1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicates Sardar Sarovar Dam to nation.
Seventy-one years after it was conceived, a completed Sardar Sarovar Dam—one of the biggest in the country—was dedicated to the nation on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said India finished the job despite the objections of environmentalists and the World Bank.
“We faced every opposition for this project. The World Bank decided not to fund Sardar Sarovar Dam project after some activists propagated that the project flouted some environmental rules. World Bank or no World Bank, the people of this country had faith in us and it is due to their determination that this project has been completed,” Modi said.
The construction of the Narmada dam, conceived by freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1946, is now complete and it has started supplying water.
Modi was speaking at a function in Dabhoi in Narmada district of Gujarat after dedicating the completed interstate multi-purpose Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) Dam on the Narmada river to the nation. The consecration ceremony was held earlier in the morning at the dam’s site at Kevadia Colony near Gujarat’s border with Madhya Pradesh. The event coincided with Modi’s 67th birthday.
The function marked the culmination of construction of the dam, particularly its last phase, during which the height of the dam was raised from 121 metres to 138.68 metres by erecting 30 radial sluice gates, a task that had been held up for several years. This has helped the storage capacity to be increased 3.75 times to 4.73 million acre-feet. The project is being executed by the Gujarat government’s Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNL).
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The ambitious project has run into inter-state disputes, land acquisition and environmental problems and the rehabilitation and resettlement of those displaced by the project—issues that had a polarizing effect on the country. It also saw the birth of a massive movement against the dam, the Narmada Bachao Andolan, led by activist Medha Patkar. The agitation prompted the World Bank to withdraw lending to the project and consider it afresh. Unable to meet the revised standards set by World Bank, the Indian government decided to forgo the bank’s funding in March 1993.
Hailing it as an Indian engineering marvel, Modi said that the project has successfully brought water to the dry Kutch district, where the armed forces are guarding the nation.
A massive 6.82 million cubic metres of cement concrete went into building the main dam and a 75,000-km-long network of canals—an engineering marvel involving the construction of 634 structures. The canal work of about 43,000km is yet to be completed, according to Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki.
“When I used to visit the border areas as the CM of Gujarat, I realized that the water for the BSF (Border Security Force) jawans had to be fetched from many miles afar. Today, I am happy when the BSF soldiers tell me that they don’t face problems of drinking water anymore. It is an engineering marvel that has become a case study for large projects across the world,” the PM said while adding that the project had also brought social changes.
He said the drop-out ratio of girls from schools had been reduced after Narmada waters started reaching homes of the people. “Earlier girls in villages were forced to give up their studies as they had to travel far off places to fetch drinking water. Today, this is not the case. Even for speechless animals and livestock the drinking water issue has been resolved. I am truly blessed when I get blessings of all,” Modi said.
A multi-purpose project with irrigation, power and drinking water benefits, SSP is meant to benefit Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
“Sardar Sarovar Dam will bring drinking water to 4 crore people, income of farmers will double by 2022,” said Union minister Nitin Gadkari at Dabhoi. He said that the dam will help irrigate 2.2 million hectares of land.
In 5 April 1961, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of the Narmada dam project. However, it was only in 1987 that the contract was awarded to build the dam by 1996, but it remained embroiled in controversy between 1996 and 2000. After Modi became chief minister, height of the dam was progressively raised to 110.64 metres by June 2004.
“For many years, Congress party had government in Gujarat and Centre but did nothing to complete Narmada Dam. The Congress government did work of only Rs3,000 crore in its tenure, while PM Modi completed work of Rs56,000 crore for Narmada Dam in 15 years, opening the doors of development in Gujarat,” Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani said at the event.
“I don’t like thinking small and doing small. When I have support of 1.25 billion people of the country, I have no right to dream small. Hence I decided to build the world’s largest statue in the memory of Sardar Patel which will be twice the size of the Statue of Liberty in the US,” PM Modi said. Earlier in the day, he visited the site of the ‘Statue of Unity’, named after Sardar Patel, the country’s first home minister, to see the work in progress.
