With the mantra ito'water con: Wane eR I AE every household for a better tomorrow, by integrating all the dimensions related + ion, New India is"on'its way to becoming a water-rich nation)vn Ki Baat 2.0 | 33rd episode, 27 February 2022 "WE SHOULD PROUDLY SPEAK IN OUR MOTHER TONGUE’ Despite adverse circumstances like Covid, India is writing a new saga of its success in every field. On one hand, in the last seven years, India has set a record in bringing back home the thousand-year-old heritage artefacts, while on the other hand Indian Ayurveda is regaining its old reputation in the country as well as in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while throwing light on these aspects also touched upon other issues including inspiration from the cleanliness campaign, promotion of local music, and pride of mother tongue. An excerpt © ‘The growing popularity of Ayurveda: In the last seven years a lot of attention has been paid to the promotion of Ayurveda in the country and now its fruitful results are also visible, Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has expressed his desire to take India's Ayurveda knowledge and science to his, country after his daughter regained her eyesight from Ayurveda treatment. Prince Charles from Britain is, also one of the big admirers of Ayurveda. In recent times, many new start-ups have emerged in the field of Ayurveda and the Ayush StartUp Challenge is an initiative to support them, © Cleanliness is becoming the inspiration: Over time, the Swachh Bharat Mission expanded a lot. A group named Morning Walkers based in Kokrajhar, Assam has taken a commendable initiative of ‘Clean and Green Kokrajhar Mission’. In Visakhapatnam, under the ‘Clean India Campaign, the use of cloth bags instead of polythene is being promoted. Students of Somaiya College in Mumbai have decorated the walls of Kalyan Railway Station with beautiful paintings. In Ranthambore, through a campaign named ‘Mission Beat Plastic, the youth are removing plastic and polythene from the forests, © ‘Success in the return of heritage artefacts: Our valuable heritage is being returned home, it is making every Indian proud. We have been successful in bringing back a thousand years old idol of Avalokiteshvara Padmapani from Italy. We received the idol of Lord Anjaneyaar, Hanuman Ji from Australia this month. Till 2013, about 13 idols had come to India. But in the last 7 years, we got success in bringing back more than 200 precious idols. © Pride of Mother Tongue: Our mother tongues unite us. it also shows our diversity. We have 121 mother tongues, 14 of which are spoken by more than 10 million people in everyday life. In 2019, Hindi was the third most spoken language in the world. The National Education Policy lays emphasis on teaching in the local language. © New initiative to Promote Local Music: The magic of indian music is something that fascinates everyone. The popular Tanzanian siblings Kili and Nima's passion for Indian culture is commendable. Such an initiative should be taken in which foreign nationals are invited to sing Indian patriotic songs. Youth also make videos of popular regional songs and promote 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. © Vocal for Local: Celebrate Holi and other festivals by promoting Vocal for Local. Buy local products and give your support. Bring color and excitement to the lives of local producers. Think of those small businessmen who are working hard to make the self-reliant India campaign a success. 1G Tesi mann Ast sain OR CoeINEWIIN OTA) Wotume 2, issue 18 March 16-31, 2022 Press Information Bureau, New Delhi ‘SENIOR CONSULTING EDITOR ‘SANTOSH KUMAR SENIOR ASST, CONSULTING EDITOR ‘VIBHOR SHARHA ‘ASST. CONSULTING EDITOR CCHANDAN KUMAR CHOUDHARY LANGUAGE EDITORS: ‘SUMIT KUMAR (Engish) AANILPRTEL (Gujarati MADEEM AHMED (Uru, ‘SONIT KUMAR GOSWARIL (Assamese), VINAYAPS. (Malayalam), PAULAMI BAKSHIT (Sonal) MARINAR PANDA (Odi) ‘SENIOR DESIGNERS ‘SHYAM SHANKAR TIWARI RAVINDRA KUMAR SHARMA DESIGNERS DIVYA TALWAR, ABHAY GUF CLICK TO READ NEW INDIA ‘SAMACHAR AVAILABLEIN 13 LANGUAGES https//newindiasamachar. pib.gov.in/news aspx ‘TO READ THE NEW INDIA ‘SAMACHAR ARCHIVE, EDITIONS CLICK: https//newindiasamachar. pib.gov.in/archive.aspx. FROM WATER GOVERNANCE TO WATER: PROSPERITY VS lagship Scheme BEGINNING OF SELF-RELIANCE IN TECHNICAL TEXTILE SECTOR ‘Two years of success of National Technical Textiles Mission, 32-34 ‘THEARCHITECTS OF MODERN INDIA CChandraprabha Laxman Nayab and M A yeng In public participation for water conservation...14-28 4\_ i y nation through encouraging News Briefs 4-5 ashboard" of indi's "Happiness" on International Happiness Day |6 Personality: Mahadevi Varma |7 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with people from different sectors in the budget webinar | 8-11 New railway ine between Mumbal-Diva dedicated to the nation |12-13 Opinion: Gajendra Singh Sekhawat, Union Jal Shakti Minister |29-30 Cabinet Decisions | 31 PM's address at The Energy and Resources Institute | 35-37 Villages being illuminated by Pradhan Mantri Gram Ujala Yojana, |38-39 The Prime Minister inaugurated the Gobar-Dhan (Bio-CNG) plant. | 40-41 India is moving ahead in the war against Covid. | 42-43 Story of changing India. | 48 Published & Printed by Satyendra Prakash, Principal Director General, BOC on behalf of Bureau of Outreach and Communication Printed at J.K Offset Graphics Pvt Ltd, 8-278, Okhla Ind Area Phase, New Delhi-110020, Communication Address : Room No-278, Bureau of Outreach and Communication, 2nd Floor, Soochna Bhawan, New Delhi-110003. e-Mi response-nis(@pib.gov.in, RNI No. : DELENG/2020/78811 ‘New India Samachar | March 16-31, 2022FROM EDITOR’S DESK Greetings! Sead Targ- say, andi rar eR aH TL CA, AA A Y TAA: This Sanskrit verse literally means that a small well of water can quench people's thirst, whereas a large ocean cannot. That is why it is said that a tomorrow exists only when there is water. Water is the foundation of all life. Each drop of water is a gift from God. Even after 72 years of independence, only 3 crores 23 lakh rural households in the country had access to running tap water. PM Modi had realized the importance of every drop of water and the drought situation in his journey from childhood to becoming Gujarat's Chief Minister. He made a "Bhagirathi’ resolution to provide drinking water from the tap to all rural households within five years. The result is visible to all: water connections have reached more than nine crore homes. That is, the new energy of New India has completed more work in the last two and a half years than it did in the previous seven decades. ‘Summer has arrived, and March 22nd marks World Water Day. In this context, the central government has shaped the schemes into a mass movement by taking a holistic approach to water conservation, water harvesting, pure drinking water for all, irrigation, and so on. Water connectivity has been linked with public connectivity, so water scarcity should not be a barrier to India's development. In addition, a special Ministry of Jal Shakti was formed to coordinate all water-related sectors. The Jal Jeevan Mission is working to meet the government's goal of providing tap water to every rural household by 2024. How water has been made the foundation of good governance through time-bound determination, is the cover story of this issue. Special article by Union Minister of Jal Shakti on the same subject; crores of smiles in the context of International Happiness Day; new direction of progress from a technical mission in the field of textiles; changing picture of the village through Gram Ujala Yojana; profiling noted litterateur Mahadvi Verma in personality section - all of these topics are the focus of this issue. New India is determined to make a better tomorrow, whether it is through water or other socio-economic-educational factors. Send your suggestions on our E-mail: response-nis@pib.gov.in Wrage — (Jaideep Bhatnagar) 2 | New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022New India Samachar provides extensive information on the various ongoing projects in the country in various sectors. I's quite heartening to note that India’s forest area increased by 2261 sq km in the last two years. Please guide me to download the English and Tamil Versions of NIS. Is there any paid subscription model for getting hard copies? Rajshekar N mantralaya1980@gmail.com ‘Thank you again for the new edition of a Japplaud the publication of very informative e-magazine. It showcases your eminent magazine. | have the achievements of our nation in various shared some of the topics in fields. | was very happy to read about your magazine with my students digital education being given a boost. who found it very enlightening. | look forward to reading your next i edition, Piu Sur plusur2009@qmail.com