack of skilled workers continues to be the greatest constraint in this journey. A survey conducted in 2014 reveals thataround 78 per cent of the surveyed employers said they are concerned with the growing skills gap in India while 57 per cent said they currently have open positions for which they cannot find qualified candidates. So, the Government needs to pursue the two pronged approach of creating jobs in the manufacturing sector and encouraging multi-stakeholder partnerships to impart relevant, “employment worthy” skills. It is good that Skill development is garnering so much interest from both the government and the industry. The fact that this space is growing and large players with pedigree and Governance standards are entering is good for the sector. 
 
Government should make vocational education mandatory for women not pursuing full time education. Jobs and hiring in India needs to shift from being 'qualification based' to 'skill based'. With ‘BetiBachao, BetiPadhao’ and ‘Digital India’ schemes being rolled out by the Government, youth and especially women must be compulsorily taught to use computers and be skilled (in any field) in order to get acquire an id card (maybe something like a BPL card) . Government also needs to take specific steps for differently-abled people and help create job opportunities for them by building relationships with employer and industry groups. If the Government can get the major chunk of the above target groups in its umbrella, the dream of empowering and transforming lives will be achieved to a great extent. 
 
 
Challenges galore 
 
The tragedy is that less than 2% of India's workforce has formal skills and even among those who have some sort of training or qualification, only a third today, are armed withemployable skills amounting to a colossal waste of our biggest asset: people power. The perception of educated parents that everyone had to be either a doctor or an engineer -- a hangover to the mindset of the 1960s and 70s -- has tragically hamstrung efforts at skill building at its most important stage -- during school. Admittedly there has been realization that school-level skilling can lead to satisfying, lucrative careers. CBSE now offers some 50 vocational courses and the school management is now encouraging students to discover original or innovative talents in themselves. 
 
A trishul of talents need to coalesce before skills can be translated into gainful employment: technical skills, domain knowledge, and soft skills. The first two are a matter of training and application. The final, presents some rather nuanced, challenges and the needless roadblocks need to be addressed with sensitivity. 
 
Today whether you are a beautician or a tour guide or a taxi driver, a working knowledge of English is a force multiplier when it comes to employability. In Bengaluru, which is home to the largest number of MNC tech companies in India, a headhunter tells me, a licensed driver, maintenance engineer or a nursing assistant who can speak and read English, can straight away add 50 percent to his or her pay packet. This is something that Governments- both at the State and Central levels are beginning to take cognizance of. 
 
But the biggest bottleneck in the skills space is getting the students to the classrooms and retaining them there. Government and training partners need to work together to ensure that the candidate is incentivized to attend classes through industry aligned courses, relevant training methodology, deeper connect with jobs and industry so that they themselves can see their career path ahead. 
 
The larger training players also need to harness technology wherever available -- digital solutions, smart tools, Internet-driven delivery -- to achieve the required scale and maybe even for large scale mobilization. 
 
We must also recognize that at basic levels, one has to contend with low aspiration levels, coupled with lack of capacity to pay. This has to be addressed with sensitivity that can be best achieved by government-funded programmes, executed by large training partners who have the ability to scale up. For mid-level skills, both government and private enterprises can join in the funding -- but we need to recognize that corporates tend to skill as per their requirements. 
 
It is time to recognize that a placement need not necessarily be accompanied by a wage. Many skills, from electrician to care giver for the aged, lend themselves to gainful self-employment and can account for as much as 30-40% of all skill acquirers. 
 
Skilling India to empower her citizens and to equip them to compete and excel on a globalmaidan is a multi-pronged challenge. We need our engineers and doctors and business executives and we also need many times those who bring a rainbow of heterogeneous skills to drive the engine that is India. And sometimes we discover in ourselves skills and talents for which we were not necessarily trained, but which constitute a coming together of head and heart. 
 
The article is authored by Sanjeev Duggal, CEO and MD of Centum Learning, a corporate training firm.