The statue is being built on an island, Sadhu Bet, downstream the SSP Dam on the Narmada River.
2. Airtel Payments Bank launches UPI enabled digital payments in India.
Airtel Payments Bank on Sunday said it has become the first payments bank in India to integrate the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its digital platform.
This will add to customer choice and convenience for making secure digital payments to online/offline merchants and making instant money transfers to any bank account in India, a company statement said in New Delhi.
"This would allow all our 20 million bank customers to create their personalised UPI handles on the Airtel app and enable them to make digital payments in both the offline and online space. Our bank customers would also be able to link their bank accounts on BHIM app and make UPI payments," said Shashi Arora, MD and CEO, Airtel Payments Bank.
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"Payments banks are capable of facilitating remittances and payments to a large user base especially to underserved area as per the RBI`s vision. We are happy to on-board Airtel Payments Bank on BHIM/UPI platform," said Dilip Asbe, Chief Operating Officer, National Payments Corp of India (NPCI).
"Through this association, we foresee a significant rise in digital transactions at untapped merchant locations and person-to-person payments space," he added.
For UPI-based payments and transfers, the customers are not required to furnish their bank details to enable transactions and can create easy to remember IDs, ensuring optimal data security, the statement said.
Customers can also link their Airtel Payments Bank savings accounts to any of their UPI handles on popular apps such as BHIM or UPI of other banks, it added.
3. Google launches mobile wallet and payments app `Tez` in India.
Internet search giant Google on Monday launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based digital payment service by the name `Tez` in India.
With this move, Google has become the latest international giant to enter the fast growing digital payments industry in India.
Taking Google`s commitment to the Indian market to the next level, the new Google payment App `TeZ` is powered by UPI, a payments protocol built by the Government-backed National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). `Tez` means fast in Hindi.
Tez was launched by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at an event in the Capital.
The launch will put the US tech giant on a collision course with Paytm, a popular mobile wallet provider in India that is backed by Softbank and Alibaba.
Speaking at the Tez launch event, Jaitley said he believed that the need for finding an alternative to cash was never centrestage in India`s economic agenda.
Jaitley, however, expressed confidence that what started as a "compulsion" for digitisation -- post demonetisation -- would soon turn into "convenience" with the launch of Tez.
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Diana Layfield, Vice-President, Head of Finance and commerce products on Google`s Next Billion Users team, later told presspersons that Google sees itself competing against cash.
"We don`t see ourselves competing against other players. Our competition is cash," Diana said.
Layfield also said Google was not looking to monetise the `Tez` app for now. She also said customers of 55 Indian banks can now use Tez.
Google Tez supports several local languages including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu.
4. Intelligence wing of Sashastra Seema Bal launched.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has launched full-fledged intelligence wing of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). SSB is paramilitary force that guards India’s borders with Bhutan and Nepal.
The intelligence wing will gather actionable information in a bid to enhance operational efficiency. It will have 650 field and staff agents to gather actionable information. SSB’s intelligence wing personnel will be deployed on India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders where there are no restrictions on movement of people on either side due to visa free regime.
Background
India shares 1,751 km-long border with Nepal and 699 km-long border with Bhutan. The border with Nepal touches Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim and border with Bhutan touches Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
India has visa free regime with both countries as border population on both the sides has strong regional, cultural and economic ties. Due to visa-free regime, there is trans-border movement of criminals and anti-national elements which pose major security challenge.
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The intelligence wing of SSB will help to institutionalise a well-knit intelligence network of highest capability that can play important role in comprehensive border management. Based on intelligence SSB can undertake essential operations to prevent criminals and smugglers from taking advantage of friendly borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
WARB Application
The Ministry also launched Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) application to facilitate retire CAPFs and Assam Riffles personnel to get their grievances redressed, seek skill development, re-employment and other relevant and important information.