hid | Hemalatha Yadav J hemalathayadav10@gmail.com | am reading New india Samachar regularly for a long time. tt connects us to the world. It provides me with positive and helpful news. |like it very much, a | Khushal More, khushalmore#599@qmail.com ‘New India Samachar | March 16-31, 2022"MADE IN INDIA" CRAZE CROSSES BORDER, NEPAL ADOPTS INDIA'S UPI he entire world now recognizes the magnitude of India's digitization push. Many countries praised the CoWin app, which was created for vaccination during the first Covid period, and Nepal has now adopted India’s UPI (Unified Payment Interface) for digitaltransactions. Itwillbolsterinteroperable real-time person-to-person (P2P) and person- to-merchant (P2M) transactions. As a result of this, the people of Nepal will benefit from the best facility for easy digital payments, Earlier this year, Bhutan also launched a BHIM- UP-based payment service. It is worth noting that UPI was first introduced in India in 2016. This marked the start of a new era in India’s banking system, as the country transitioned to a digital economy. As a result, since their inception, digital payments in India have grown 19 times. In India alone, 3900 crore Payments totaling approximately $940 billion were made in the previous fiscal year. This is equivalent to 31 percent of India’s total GDP. NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR SUNDERBANS TIGER WIDOWS’ he Sundarbans of West Bengal are famous all over the world for their tigers. On the island of Bali, surrounded by the dense mangrove forests of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, more than 100 "tiger widows” live. The widows of men killed in tiger attacks in the densely forested area are called as "tiger widows" here. After the death of the family's head in a tiger attack, the future looked bleak. In such a case, this island, which has been cut off from the mainstream of development since its independence, has now moved toward self-sufficiency through Khadi activities. in 2018, these women were involved with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission's (KVIC) yarn spinning activity. The "Tiger Victim Khadi Spinning Center" began here with the construction of a temporary structure. Spinning tools were given to women. The spinning center's temporary structure has now been replaced by a 3000 sq ft work shed and a 500 sq ft common facility centre. Modern spinning equipment is also provided for model charkhas and modern looms. Those who were previously victims of fishing accidents in deep water and tiger attacks in dense forests for a living are now weaving their future in the spinning centre, This has not only provided them with a steady source of income, but it has also reduced the number of people who have died in such incidents. 4 | New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022INDIA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SESSION AFTER 40 YEARS ext year, India will host the International Olympic Committee (10C) session. This will be a historic event because India hasnt hosted an IOC season since the 1983 session in New Delhi, [OC members debate important issues such as the Olympic Charter and the selection of Olympic host cities. In the vote to host the annual meeting, India received 75 of the 76 valid votes. This meeting will now be held in Mumbai, The IOC's annual meeting is attended by all members. This is the International Olympic Committee's largest meeting, and the decisions made there are unanimous. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed happiness over hosting the next session meeting, The Prime Minister's Office tweeted, "Glad to learn that India has been selected to host the 2023 International Olympic Committee session. | am sure it will be a memorable 0G session and will lead to positive outcomes for the world of sports." GOVERNMENT APPROVES NEW INDIA LITERACY PROGRAMME nidia, the world’s youngest country, will have the largest working population by 2030. As a result, itis critical that the country achieves 100 percent literacy. Moving forward in this direction, the Central Government has laid the groundwork for a new National Education Policy after 33 years, ba & and ithas now expanded y the scheme known as adult education. In this, all people over the age of 15 will now be educated. The term “adult education” will be changed to “Education for All.” The "Nav Bharat Literacy Programme" will be the name of this initiative. "This step has been taken by connecting all aspects of adult education to the National Education Policy 2020 and budgetary announcements for 2021-22." This scheme, which will run from 2022 to 2027, will cost approximately Rs 1038 crore. Education initiated through digital and online mediums will also be utilised in this campaign. The scheme's goal is to provide basic education and meaningful knowledge to 5 crore students over the course of five years. The new adult education programme has five dimensions, including basic numeracy, literacy, and the transmission of knowledge about important life skills. Basic education, as well as vocational skill development, have been included in this. 3D MAPPING OF 6 LAKH VILLAGES , 100 CITIES BEGINS ‘echnology is the way of the future, and it is beingusedtolay the groundwork for Newindia Because new technology is no longer restricted toa few areas or people, but is now being used to help the poor. The Prime Ministers Ownership Scheme, which is based ‘on modern technology, is one such scheme that is now giving the owner its due by putting an end to the country’s long- standing property disputes. The work of a 3D mapping survey in 6 lakh villages and 100 cities of the country, using drones, has begun under this ambitious SVAMITVA scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modiin October 2020. Thisis an excellent example of how the geospatial system, the new drone policy, and the liberal space sector can all be put to good use. This will be the largest aerial survey in history, with drones mapping the residential properties of over 83 million Indians using 3D mapping in order to legalise them. Once the survey is completed, it will be easier for a large portion of the country's population to legalise and use their rural residential property as a financial asset. m ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 News Briefs | |a Smile ON BILLIONS OF PEOPLE'S FACES It's International Happiness Day, which means it's a good day to be cheerful. Although there is no such thing as a happy day, this day serves as a reminder of how important happiness is in human life and civilised society. Since 2013, the United Nations has observed this day on March 20 to emphasise the importance of people's happiness. Aside from that, the day emphasises the importance of inclusive, equitable, and balanced economic development to ensure long-term growth, poverty eradication, and prosperity and happiness for all Jal Jeevan Missiot Jan Aus! More than CRLC r howseholzshavebeen | 0! | Giventap connections. | Jan Aushadh Kendras are being run all over the country « where medicines are avalabe upto 0% Toss cost jee Sedhed citizens registered. The ‘scheme provides a life {gas connections issued under Pradhan Mantri ‘cover of RS.2 lakh at Rs.330 per year. | Ujwala Yojana. Ujala Yojana | PM Awas Yojana Construction of LEDs have been distributed under this scheme so far. While this scheme saves money due to low ‘consumption of electricity, it houses completed Under this scheme. This scheme has empowered women a lot as they have a significant number of isalso very beneficial for the ‘environment | beneficiaries. cas POs aT CRE Eee | Sra ence ier munca caccC a ae Ermer at es rere test © that Prime Minister Narendra Modi even Seer creche uate yn Daas oR AcUol ciel ele ae Pecan caucus coe CMe Ca eu ua ues Picea “and ‘other daily activities. Forthe last Sen uC ene esau ko CUPS CaUerCh mG yey cee CIES Rueh ac ceca cui DOR O g Soca ne ea Detar Aaa) 35 areas and many water bodies there freeze in winter. Due to extremely cold temperatures, HDPE pipes were used instead of normal GI pipes and the main supply line was laid deep in the ground so that water would not freeze in the pipes. Wherever pipes come above the frost. line, these are encased in 4” dm of glass wool, ‘wood, aluminum jacketing for insulation. Solar energy plays an important role in maintaining the water supply chain and it ensures that water flows continuously in the pipes. There are also technical challenges of drawing water a from frozen water bodies. In such areas where people were forced to dig ice and drink it after melting, now getting clean tap water inthe comfort of theithomes, schools, and Anganwadi. Not only that, through sensor- based loT systems they know live data about quantity, quality, and monitoring of the water supplied. Women in villages have been