The "Amrit Sarovar" has been constructed under the inspiration of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath: Shri Naqvi.

The country's first "Amrit Sarovar" will be inaugurated by the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Uttar Pradesh Jal Shakti Minister Shri Swatantra Dev Singh at Patwai, Rampur(UP) on May 13, 2022.

Shri Naqvi said in New Delhi today that this splendid "Amrit Sarovar" has been constructed under the inspiration of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath.

Why is it in news?

He said that participation and cooperation of the common people, villagers and promptness of Gram Panchayat and the District Administration has played an important role in opening of this grand "Amrit Sarovar" in a very short time.

Highlights

·       The Minister said that in "Mann Ki Baat" programme last month, the Prime Minister had mentioned about this "Amrit Sarovar" in Patwai, Rampur.

·       Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in "Mann Ki Baat" had said, “I like to learn that after taking the resolve of Amrit Sarovar, work has started on it at many places at a rapid pace. I have come to know about Gram Panchayat Patwai of Rampur in UP. There was a pond on the land of the Gram Sabha, but it was full of filth and heaps of garbage. With a lot of hard work, with the help of local people, with the help of local school children, that dirty pond has been transformed in the last few weeks. Now, many arrangements have been made on the banks of that lake like retaining wall, boundary wall, food court, fountains and lighting. I congratulate the Patwai Gram Panchayat of Rampur, the people of the village, the children there for this effort.”

·       Shri Naqvi stated that this "Amrit Sarovar" of Patwai will not only help in protecting the environment and conserving water, it will also be an attraction for the people of nearby areas. Along with various entertainment facilities, boating is also available in this "Amrit Sarovar".

·       Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Shri Baldev Singh Aulakh, Rampur Zila Panchayat Chairman Shri Khayaliram Lodhi, Milak MLA Smt. Rajbala, Commissioner Moradabad Shri Anjaneya Kumar Singh, District Magistrate Rampur Shri Ravindra Kumar Mandar, Chief Development Officer Smt. Gazal Bharadwaj and other dignitaries will be present on the occasion.

BHARAT TAP initiative is to provide low-flow, sanitary-ware at scale, and thereby reduce water consumption at source considerably

No country will progress without adequate sanitation; AMRUT has been critical in facilitating the journey of Swachhata: Shri Puri

Plumbex India to exhibit products and services related to the plumbing, water and sanitation industry

The Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs & Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep S Puri launched the BHARAT TAP initiative at the ‘Plumbex India’ exhibition, here today. This exhibition is aimed for products and services related to the plumbing, water and sanitation industry.  

Why is it in news?

Shri Puri said that this exhibition caters to a fundamental service in the development of the nation – water and sanitation and there is no progress or growth without adequate sanitation, which is foundational in the hierarchy of basic services that citizens expect.

He further said that there was a paradigm shift in India’s social development after the Prime Minister announced that Swachhata was the key to India’s development. Not only did he launch the ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission to address open defecation and bring in a behaviour change towards Swachhata, he also conceptualised the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Transformation (AMRUT) to provide safe water and sewerage systems for 60% of India’s urban population. Together, these schemes have had a tremendous impact on the sanitation situation in the country, he added.

Highlights

·       Saying that India went from 38% toilet coverage to 100% toilet coverage in rural areas while also building 73.32 lakh household and community toilets in urban areas, Shri Puri said that the Swachh Bharat Mission became a Jan Andolan that inspired the country towards safe and proper sanitation.

·       AMRUT has been critical in facilitating the journey of Swachhata, the mission has been instrumental in the creation of basic infrastructure – with the major allocation going towards water supply and sewerage/septage, he added.

·       The Minister said that the outcome has been nothing short of extraordinary and through 1,336 water supply projects worth Rs. 42,224 crores and 860 sewerage and septage management projects worth Rs. 33,840 crores, AMRUT has provided 127 lakh household water tap connections and 95 lakh sewer connections across urban India.

·       Similarly, sewerage projects under AMRUT are expected to lead to a development of approximately 6,000 MLD treatment capacity of STPs with around 2,360 MLD capacity already created and around 3,650 MLD of STPs under progress, he added.

·       Shri Puri said that after the success of AMRUT, the next target is to cover all the urban local bodies (ULBs) in the country even as continuing to strengthen water and sanitation services in the AMRUT cities. He further said that this was the basis for AMRUT 2.0, which was launched by the Prime Minister on 1 October 2021. AMRUT 2.0, with an outlay of Rs. 2,77,000 crores, has been designed to realise the aspirations of the ‘New Urban India’ by making all our cities ‘Water Secure’.