Skill development in India is growing but a lot more needs to be done

Bhubaneswar, May 12 () Odisha Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and PratapSarangi on Monday expressed their gratitude to nurses aroundthe world who had been risking their lives to lead the fightagainst COVID-19.Patnaik, on the occasion of International Nurses Day,took to Twitter and said their hard work and sacrifices haveplayed a significant role in saving many lives."On #InternationalNursesDay, my gratitude and tributeto millions of nurses across the world playing thefrontliners role in fighting #COVID19. Their determination &amp;sacrifices have enabled us to save more lives &amp; improve caserecoveries," the chief minister tweeted.Describing nurses as the centre of the healthcaresystem, Union Petroleum and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhansaid they were safeguarding the nation's health by sacrificingtheir own well-being."Nurses are at the centre of our healthcare system.They provide compassionate and expert care to patients. Onthis #InternationalNursesDay, gratitude to all the nurses forthe incredible work they are doing to safeguard our nation'shealth by sacrificing their own well-being," Pradhan posted onhis Twitter handle.Union Minister of State for MSME, Animal Husbandry,Dairying and Fisheries Pratap Sarangi also hailed the role ofnurses in containing COVID-19."Nursing is not an easy job and those who dedicatetheir whole lives in this profession must be respected andcelebrated! #COVID19 has made more evident that nurses areirreplaceable. Thanks to nurses for caring for us on#InternationalNursesDay &amp; every day," Sarangi tweeted.Among others, BJP national vice-president and formerMP Baijayant Panda thanked the nurses for their tirelessefforts to save lives."My deep gratitude to our heroic nurses, who aretirelessly working during this #COVID19 pandemic to savelives. They are away from their families &amp; are working at thefrontlines, risking their own lives to protect the lives ofothers," Panda tweeted.International Nurses Day is observed around the globeon May 12 every year to recognise and honour the contributionsmade by nurses for the well-being of people. The day alsomarks the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. SKNRMS RMS

Odisha CM, Union ministers hail role of nurses in fight against COVID-19

Bhubaneswar, May 8 () Odisha Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Fridayexpressed gratitude to millions of Red Cross volunteers on theoccasion of World Red Cross Day and hailed their role in thefight against COVID-19.Union Minister of State for MSME, Animal Husbandry,Dairying and Fisheries Pratap Sarangi also lauded theirrole, saying all should draw inspiration from the Red Crossvolunteers.Taking to Twitter, the Odisha chief minister urgedpeople to take a pledge to "do their bit" to protect humanlives."Millions of volunteers around the world are workinground the clock and making umpteen sacrifices to fight the#COVID19 pandemic. On #WorldRedCrossDay, let us all pledge todo our bit as a compassionate society during this difficulttime to protect human lives. #CovidSangramee," Patnaiktweeted.Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan also commended theRed Cross volunteers for rendering selfless service infighting Covid-19."On #WorldRedCrossDay, my deepest gratitude to all theemergency workers, healthcare professionals and millions ofvolunteers of the @ICRC who are rendering selfless service insaving lives and combating the #Covid 19 disease," thepetroleum and steel minister tweeted."World Red Cross Day is the reminder that it is theduty of each one of us to remember all those who gave alltheir lives in the services of the needy. Let us takeinspiration from those helping hands and do out a little bitfor the society. #WorldRedCrossday#StayHomeStaySafe," Sarangiwrote on Twitter.Patnaik also put forward a message on Twitter on theoccasion of World Thalassemia Day and appealed to all todonate blood."Adequate blood at blood banks is necessary forpatients suffering from many ailments. On#WorldThalassemiaDay, appeal all to donate blood maintaining#COVID19 lockdown &amp; social distancing norms to strengthen thisessential link in the healthcare chain," Patnaik said.World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8 every year toacknowledge the principles and work of the International RedCross and Red Crescent movement which aims at providing aidand assistance to everyone in need without discrimination. SKNMM MM

Union ministers, Odisha CM hail role of Red Cross volunteers during COVID-19 battle

Bhubaneswar, Jun 23 () President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and a host of other ministers and dignitaries greeted people on Tuesday on the occasion of Rath Yatra, and prayed for their well-being, amid the COVID-19 crisis. In his message on Twitter, the President prayed for courage and determination to fight the pandemic. "Greetings to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Rath Yatra, especially to the devotees of Lord Jagannath in Odisha. May the Lord bless us with courage and determination in our fight against COVID-19 and bring us good health and joy," read a tweet from the official Twitter account of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Naidu also took to the microblogging site to wish people on the occasion. "I convey my heartiest greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Rath Yatra. Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is the most revered and much awaited festival of Odisha," the vice president said. Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal greeted people and sought the Lord's blessings for peace, brotherhood, and victory over the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Minister Patnaik, in a message, called upon all to witness the live telecast of the Rath Yatra on TV. Union Petroleum and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan prayed for health, happiness and prosperity of one and all. "Along with family sought blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath at the Sri Jagannath Mandir in Hauz Khas. May Mahaprabhu bless everyone with health, happiness, vitality and prosperity. Jai Jagannath," Pradhan posted on Twitter. Among others, Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi and BJP's National Vice President Baijayant Panda greeted people on the occasion. "Immensely gratifying to see #RathJatra of Mahaprabhu #Jagannath happening, as it has for untold centuries, today with social distancing. Do read about the egalitarian Lord of the Universe &amp; the many legends surrounding the deities, inc leg. Colours. Jai Jagannath!" Panda tweeted. The historic Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced on Tuesday in the pilgrim town of Puri without the usual sea of devotees, and amid tight security in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court modified its earlier order to clear the decks for the annual festival. SKN RMS NSD NSD