trained to test the quality of water using Field Test Kits (FTKs). Steps have been taken to make country water safe with innovative approaches: through Jal Jeevan Mission App and National a] New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022their willpower.No hurdle \ " to come in the way. One by one many”, Pres OnC hu ee i amet ae 2 Oro a Ica SU uCu ey CS Coc aGte eke ker cia RU eur gue Ce NCR coder similar example of public participation PO IS Laer Se eC cue ic ae DOM RSC NCUA ira ce Cr ee Ue on tuo OES OC n uc er aN ait) _ Station was installed, and then the two- Cee Coen cm une ee § Ss ea | Bylinking water conservation schemes with the use of technology, transparency is ensured. Jal Jeevan Kosh. For the convenience of the people, allthe information related to Jal Jeevan Mission is available in one place in the app. Progress in Jal Jeevan Mission, water quality monitoring details of water supply schemes Pru Aur Ree Curae Lt Bene There is an 80-85-year-old man Kamegowda Ji who lives in Mandavali, Karnataka. He is an ordinary farmer, but, his personality is very extraordinary. He grazes his animals, but, at the same time, he has also taken up the task of building new ponds in his area, He wants to solve the problem of water shortage inthe area. Therefore, with an eye on boosting water conservation, he has taken the task of making small ponds. Despite being so old, he has dug 16 ponds so far. Even though these ponds are not very big, his effort is inspiring. Due to his efforts, today the entire area has got anew lease of life. ‘can be tracked from this app. Its progress in every state, every district, and every village can also be seen through this app. Names of Gram Panchayat, Pani Samiti members, and women identified for water quality check can also be seen. District fulfilment-elated complaints and donations can also be made through the app. Through this app, Regional Engineers and Pani Samiti will be able to do geo-tagging of water sources and water tanks of their village by logging in’ and will be able to issue a certificate of water to every household. This ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | 27H-.- Story |water Governance (74 For the progress of Indiayit is the responsibility of all of us to keep working for addressing the issue of water shortage so that it does not Ta th ed ay Aer Soe ae Suey ee ener sis Rac | eure aa Pee ag a Crm em cL Ce Cee Coe ee esi a ee Ce a ee us eu kcuscc) water by ‘tankers’ or trains’ to any part of the country. aye app can be downloaded from jjm.gov.in, The central government is making efforts to ensure that the targets set under the Jal Jeevan Mission are met before time. The commitment of the central government to the success of the mission can be gauged from the fact that, geo-tagging of protected water areas is being done to ensure transparency in the scheme. Also, the tap connection in every household is being linked with the ‘Aadhaar’ of the headman. National Jal Jeevan Kosh will enable individuals, institutions, corporations, or philanthropists in India or abroad to contribute/donate to provide ‘tap water connections to every rural household, school, Anganwadi center, ashram shala, and Fi yeaa other public institutions. It has been launched as a registered public charitable trust set up by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti The scope of the program is very expansive which not only involves providing tap water to people but also involves mass movement and public participation. The saint-poet Thiruvalluvar has said - ‘When the water runs ‘out, the work of nature stops." Realizing its importance, instead of expending energy in collecting water, the coming generations should mobilize in nation-building, in this direction "Jal Jeevan Mission’ is going to become the new Bhagirath of New India. m i March 16-31, 2022GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT, UNION JAL SHAKTI MINISTER ©6 THE DREAM OF BUILDING A NEW INDIA BECOMING TRUE WITH THE RESOLVE OF PUBLIC SERVICE 99 GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT UNION MINISTER, JAL SHAKTI, WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION oe What did not happen in 70 years of independence, that Jal Jeevan Mission has done in just two and a half years. This is a sign of our resolve to serve the public 9 efore entering the holy temple of democracy (Parliament) in the year 2014, Narendra Modi, who became the country’s Prime Minister for the first time with the overwhelming support of the people, had senta clear message by bowing down on its steps that public service will be his government's top priority. Today, nearly eight years have passed since that historic event, and the people of this country are witnessing how our government, led by Prime Minister Modi, is building a new India with the resolve of public service. Our government has attempted to bring prosperity to the lives of the people of India through epoch-making schemes andhas taken a meaningful initiative to bring a smile to the face of the last person standing in society. On the occasion of ‘international Water Day, a day dedicated to water management and conservation, it is pertinent to note that after independence, our country's water resources were abundantly exploited, but no genuine efforts were made to save them. For the first time in independent India, a Prime Minister formed the Ministry of Jal Shakti, giving priority to water management and conservation, and through this, a history of change in the lives of the people of the country was written, of which future generations will be proud of. On the occasion of Independence Day on August 15, 2019, the country witnessed an example of the Prime Minister's resolve when he announced the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission" from the ramparts of the Red Fort. A goal of providing running water to every rural household in the country by 2024. Many people also expressed concerns and scepticism about how it would be accomplished. Those who raised the question, however, did not explain why these rural households are still waiting for a water connection after 70 years of independence. The country saw our determination and our commitment to seeing it through, so that in just two and a half years, approximately 5.90 crore new tap connections were provided More than 9 crore 11 lakh, of the country's households had begun to receive drinking water from taps by the end of February. We have achieved "Har Ghar Jal" in 100 districts and approximately 1.40 lakh villages across the country. ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | 29Schemes like Catch the Rain, Atal Bhujal and Namami Gange are important initiatives towards water conservation, which will be remembered by the coming generations The mission has provided water to over 17 lakh schools and anganwadis in 117 aspirational districts of the country as well as 61 districts affected by the JE-AES disease. The children in these districts, as well as future generations, are overjoyed at the large-scale provision of drinking water. However, the entire system for providing adequate quantity and quality of water for the next 30 years is being built with the participation of states and people. GREAT INITIATIVE OF WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT There is a very popular saying, “mnt te ar we fang, witarama teers" It means No one knows the weight of another's burden.."Ive seen and felt the scarcity of water. | am from Rajasthan, and I have witnessed firsthand the hardships that my parents and sisters faced while transporting water there. That is why, when | see mothers, sisters, and daughters filling water from taps in my house today, | see images of smiles on their faces. It appears that the Prime Minister's commitment to public service is being realised This is a rare initiative in the direction of women's ‘empowerment. But apart from the plains of the country, the Jal Jeevan Mission provides water through taps to villages in Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh where the mercury remains below zero. When the temperature drops below zero, everything from helicopters to elephants is usedto transport essential supplies. Ms. Tsewang Dolma of Umia village, located in Ladakh at an elevation of about 14,000 feet, is now very happy because she no longer has to walk for miles in the snow to get water from the river. We can understand from the smile on her face how happy she gets to see water flowing from the tap in the house. This village has only 24 families, but despite the difficult conditions, water is provided by the tap. Similarly, the Nyishi tribe lives in Serin village, which is located at an elevation of 2,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh and has a population of 130 people. People were not only given water from the