·       Shri Puri said that AMRUT 2.0 will provide 100% coverage of water supply to all households in around 4,700 ULBs through 2.68 crore tap connections and 100% coverage of sewerage and septage in 500 cities through 2.64 crore sewer connections. This will benefit more than 10.5 crore people in urban areas, he added.

·       Shri Puri expressed happiness that the states are in the process of proposing projects through State Water Action Plans which has already resulted in the approval of projects worth Rs. 41,500 crores worth of projects. He further said that one major benefit that has emerged from the successful implementation of these mission, in particular, AMRUT, has been that an enormous quantity of pipelines has been laid across the country.

·       The Minister said that the Plumbing industry is capitalising on the business opportunity while also playing a significant role in supporting the development of sanitation and other basic services in the country. He hoped that BHARAT TAP initiative will provide low-flow, sanitary-ware at scale, and thereby reduce water consumption at source considerably and said that he is confident that this initiative will be accepted quickly in the country and will lead to a renewed focus on water conservation efforts.

·       Shri Puri also launched NARDECO MAHI’s ‘Nirmal Jal Prayas’ initiative which will work for saving of 500 crore litres of water per year.

·       The President, Indian Plumbing Association, Shri Gurmit Singh Arora, other dignitaries from MoHUA, Indian Plumbing Association, NARDECO, and Water Management and Plumbing Skill Council were present on the occasion.

A ‘One Step’ portal is being made for the convenience and ease of credible information for those who want to take treatment in India from abroad: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

“We are committed to making India a Global Medical Value Hub by further strengthening our traditional medicine industry and boosting 'Heal in India' & 'Heal by India' initiatives” : Union Health Minister

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today addressed the roundtable conference with senior IFS Officers on Building Brand India at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Why is it in news?

Addressing the occasion, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya noted that India with its high-end healthcare ecosystem and world-class medical facilities has become an attraction for the whole world. He said, “Today, people from different countries of the world are coming to India for treatment in large numbers. With an aim to further boost Medical Tourism, the Government of India has launched 'Heal in India' program under the leadership of Hon’ble PM. Similarly, we have started the 'Heal by India' program. This will provide an opportunity for our medical workforce to travel all over the world and contribute towards a healthy global society”. “We are committed to making India a Global Medical Value Hub by further strengthening our traditional medicine industry and boosting 'Heal in India' & 'Heal by India' initiatives”, he added.

Highlights

·       Highlighting the need to take steps to further strengthen the Medical Value Tourism, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya suggested establishing facilitation centres at the Indian Embassies across the world for the people wanting to travel India for treatment.

·       In addition, a system to get feedback/testimonials from people who are getting treated in India can be instituted. This will help us in making medical tourism, ‘Brand India’. 

·       A ‘One Step’ portal is being made for the convenience and ease of credible information for those who want to take treatment in India from abroad, he added.

·       Stressing on the need to forge agreements with other countries in the area of the medical sector,  the Union Health Minister noted that we have an agreement with Japan to provide skilled nurses.

·       Such agreements have also been made with other countries for skilled medical manpower. He said that these kinds of possibilities should be explored to promote medical value tourism. “In the last few years, medical value travel has gained a lot of popularity and India is now one of the fastest growing Medical Tourism Centers in Asia”, he added.

·       Highlighting the importance of the traditional system of medicines, the Union Minister noted “India has established itself as the focal point of AYUSH. Recently, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has announced to launch 'AYUSH mark'. This will provide authenticity to AYUSH products in India and promote the traditional medicine industry.

·       A Special Visa Category has been made for those coming to India from other countries for Ayurveda Treatment. The provision of Medical Visa and Medical Attendant Visa has been made with 165 countries to get Ayurveda treatment.”

·       While concluding, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya urged everyone to share suggestions to strengthen the medical tourism sector and make India a ‘Global Medical Hub’ in line with the spirit of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. This will not only benefit the Medical Tourism and Healthcare Sector, but also our service industry.

·       Recently, the Medical Tourism Index 2020-21 by the Medical Tourism Association has been issued. According to this, India is currently at 10th position out of the top 46 countries, 12th in world’s top 20 wellness tourism markets, 5th out of 10 wellness tourism markets in Asia-Pacific region.

·       The treatment costs in India are 65 to 90% less than the cost of treatment in America. In India, there are 39 JCI and 657 NABH accredited hospitals, which is equal to or better than Global Quality Standards and Benchmarks.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has taken yet another historic step to revive the Silk Industry in Arunachal Pradesh and create sustainable local employment.

Why is it in news?

KVIC has set up another “Khadi Eri Silk Training cum Production Centre” at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China and Bhutan.