Prez, Vice Prez, Odisha CM greet people on Rath Yatra, pray for victory over COVID-19

New Delhi, Feb 27 () The government will register 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in order to promote cooperative farming, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Thursday. A budgetary provision has been made to provide each FPO a sum of Rs. 15 lakh for all farming related activities ranging from sowing, harvesting to distribution and marketing, he added. The minister was addressing 91st Annual General Meeting of the ICAR Society here. He is also President of the Society. Tomar also talked about doubling of farmers' income and called for wider dissemination of government schemes so that the benefits percolate down to the lowest level among the farmers, an official statement said. On the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), he said the crop insurance has now been made voluntary for farmers to alleviate concerns that insurance companies were gaining more than farmers, besides reports of malpractice at lower level during inspection. "With a view to alleviating such concerns, the crop insurance scheme has been turned voluntary now and premium also remains the same," he said. Against the total sum of Rs 13,000 crore premium collected by insurance companies, a total of Rs 58,000 crore insurance benefits have been paid to farmers, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called for synergy between the various R&amp;D institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), universities and academia, PSUs and industry so that the huge investments being made by each of them yields bigger returns. The prime minister has set a goal to make India a USD 5 trillion economy in five years and the agricultural sector will be a big factor towards achieving the goal, he said. More R&amp;D in agriculture, timely availability of farm credit, mechanised farming and automation will be critical to boost rural economy, he added. In his address, Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation and Planning Rao Inderjit Singh underlined the need to avoid duplication of R&amp;D. Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala called for increased digitisation for targeted agriculture subsidies and rural schemes. Rupala said more capital is required in actual R&amp;D since at least 70 per cent share of government research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Budget goes towards salaries and allowances. He also called for scaling up PPP model with ICAR R&amp;D Extension programme. Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Pratap Chandra Sarangi said the agricultural laboratories should be made common property with the participation of all concerned including students and farmers. Underlining the role of agriculture sector in India's economy, Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary, said concerted efforts are required towards fulfilling the Prime Minister's goal of doubling farmers' income. LUX MKJ