tap, but they were also encouraged to use it by changing their behaviour and way of life. As | went to launch water supply projects in this part of the region characterised by difficult climate change and poor connectivity, | was struck by the expressions on the faces of elderly women who had to go fetch water from springs. In addition to the Jal Jeevan Mission, we are involved in saving rainwater drop by drop through the Catch the Rain programme under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and groundwater conservation is prioritised through the Atal Bhujal Yojana. Per Drop, More Crop, a plan to grow more crops with less water, is in the works. In these campaigns, we are utilising cutting-edge technology. This is the first time in independent India that our government has taken the initiative to conserve all of the country's rivers, including the Ganga. The "Namami Gange" project is currently under construction at a cost of approximately Rs 30 thousand crores A River Linking Project is being implemented to bring water to the country’s drought-prone areas. Ken-Betwa is the first step in this process, and five more DPRs are ready. The Ken-Betwa project alone will provide irrigation for 10 lakh hectares and drinking water for 62 lakh people. These project areas will also be flood-protected and will bring water to dry areas. We have also taken significant and forceful steps to ensure dam safety. While congratulating everyone on international Water Day, | encourage everyone to make a pledge to use, reuse, and conserve precious resources like water. We must all remember that water is a valuable natural resource. Every drop of it is valuable, It is our collective responsibility to ensure its safety. m= x] New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022PTT REECE INTEGRATED INITIATIVES IN THE HEALTH AND COAL SECTOR WILL MAKE THE SYSTEM EASIER Digital health solutions across the ecosystem with health initiatives like Co-Win, Aarogya Setu, and e-Sanjeevani have proved to be extremely beneficial over the years. There is a need to integrate such solutions for sustained care and effective utilization of resources. Therefore the Union Cabinet is building an online platform for Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), based on the Jan-Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile (JAM) trinity and other digital initiatives of the government. It also ensures the security, confidentiality, and privacy of personal health information. Also, the cabinet has approved a transparent single-window system, plugging the loopholes in the multi-segmented coal market. © Decision: To ensure easy and quality healthcare accessible to all, the cabinet approved the implementation of the five- year Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission with a budget of Rs 1,600 crore. Impact: Rs 1600 crore has been allocated for the next five years. There will be the portability of health services at the national level and people's health records will be prepared. Citizens will be able to create their own Ayushman Bharat health account number (ABHA ) to which their digital health records can be linked. © Healthcare providers - Doctors, health workers will be able to make decisions in the treatment and investigation, etc. of the disease. Innovation in the healthcare ecosystem, as well as new employment opportunities, will be created. © Decision: Taking another step forward in the initiative to make India self-reliant in the coal sector, the cabinet approved making coal available by coal companies through a common e-auction window instead of sector- specific auctions Impact: By removing market distortions, one rate will be fixed for all consumers. © Combining the e-auction window will not incur any additional cost to the coal companies. © Price stability will be ensured with the increase in an operational capacity © Will increase the demand for domestic coal and reduce the import of coal © Sustainable development of coal gasification technology will be ensured. = ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | 31THU Le Ten i > Dee 5-74 rae to St UTES MISSION De || The textile industry is the backbone of a fet Coonan? SES Saco) rng AR a CSCI exchange Coulee Tu is now the w Trois : My ais latgest textile, Clie Baro Croce pes ied cr Scientific LCST _medi Tr oy milit PUN Mise aa Sec 4 nu) a aU arsed ST ie a i wi Ae racy Wee Tas he textile industry, which accounts I for 4 percent of India's GOP, is important for both job creation and foreign exchange earnings. At the moment, it contributes approximately 14 percent to industrial production and approximately 13.5 percent to foreign income. It accounts for 13.5 percent of India's exports, and it is the second largest employment provider after agriculture. Over the last four decades, this industry has grown at a 3 to 4% annual rate. However, as a result of focusing on this sector over the last seven years, its annual growth rate has increased to around 8-9 percent. Technical textiles, or textiles used in a variety of industries such as automobiles, civil engineering, construction, agriculture, health care, and industrial safety, are an important component of the textile industry. For example, the fabric used to make vehicle seat belts, or cloth used in the manufacture of equipment related toTHE TECHNICAL TEXTILES SEGMENT IN INDIA IS DIVIDED INTO 12 SUB-SEGMENTS: ‘National Technical Textiles Mission FOUR IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL TEXTILES MISSION WERE ALSO DECIDED UPON WITH ITS ESTABLISHMENT Theft step is aR, 7,000 crore invest an ment nresearch and development and ino- vation, This research Is belng conducted in the areas of fibre and land development, agricultural, medical, sports, and mobile textiles, and biodegradable technical textiles, The research will also concentrate on indigenous machinery and process development. POU eno ec al textiles. the health sector. Unlike cotton or silk textiles, this is an area that has received little attention thus far. However, in the first general budget for 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an important announcement in the form of the National Technical Textiles Mission, referring to this sector. The Cabinet Committee third | Third, as part of this mission, exports are being promoted, with the goal of increasing technical textile exports, from the country by Rs 14,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore by 2021-2022, with an annual growth rate of 10% until the mission's conclusion. in addition, an Export Promo: tion Council for technical textiles has been established. on Economic Affairs approved the establishment of the National Technical Textiles Mission within 20 days of its announcement in the budget, demonstrating Prime Minister Narendra Mod's leadership and quick working style, The goal is to establish India as a global leader in technical textiles over a four-year period ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | 33He ‘Scheme |wational Technical Textiles Mission INDIA HAS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL IN THIS SECTOR YOUTH LABOUR AVAILABILITY India has the world's largest working-age population (people aged 15 to 64 years). According to the ‘country's current demographios,a sizable workforce is expected to be in place by 2055. Promoting the ‘technical textile sector will also result in the creation of a large number of new jobs. ‘STRONG TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN After China, India is the only country in the world that has every type of synthetic and natural fibre available. India can strengthen its position in the domestic and international markets due to the availability of raw materials for technical textiles. (from 2020-21 to 2023-24) at a cost of Rs 1,480 crore. According to Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, "the growth of technical textiles in India has gained momentum in the last 5 years, and itis currently growing at an annual rate of 8 percent.” We intend to increase this growth rate to 15-20% over the next five years. PROMOTION OF THE TECHNICAL TEXTILE SECTOR STARTED IN 2019 The Government has also taken several initiatives to encourage the rapid growth of the country’s technical textiles sector. Even before the National Technical Textiles Mission, the Central Government began to promote this sector. In accordance with this, 207 technical textile products were assigned the Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) code in 2019 under the Foreign Trade Policy. To promote the use of technical textiles in various fields, 92 areas, have been identified under 10 central ministries GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGEMENT Presently, the government is actively working to promote the development of technical textiles in India. To that