For centuries, Silk has been intrinsic to the life of people in the North East but the flooding of low-quality silk in these markets also destroyed the Silk industry from North East. The development assumes significance as the tribal population in Arunachal Pradesh, men and women alike, traditionally wear Eri Silk and Khadi Cotton clothes which carries a deep significance to their egalitarian tribal society.

Highlights

·       Nestled in the snow-clad Himalayan peaks at an altitude of nearly 14,000 feet, the Silk training cum production centre was inaugurated by KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena. The centre has been set up with assistance of Buddhist Culture Preservation Society, Bomdila, which has provided the building for the Silk Centre. KVIC, on the other hand, has provided the required infrastructure like handlooms, Charkha, Silk reeling machines and warping drums, etc. The centre is providing direct employment to 20 women artisans of Tawang and West Kameng districts.

·       Setting up of the Khadi Silk Centre in Arunachal Pradesh is inspired by the  Prime Minister’s vision of creating sustainable development in the remotest of Indian places and creating livelihood for the locals under “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”. This is the second Silk Training cum Production Centre set up by KVIC in Arunachal Pradesh in less than 2 years’ time. Earlier, KVIC had inaugurated Eri Silk Training cum Production Centre in Village Chullyu of Arunachal Pradesh on 17th September 2020.

·       In December 2020, KVIC had also revived the1000-years old heritage Monpa Handmade Paper Industry in Tawang, a step that was also appreciated by the Prime Minister in his radio program “Mann ki Baat”.

·       Chairman KVIC said the “Khadi Eri Silk Training cum Production Centre” aims at reviving the Silk Industry in the entire North East which was almost destroyed in the last few decades. “This facility in Tawang will be a big boost to spinning and weaving activities in the entire region.

·       Training of artisans and supporting the production of Eri Silk, which is indigenous to the North Eastern states, will create local employment and sustainable development in the region. Young designers and professionals of NIFT will also provide training to Khadi artisans at this centre to introduce new designs and develop trendier clothing to suit the modern taste of tribal youths,” he said.

·       KVIC also aims to connect the centre with the tourists visiting Tawang and thus providing an assured market to the local artisans for their products. The production centre will be equipped to cater to the market demand.

Livestock and Poultry Birds Counted According to Breeds

184 Recognized Indigenous/Exotic and Crossbred Breeds of 19 Selected Species Covered

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala released the Breed-Wise Report Of Livestock And Poultry based on 20th Livestock Census here today. Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State, for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, graced the occasion. Shri Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Shri Upamanyu Basu, JS were present.

Shri Rupala highlighted the significance of the report for the upgradation of the livestock and stressed on its utility for the policy makers and researchers. The breed-wise data collection was done along with 20^th Livestock Census during the year 2019. 

Why is it in news?

It was for the first time in the country that breed wise data was collected by using tablet computers instead of paper mode which is indeed a unique attempt.  The livestock as well as poultry birds were counted according to their breeds as recognized by National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR).  Considering the importance of Livestock Sector, it becomes essential for the policy maker and researcher to ascertain the various breeds of livestock species so that the livestock species can be genetically upgraded for optimum achievement for its product and also for other purposes.

Highlights

The report has covered 184 recognized indigenous/exotic & crossbred breeds of 19 selected species that are registered by the NBAGR (National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources).

·         There are 41 recognized indigenous whereas 4 exotic/crossbred breeds of cattle covered in this report.

·         As per the report, the Exotic and Crossbred animal contribute nearly 26.5% of the total cattle population whereas 73.5% are Indigenous and Non-descript cattle.

·         Crossbred Jersey has the highest share with 49.3% as compared to 39.3% of Crossbred Holstein Friesian (HF) in total Exotic/Crossbred cattle.

·         Gir, Lakhimi and Sahiwal breeds have major contribution in total Indigenous Cattle.

·         In Buffalo, the Murrah breed majorly contributes with 42.8% which is commonly found in UP and Rajasthan.

·         In Sheep, there are 3 exotics and 26 indigenous breeds were found in the country. Among the pure exotic breeds, Corriedale breed majorly contributes with 17.3% and in the indigenous breeds the Nellore breed contribute the highest in the category with 20.0% share.

·         In Goats, there are 28 indigenous breeds found in the country. The Black Bengal breed contributes the highest with 18.6%.

·         In exotic/crossbred pigs, crossbred pig contributes 86.6% whereas Yorkshire contributes majorly with 8.4%. In indigenous pigs, Doom breed major contributes with 3.9%.

·         In Horse & Ponies, the share of Marwari breed majorly contributes with 9.8%.

·         In Donkeys, the share of Spiti breed contributes with 8.3%.

·         In Camel, Bikaneri breed majorly contributes with 29.6%.

·         In Poultry, desi fowl, Aseel breed majorly contribute in both backyard poultry and commercial poultry farm.