Govt to soon register 10,000 new FPOs

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<ul><li>Singer Babul Supriyo, the BJP MP from Asansol in West Bengal swears into Modi’s cabinet. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh was also sworn in as a Minister of State.</li><li>Former Power and Railways Minister Dr Arvind Sawant from Mumbai South who defeated Milind Deora of Congress too has taken oath. </li><li>Among those who have taken oath include Thawar Chand Gehlot, S Jaishankar (former Foreign Secretary), Ramesh Pokhriyal, Arjun Munda, Dr Harsh Vardhan (former Science Ministry), Prakash Javadekar (former HRD minister), and Piyush Goel (former coal minister).</li><li>Narendra Modi has taken charge as the Prime Minister of the country for the second time in a swearing in ceremony that just concluded.</li></ul> Update at 09:05 pm Debut MP Debasree Chaudhuri of Raiganj in West Bengal takes oath as Minister of State in Modi’s cabinet. Sanjeev Balyan, Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao, Anurag Singh Thakur from Hamirpur, Suresh Angadi, Nityanand Rai, Rattan Lal Kataria, V Muraleedharan, Renuka Singh Saruta, Som Prakash, Rameshwar Teli, Pratap Sarangi, Kailash Chaudhari, Debasree Chaudhuri were also sworn in as Ministers of State. Update at 08:30 pm Ramdas Athawale from Maharashtra’s Sangli district was sworn in as Minister of State, along with Parshottam Rupala. Update at 08:25 pm Secunderabad BJP MP Kishan Reddy takes oath. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gen V K Singh, Krishan Pal Gurjar from Faridabad, and Raosaheb Danve too were sworn in. Update at 08:10 pm Prahlad Patel, Raj Kumar Singh from Arrah constituency, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandavia, Faggan Singh Kulaste also take oath. Update at 08:02 pm Shripad Yesso Naik from North Goa is inducted into Modi’s cabinet. Dr Jitendra Singh, the current MP of Haridwar is also sworn in. Update at 08:00 pm Rao Inderjit Singh BJP’s MP from Gurugram, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Santosh Kumar Gangwar from Bareily in Uttar Pradesh were sworn in. Update at 07:55 pm Giriraj Singh from Bihar’s Begusarai who defeated Kanhaiya Kumar, the former student leader and a candidate of Communist Party of India (CPI) was also sworn in. Update at 07:50 pm Former Power and Railways Minister Dr Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South who defeated Milind Deora of Congress too has taken oath. Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, former Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (former Minority Affairs Minister), Pralhad Joshi, too have taken oath. Update at 07:40 pm Piyush Goel and Prakash Javadekar take the oath. Update at 07:35 pm Smriti Irani who won at Amethi against Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi as its MP, also took oath to cheering public. She was the textiles minister in the earlier cabinet. Update at 07:25 pm Narendra Singh Tomar (formerly Rural Development Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad (former Telecom and Law Minister); Harsimrat Kaur Badal (former food processing minister) too have taken oath. Update at 07:19 pm Ram Vilas Paswan also takes the oath of office and secrecy. Update at 07:16 pm Incumbent Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also takes the oath. Update at 07:12 pm Shri Rajnath Singh follows Modi to take oath. He was home affairs minister in the last cabinet. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah has also taken oath. He did not hold a portfolio in the last cabinet Update at 07:07 pm Narendra Modi takes charge as India’s PM for the second time Update at 07:00 pm <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-narendra-modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword> has also arrived at the event. As many as 50 ministers of the cabinet will take oath after the PM today. The ceremony will start at 7 PM. Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut have already arrived at the event at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid along with his first lady too arrived at the event. Update at 06:30 pm Dignitaries and top industrialists like Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani; along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah have already arrived at the venue, to view Narendra Modi take the oath as the Prime Minister for the second time. It’s a big day for India and Narendra Modi who will once again take oath as India’s Prime Minister for a second consecutive term. The master communicator, who has stormed back to power with yet another thumping majority, will once again use the moment and the stage as effectively as it can be. The oath taking ceremony will be held at 7 pm on Thursday (May 30), ensuring that all the attention of prime time television viewers are solely on him. He gave <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/full-text-of-modi-speech-lok-sabha-election-2019/articleshow/69467611.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">over an hour long victory speech</a>, again on prime time, after the election results were declared on May 23. Run up to the event Modi has kickstarted his oath-taking day, early this morning by saluting his heroes. He paid a tribute at the National War Memorial in the morning. The PM from Guajrat won a second consecutive term with a thumping majority, also paid tribute to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s prominent former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This charismatic former Prime Minister was instrumental in creating the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 1998. Modi who hails from Gandhinagar which was also home to father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, also visited Rajghat today to pay homage. The newly elected PM’s oath taking ceremony promises to be interesting as <a data-type="tilCustomLink">8,000 guests</a> from within and outside the country are expected to pour in for the event. It is being touted as the biggest ever event that takes place at Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The event also promises to be star-studded as many Bollywood celebrities including Vivek Oberoi who played the role of Modi, in a now-released movie ‘Modi’, are expected to attend the event. Invites have also gone in for <a data-type="tilCustomLink">BIMSTEC leaders</a>—which includes Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. However, it is now known that leaders from Kyrgyzstan and Mauritius will be attending the event. The swearing in ceremony is striving to make Modi’s guests from his constituency in Varanasi feel special. A special gallery called ‘Kashi Sankul’ is being set-up to accommodate 250 special guests from Uttar Pradesh. The event however is not without its controversies. The winning party BJP invited the families of those killed in the West Bengal political violence which erupted just before the last phase of polling. This move angered Mamata Banerjee the chief minister of the state and the head of Trinamool Congress, who declined an invitation to the attend the ceremony. BJP’s ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena slammed Banerjee for this move, in an editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamna. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/modis-swearing-in-ceremony-is-set-to-be-the-biggest-event-ever-with-8000-guests/articleshow/69571352.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Modi's swearing in ceremony is set to be the biggest event ever, with 8,000 guests</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/full-text-of-modi-speech-lok-sabha-election-2019/articleshow/69467611.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Full text of Modi’s first speech after historic election victory</a>

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