end, the government has launched several initiatives, including the Scheme for the Growth and Development of Technical Textiles, the Technology Mission on Technical Textiles, and the Scheme for Promoting the Use of Agro- Textiles in the North East Region. With the Scheme for Promotion of Use of Geotechnical Fabrics, the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme, and the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks, the Production Promotion Scheme (PLI) has opened new doors in the textile industry sector. The PLI scheme now includes the technical textiles sector. ‘AVAILABILITY OF MANUFACTURING INFRASTRUCTURE Manufacturing infrastructure is readily available in India, which has vital resources such as land, electricity, water, manpower, and a favorable regulatory framework for industries. Technical textile manufacturing is a simple process that can be combined with an appealing and growing market to increase demand. where the use of technical textiles is mandatory. ‘The Bureau of Indian Standards has established standards for 377 technical textile products. The Ministry of Textiles also added six new courses: to the Samarth scheme, which is run by the Ministry. With this in mind, the National Technical Textiles Mission was launched in 2020, taking into account the enormous potential On January 17, the Union Ministry of Textiles approved 20 important research projects in the areas of special fibres and geotextiles worth Rs 30 crore under the National Technical Textiles Mission. Sixteen of the 20 research projects are in the special fibre sector, including five in the health care sector, four in the industrial and defence sectors, three in energy storage, three in textile waste recycling, and one in agriculture. The remaining four projects are all geotextile- related, 11 research projects worth Rs 78 crore and 60 lakh were approved in March of last year. = # New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022GEER sean the aR oo ee Pome tinitere ‘ow the ul pro TERI summit CLIMATE JUSTICE: THE ONLY OPTION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY With 2.4 percent of the world’s land area and nearly 8 percent of the world’s species, if India is today showing the world a new path of environmental protection, itis all credited to its commitment, for which it has set new resolutions and met them ahead of schedule in the last seven years. From International Solar Alliance to principle of One Sun-One World-One Grid, india's contribution has been appreciated on every global stage. India suggested the way to the world for climate justice in COP-26, with the mantra of Panchamrit given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once again, on the platform of TERI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a message of environmental sustainability and climate justice. ridia's environmental commitments were once again witnessed on February 16 at the World Sustainable Development Summit of the Energy and Resources Institute (TER), which has long served as a single platform to accelerate action toward sustainable development and climate change. in his inaugural address at the conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned about the continuous steps taken by India in the direction of nature and environment conservation, and also told about the success achieved with the efforts made 0 far in this direction, Mr. Modi said, “Environment and sustainable development have been key focus areas for him all through his 20 years in office, first toliten the in Gujarat and now at the national level. We have heard people call our planet fragile. But it is not the planet that is fragile. It is us. We are fragile. Our commitments to the planet, to nature has also been fragile. A lot has been said over the last 50 years since the 1972 Stockholm Conference. Very little has been done. But in India we have walked the talk.” Notably, the "World Sustainable Development ‘Summit’ is TERI's annual flagship event. Its objective is to provide a common platform for global leaders and experts working in the fields of sustainable development, energy, and the environment. This year's theme was "Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future’. rch 16-31, 2022 | 35TE ane Climate change, sustainable production, energy transition, global sharing, and resource security were among the topics addressed at the summit. This was the 21st edition of this annual conference. EXCERPTS FROM THE PRIME MINISTER'S ADDRESS AT THE CONFERENCE... ABOUT THE POOR AND THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR Equal access to energy to the poor has been a cornerstone of our environmental policy.The Ujwala scheme has provided clean cooking fuel to over 90 million households. We have brought renewable energy to farmers through the PM-KUSUM scheme, We are encouraging farmers ‘to install solar panels, use them, and sell any excess energy back to the grid. Efforts are being made to solarize existing pumps as well as standalone solar pumps. The emphasis on ‘chemical-free natural farming’ will also aid in the promotion of sustainability and equity ‘ON PROMOTING CLEAN ENERGY... Our LED bulb distribution scheme has been in place for over seven years. This has resulted in annual electricity savings of more than 220 billion units and a reduction of 180 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. We have announced the formation of a National Hydrogen Mission. The mission aims to harness green hydrogen, an exciting technology that will power our future. NEW MANTRA GIVEN TO THE WORLD... For global normaley to be sustained, action must be coordinated. This interdependence has been recognised as a result of our efforts. We hope to achieve "One Sun, One World, One Grid" through the International Solar Alliance. We must work to ensure that clean energy from ‘the global grid is available at all times and in all places. This is the vision of "Sampoorna Vishwa (Whole World),” which is consistent with Indian values. CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, LIFE... Now we have added LIFE - Lifestyle for Environment. LIFE is about making lifestyle choices to improve our planet. LIFE will be a coalition of like-minded people across the world who will promote sustainable lifestyles. | call them 3Ps - Pro Planet People. MESSAGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION THROUGH CULTURE Indians have always lived in harmony with nature. Our culture, customs, daily practices, and various harvest festivals reflect our strong bond with nature. Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign, and re-manufacture We have heard people call our planet fragile Butt is not the planet that is fragile. Itis us. We are fragile. Our commitments to the planet, to nature, have also been fragile. A lot has been said over the last 50 years, since the 1972 Stockholm Conference. Very little has been done. But in India, we have walked the talk, -Narendra Modi, Prime Minister REMINDED DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES Environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice. The energy needs of the people of India are likely to nearly double in the next twenty years. To deprive it of energy would be like depriving millions of life itself. Successful climate action also requires substantial funding. This requires developed countries to meet their commitments of finance and technology transfer. x New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022The Aravalli Hills in Gurugram, Haryana, which was once known as a mining site, is now gaining international recognition for environmental protection. The Biodiversity Park established here was designated as Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (QECM) site. The Intemational Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) confers the OECM tag. The Aravalli Hills are the country's first OECM status site. It was announced on World Wetlands Day on February 2. This park is spread over 390 acres. It has semfarid vegetation. It is home to over 43,000 shrubs, 1,000 trees, and 300 endemic plant species. The Aravallis provides 7.07 percent of Delhi's oxygen. As a result, this area is known as the "Green Lungs of Delhi.” Ramsar, on the other hand, is wet or moist land that has been designated as of “international importance” by have long been ingrained in indian culture. As it has in the past, India will continue to work toward climate friendly policies and practises. INDIA'S EFFORTS GET GLOBAL RECOGNITION India is a country with a wide range of cultures. India has approximately 8% of the world's species on 2.4 percent of the world's land. itis ourresponsibility, to protect the environment. We are expanding our network of protected areas. Our efforts have been recognised by the IUCN. The Aravali Biodiversity Park in Haryana has been designated as an OECM site for effective biodiversity conservation. | am also pleased that two more Indian wetlands have recently been designated Ramsar sites. In India, there are now 49 Ramsar sites covering an area of more than ‘one million hectares. One of our primary goals is TERI summit the Ramsar Convention. In fact, on February 2, 1971, a treaty for the protection of wetlands, known as the Ramsar Treaty, was signed in Ramsar, Iran, on the coast of the Caspian Sea. ‘The Ramsar Treaty was created to safeguard the world's wetlands. This treaty went into effect in 1975. On February 1, 1982, India signed the Ramsar Treaty, Chilka Lake in Orissa ‘was the first Ramsar site in India. Previously, India had 47 Ramsar sites. On February 2, the Ramsar Agreement designated Gujarat’s Khijdia Wildlife Sanctuary and Uttar Pradesh's Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary as wetlands of international importance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his pleasure at the award in a tweet, saying, "india has the largest network of Ramsar sites in South Asia, and this helps us to contribute to the conservation of flora and fauna.” to re-ertilize the land, which has become infertile. Since 2015, we have restored more than 11.5 milion hectares of land to fertility. We are on track to meet our national commitment to achieve land degradation neutrality under the Bonn Challenge. REMINDS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. Climate justice is the only way to achieve environmental sustainability. In the next twenty years, India's energy needs are expected to nearly double. To deprive them of this energy would be equivalent to depriving millions of people of life itself. Significant funding is also required for successful climate action. This requires developed ‘countries to meet their commitments to finance and technology transfer. m ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | 37GRAM UJALA YOJANA LIGHTING UP PROGRESS IN RURAL INDIA The government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to environmentally friendly and affordable electricity. This is why, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the government first launched the Ujala Yojana, and then, on March 19, 2021, the Gram Ujala Yojana, to light the lamp. of progress in the village. This scheme not only brightens the lives of the people who live in the village, but it also saves money in rural homes due to the reduction in electricity consumption caused by the distribution of LED bulbs ndiahas made significantprogressinelectrifying villages and providing electricity connections to households in recent years. Not only that, but in addition to an electricity connection, the village people benefit from good lighting and low-cost electricity, Union Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh initiated the Gram Ujala programme on March 19, 2021, in the Ara district of Bihar. After this, on March 24, 2021 a similar scheme was started in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The Ujala programme was launched by the government on January 5, 2015, but due to its inaccessibility in every village, the Gram Ujala Yojana was launched. LED bulbs with a three year warranty are given to rural residents under this scheme for Rs 10. By saving electricity with these bulbs, India is taking a significant step toward self-sufficiency. With this scheme, people save money on their electricity bills while also promoting a more sustainable and better way of life, Because of the increased demand for LED bulbs, investment and employment will rise as well. This is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi refers to the LED bulb as the "Prakash Path," or Path of Light.” This programme receives no federal or state funding, and all funds are spent by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (ESL). EESL is recouping this cost through carbon trading. The Gram Ujala Yojana is currently being implemented in rural households throughout Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana Sa Now ae Sense March 16-31, 2022On December 14, 2021, the Ministry of Power offered exorbitant discounts on the replacement of nondamaged incandescent bulbs (ordinary bulbs) in 2579 villages across five states— Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, ‘Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka— as part of the Gram Ujala Yojana initiative and distributed a total of 10 lakh LED bulbs for the low price of Rs 10. In this programme, 7W and 12W LED, incandescent bulbs were given away for just Rs. 10, with a three-year warranty from the date of purchase. This results in significant energy savings as well as cost savings for consumers. Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) has reached a significant milestone by distributing 50 lakh LED bulbs under the flagship Gram Ujala programme through the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) initiative. m Ministry of Power distributed 10 lakh LEDs in a day Gram Ujala Yojana HH ™= iy Teint 10 MN LEDs TO 2 MN HOUSEHOLD BY MARCH 31,2022 Whatis CESL? Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) is a subsidiary of the state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a public- private partnership under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. CESL’s mission is to provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy. CESL focuses on energy solutions that combine renewable energy, electric mobility, and climate change. CESL is also working on enabling battery-powered electric mobility, as well as developing infrastructure and business models to increase the use of electric vehicles in India. RAMIN UJALA YOJANA'S SUCCESSES This scheme began in the Ara district of Bihar and has already exceeded the target of distributing 6,150 bulbs in two days. This will result in significant energy savings because each 12W LED bulb produces the same amount of light as a standard 100W bulb. 66 GRAM UJALA YOJANA @ It began on March 19th,2021 in rural areas. Each family will receive up to five LEDs. In place of the old bulb, each house will receive an LED for Rs.10. ‘© The price of LED bulbs has been reduced from around Rs 310 in 2014 to Rs 70 today. The Gram Ujala programme is having a significant impact on India's response to climate change. ‘© Itwill also save 2025 million kWh of energy per year and reduce ‘carbon dioxide emissions by 1.65 million tonnes per year. It also contributes to higher living standards, financial savings, increased economic activity and security for rural citizens, and a more sustainable future. ‘© The Gram Ujala programme is the first of its kind in India, and it is entirely funded by carbon credits I strongly encourage everyone to use LED bulbs in order to Save money, save energy, and help the country. Narendra Modi, Prime Mi ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | 39TO GOLD Garbage not only pollutes the environment but is also harmful to one's health. Not only that, but it takes up space wherever itis kept. This is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a cleanliness campaign in the country to address these issues. He recently launched the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, which takes a comprehensive approach to creating a "waste-free city." Mission-Urban 2.0 aims to make cities completely waste-free, with dignity and an unrivalled love for the motherland here was a time when the country did not Ts ‘as much emphasis on cleanliness as it should have. As @ result, trash was strewn everywhere. But things are getting better, and when someone starts throwing garbage somewhere, he thinks 100 times. Furthermore, even three- to four- year-old children today tell their grandfather not to throw garbage here and there. Don't throw chocolate here if youve eaten it. Please do not throw paper here. This initiative will fortify the foundation of our future India, Not only that, but could anyone ever imagine that garbage could be useful? This could have a positive outcome, However, it is becoming possible, and preparations for making gold from garbage have begun. People have begun to experience freedom from disease and pollution as. result ofthis initiative, in which waste is converted into fuel. Vehicles can also run on this waste- derived fuel. On February 19, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Gobar-Dhan (Bio- CNG) plant in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to produce fuel from waste. "This campaign will go a long way towards making Indian cities clean, pollution free, Tadia Samachs 1022 arch 16-31, 6 Whether it is wet waste from homes in the city, garbage from livestock and farms in the village, all of this is, in a way, Gobar Dhan. From city waste and livestock, then clean fuel from Gobar Dhan, then Energy Dhan from clean fuel, this chain creates life-long wealth Prime Minister and clean energy," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the plant's inauguration, In fact, cow dung plants ate being established not only in cities, but also in villages, allowing farmers to supplement their income. This effort by the government will help India meet its climate commitments while also addressing the problem of stray and helpless cattle. At the same time, the government is attempting to make more and more Indian cities water-ich (Water Plus), as emphasised in the second phase of the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission. a Scan the OR code tolisten the Prime Minstere ul aasrees and view te fall programme.FEATURES OF GOBAR- DHAN (BIO-CNG) PLANT The Gobar-Dhan (Bio-CNG) Plant has the capacity to treat OUD tonnes of segregated wet organic waste per day. Theplantwil Fj =m 100 tonnes generate of organic 11,000 kg manure per of CNG and day. The plant is built on a zero-landfill model, which means that no waste will be rejected. Furthermore, the project is expected to provide several environmental benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the Use of organic manure as fertiliser. With aRs 190 crore investment, the Indore Municipal Corporation will purchase atleast 50% of the CNG produced by this plant and operate 400 city buses per day The remaining CNG will be sold on the open market. Organic manure will aid in the replacement of chemical fertilisers in agriculture. ‘Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ETHANOL BLENDING IN PETROL © Prior to 2014, the country received approximately 400 million litres of ethanol for blending. In India today, more than 3000 milion litres of ethanol are supplied for blending. This has greatly improved the health of sugar mills and has greatly aided cane farmers. 78 years ago, ethanol blending in India was barely growing at 1%, 1.5 %, and 2%, with no further growth. Today, the percentage of ethanol blended into gasoline is around 8%. In the last seven years, there has also been a significant increase in the supply of ethanol for blending, The budget specifies that coalired power plants will also use stubble. This will help to alleviate farmers’ problems while also providing farmers with additional income from agricultural waste. = GOVTWORKING 10° PUTA Ss Pa ae © The government is working to remove lakhs of tonnes of waste spread across thousands of acres of land in the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission, whichis polluting the air and water and causing many diseases. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan also emphasised women's rights and the beautification of cities and villages. Disposal of wet waste is now being prioritised. In the next 2-3 years, the government hopes to convert these garbage mountains into green zones. Since 2014, the country’s garbage disposal capacity has increased fourfold. To rid the country of single- use plastic, more than 1,600 bodies are getting material recovery facilities. More than 1,600 bodies are receiving material recovery facilities in ‘order to rid the country of single-use plastic. In the next two years, the government intends to establish Gobar Dhan Bio CNG plants in 75 major municipalities. wm ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | a1INDIA'S VACCINATION COVERAGE CROSSES THE 178 CRORE MARK The third wave of Covid in India is slowing, but the government's readiness and commitment to combating this global pandemic has not. As a result, in addition to relentless efforts to reach the remaining survivors, the pace of vaccination has been maintained, and new research has been prioritised. As a result, vaccines for children under the age of 15 are being developed, even as the number of new vaccines in the country increases health worker in Chhatarpur District Hospital and has so far administered one lakh vaccines. Maya, who works as, an ANM in the hospital, took over vaccination duties on January 16,2021, and hasn't taken a single day off since. Even on Sundays and other holidays, she worked tirelessly on vaccination, and by February 7, 2022, she had surpassed her goal of 1 lakh vaccines and set a new record. Maya Ahirwal's example demonstrates how, with everyone's help, the Covid vaccination campaign is a suocess in India. Because of the efforts of our health workers, the world's largest vaccination campaign is a success. The world's largest vaccination campaign is succeeding thanks to the efforts of our health workers, and the spirit of struggle, courage, determination, and collective effort can be seen in the Covid vaccination campaign today. M ‘aya Ahirwal hails from Madhya Pradesh, She works as a ‘THE NUMBER OF NEW AND ACTIVE CASES IS DECREASING The impact of the third wave of Covid-19 in the country is now declining. After 49 days on 22 February, less than two lakh active cases were registered in the country. On March 4, the number of a] New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022active patients was recorded at 69,897, while the recovery rate was 98.64 percent. On this day 6,396 new Covid cases were reported in the country, while 13,450 people recovered. Despite the decrease in new cases and active cases of Covid, the pace of vaccination has not slowed down and till March 4, 178.29 crore vaccine doses have been administered. As of March 4, more than 97 percent of the eligible population has received the first dose of the vaccine and 20 million precaution doses have also been given. At the same time, 5,51,46,865 adolescents in the age group of 15 to 17 years have been given the first dose and 2,94,46,462 adolescents have been given both doses. DCGI APPROVES BIOLOGICAL E'S COVID-19 VACCINE, CORBEVAX. Another coronavirus vaccine has arrived in the country to protect children aged 12 to 17. The Drugs Controller General of india (DCG!) has approved the use of Biological €'s Corbevax as an emergency treatment for children aged 12 to 17 years. Its use in an emergency is already permitted for people over the age of 17. Previously, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D were approved for emergency use in children aged 12 to 17. In addition, children aged 15 to 17 are being vaccinated with Covaxin. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya expressed delight at the vaccine's approval, saying it would "further strengthen our fight against Covi. In the country, a total of nine vaccines has been approved for emergency use. However, from January 16, 2021, only four vaccines are being used in the country including Covishield and Covaxin. After this Sputnik V and recently ZyCoV-D were launched in the country. ‘THE CENTER ASKS STATES TO RELAX RESTRICTIONS, With the number of COVID cases in the country rapidly declining, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has directed all states and union territories to review and reduce or eliminate additional COVID restrictions. In a letter, written to the states and union territories itis stated that the cases of COVID are decreasing in the country. In this situation, go over the COVID restrictions and reduce or eliminate them. Along with this, he has directed that the states monitor the number of Covid cases on a daily basis and implement a S-step strategy based on the test-track-treat-vaccination, Covid rules. In addition, the Ministry of Health recently revised its guidelines for international travellers, which has provided much relief to those travelling from abroad. m IN THE MISSION INDRADHANUSH VACCINATION CAMPAIGN, ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE CHILDREN LEFT OUT. Children aged 0-2 years, as well as pregnant mothers, who have missed or been denied vaccination, are vaccinated in special vaccination sessions based on a head count survey. Efforts are being made through this campaign to reach out to children who are not receiving routine vaccinations. © Through vaccination, the weakened immune system of children gets the strength to fight against dangerous diseases. Mission indradhanush was launched on 25 December 2014 for the complete immunization of all children in India. Recently Indradhanush 4.0 has been started India's Universal immunization Campaign is the largest health program in the world, Through this, about 2.67 crore newborn babies and 2.9 crore pregnant women are covered annually. It provides preventable diseases, © Vaccination is being run against 10 diseases at the national level, which are - diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, rubella, a severe form of tuberculosis, rotavirus diarthea, hepatitis B,andmeningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B and Pneumonia. © Vaccination campaigns are _being conducted at the regional level against two diseases, which are Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Japanese Encephalitis ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | a3H- @75 | Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsay Tm. Ving Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav THE ARCHITECTS OF MODERN INDIA to emerge as an independent and sovereign nation. The independence of India was a watershed moment in history. Our freedom fighters not only fought for independence but also industriously advocated for freeing it from various social evils through banning liquor, ending untouchability, adopting Swadeshi, and maintaining communal harmony. The quest for freedom was not only limited to achieving political freedom but also the moral and character upliftment of the nation also envisaged the economic empowerment of its people. Our freedom fighters unitedly worked together to achieve these goals. As a result of which the nation is moving on the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi to achieve fast. progress through ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, ‘Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’. The country has | nidia fought for not only political freedom but made impressive progress on social standards like poverty alleviation, life expectancy, infant mortality, maternal security, literacy, etc. This time in our Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav section, read about the stories of great freedom fighters- Sheel Bhadra Yajee, Chandraprabha Saikiani, Laxman Nayak, Basanti Devi, and MA lyengar. Tala Samachar | March T6-3, 2022a ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav| SHEEL BHADRA YAJEE: DUE TO HIS EFFORTS THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS GOT THE FACILITY OF PENSION fter being impressed by the geniuses lof a boy who was known as Laddu Sharma by people Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan named him Sheel Bhadra Yajee, who later emerged as one of the icons of the freedom movement. Born ‘on 22 March 1906 in the Bakhtiarpur area of Patna district, Sheel Bhadra Yajee started participating in the Indian freedom struggle from 1928 when he was studying in college and gradually he came close to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He remained a close confidant of Netaji for a long time. When Netaji left the country and went abroad, then he had visited him there. After independence, he worked to get the pension for the freedom fighters. The relationship between Netaji and Shel Bhadra Yajee can be easily gauged from the fact that when the Forward Bloc was established in 1939, Netaji had entrusted him with the responsibility of in-charge of Bihar. Later, when Netaji left the country, Yajee was made the National President of the Forward Bloc as his successor. When Netaji started a public awareness ‘campaign against British rule, he had come on a tour of Bihar only on the call of Sheel Bhadra Yajee who had organized 438 meetings for Netaji all over Bihar. He also organized a Congress session of Ramgarh (now Jharkhand). Being close to Netaji, the British even court-martialed him despite being a civilian. Shel Bhadra Yajee felt ideologically associated with the Garam Dal and also remained a member of Naujawan Bharat ‘Sabha, He had also worked with inspiring revolutionary figures like Bhagat Singh. He was also close to Sahajanand Saraswati and went to jail several times in an attempt to free Maa Bharati. He spent over 8 years in different jails, of the country besides remaining underground for about two and a half years. He was released from Arthur Road Jail when india got independence. Due to his efforts, a memorial of 26 thousand martyrs of Azad Hind Fauj was built in Morang, Manipur on the Myanmar border, which was inaugurated in 1955. An admirer of simplicity he worked relentlessly for the welfare of the poor, the downtrodden, and the oppressed. He remained a member of the Rajya Sabha for along time. Abronze statue of Pt. Shee! Bhadra Yajee at Freedom Fighters Colony in New Delhi was built. A postage stamp was ssued in honor of Shel Bhadra Yajee in 2001 by Atal ari Vajpayee's government CHANDRAPRABHA SAIKIANI: A FREEDOM FIGHTER WHO ALSO FOUGHT FOR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT Assam in 1925. In this meeting, a young 24-year-old woman was also present. She noticed that in the meeting women were seated separately, behind a curtain made of bamboo. This was intolerable to her. She climbed on the stage and raised a question to women present there. "Why are you sitting behind the curtain?" She even asked the women to come forward. This woman was none other than Chandraprabha Saikiani who played an important role in removing the purdah system in Assam. On her appeal, the women who were present in the meeting came forward. Born on 16 March 1901 in Daisingari A meeting of Sahitya Sabha was being held in the Nagaon district of ‘New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022 | a5H- \@75 | Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav village of Kamrup district in Assam, Chandraprabha Saikiani actively participated inthe freedom struggle of India along with fighting for the rights of women. She participated in the non-cooperation movement and also went to jail. She was the first woman to undertake a cycle tour across the state to make people aware during the freedom movement. Chandraprabha, along with other freedom fighters, had also launched a campaign to boycott foreign clothes in Assam and burn clothes in which women participated at a mass level. She undertook this campaign when Mahatma Gandhi was visiting Tezpur. She was associated with the Congress Party for India's independence and continued to work as a party worker till 1947. It is said that she took the initiative to educate women when she was only 13 years old. She opened a primary school in her village to teach girls. Her decision to become an unmarried mother demonstrates her inner grit to go against societal traditional conventions. It is said that she was married at a very young age to an old man but she refused to accept it. She was living separately and after getting into a relationship became ‘an unmarried mother. She decided to keep the son born from this relationship with her and raised him asa single mother. Writer Nirupama Borgohai has written a novel based on the life of Chandraprabha Saikiani titled Abhijatri which has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award. Chandraprabha_ Saikiani was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972. Praising her efforts Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on 16 March 2021 that Chandraprabha Saikiani_ made a remarkable contribution to the progress, social reforms, and empowerment of women in Assam. LAXMAN NAYAK, KNOWN AS GANDHI OF MALKANGIRI, WAS HANGED BY THE BRITISH WAYAK FOLLOWED GANOKIAN PRINCIPLES OF TRUTH, NON-VIOLENCE, ‘AND PEACEFUL NOW-COOPERATION TO ‘OPPOSE THE CYCLE OF REPRESSION BY ‘THE BRITISH AND STRENGTHENED THE PRINCIPLE OF SWARAL BY ADVOCATING ‘THE USE OF CHARKHA THROUGH ‘DOOR-T0-DOOR CAMPAIGNS. hetribal society of Odishahasmadeanimmensecontribution to the national cause. With their valor and patriotism, they always challenged the foreign rulers. Laxman Nayak is also one such great tribal hero who sacrificed his life for the country during the Quit India Movement. Laxman Nayak was born in Koraput, Odisha. His father Padalam Nayak, was the head of the Bhuyan tribe. He had seen the brutal face of the British in the matters of revenue collection, forest department, and criminal cases. This is the reason why he started organizing the people of his society. Nayak followed Gandhian principles of truth, non- Violence, and peaceful non-cooperation to oppose the cycle of repression by the British and strengthened the principle of ‘Swaraj by advocating the use of Charkha through door-to-door campaigns. He spread the message of Quit India among the tribals of Odisha, which helped in intensifying the movement. Nayak led a procession in Koraput on 21 August 1942 on the call of Mahatma Gandhi and protested peacefully in front of the Majuli police station. To disperse the crowd, the police opened fire in which 40 people were killed and over 200 were injured. In such a situation, the administration framed Laxman Nayak ina murder case, and eventually, he was sentenced to death He was hanged on 29 March 1943 in Baharampur Jail. He was 0 sure about the independence of the country that he used to say, "if the sun is true, the moon is also true, then it is equally true that India will also be free.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered Laxman Nayak in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on March ‘12 lastyear at the inauguration of the Azadi Ke Amrit Mahotsav, saying he spread consciousness through Gandhian ways, | New India Samachar | March 16-37, 2022