5. Assam Skill City to have 10,000 training seats may take 4-5 years to get functional.
A well equipped skill city with a capacity of 10 thousand training seats will be set up in Assam. Talking to AIR in Guwahati last night, Mission Director of Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM) AP Tiwari said that a Singapore based premier institute will support the state government in this regard. He said that it will take 4 to 5 years to complete the construction of the proposed skill city.
Mr. Tiwari said that the mission will set up skill training centres at block levels. He said that skill development is one of the thrust areas of the Central government as well as Assam government.
Mr Tiwari further said that 30 thousand former militants will be given skill development training and ceasefire camps in which they are residing now will be converted into production centres.
The Mission Director of Assam Skill Development Mission A P Tiwari said , the construction of the proposed skill city would complete after 4 to 5 years . But prior to that , a temporary complex with 400 capacity is being set up in Guwahati. Mr. Tiwari said, Assam Skill Development Mission will set up skill training centres at block level. He further said , 30 thousand former militants will be given skill development training and cease fire camps where they are residing now will be made production centres.
Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.
6. Union Minister Rajnath Singh launched full-fledged intelligence wing of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will on Monday operationalise a full-fledged Intelligence Wing of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), mandated to guard India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders.
In a bid to enhance operational efficiency, the Home Ministry in July had given the approval to create 650 combatised posts for the intelligence set-up in the 96,500-strong SSB.
The 650 posts in various ranks range from battalion to headquarters levels.
The Intelligence Wing personnel would be deployed on the 1,751-km India-Nepal and 699-km India-Bhutan borders where there are no restrictions on the movement of people on either side, an official said.
He said the Intelligence Wing was required due to cross-border movement of criminals and anti-national elements in the context of visa-free regime on these borders.
As most stretches of the border see activities of Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence, Indian insurgent groups, Maoists, fundamentalists, smugglers of arms and ammunition, narcotics, Indian Fake Currency and human traffickers, the wing will really help in keeping a proper tab on these, he said.
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On the occasion, the Home Minister will also launch the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) App and distribute scholarship to the children of SSB personnel killed in the line of duty.
The mobile App is available on Google Play Store and is user friendly, the official said.
"The App contains various useful features to facilitate retired CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) and Assam Rifles personnel to get their genuine grievances redressed, seek skill development training through National Skill Development Corporation under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna, re-employment and other relevant and important information," the official said.
"It also helps retired personnel to have better coordination with WARB and its field formation at states, union territories, and district level."
7. Maharashtra Government to start work on Rs 1 lakh crore infra projects.
The state government has decided to start work on mega infrastructure projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore this year.
“We are working to fast-track the projects to get rid of the mismatch between rapid urbanisation and rising infrastructure demands,” said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday. “We have earned appreciation from Niti Aayog for undertaking big-ticket projects worth Rs 5.96 lakh crore across sectors,” he added.
The chief minister was addressing the conclave, Progressive Maharashtra: Leap Frogging to $ trillion economy in year 2025. The conclave was organised by FICCI in Mumbai.
While announcing that work order for the 21.8-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link will be issued in the next 15-20 days, Fadnavis said, “This will be the biggest sea link between Sewri and Nhava Sheva. It will connect the island city of Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.”
8. Special canteen for labours in Chhattisgarh and Meals at just Rs.5.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said "As many as 60 such food centers will be set up in 27 districts of the states which will provide food to nearly 60,000 labourers on a daily basis. The labourers can either have meal at the facility or get it packed in their tiffins."
He further said “first Shram Anna Sahayata centre was launched in Chhattisgarh’s Telibandha area where nearly 1,000 labourers will be served meal daily between 8 am to 10 am”. Singh noted that the programme aims to reach 7000 labourers across 27 districts in Chhattisgarh.
The government has also registered 21 lakh workers from the organized and the unorganized sectors.
Moreover, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani dedicated, performed `bhoomipoojan` of 28 developmental works worth Rs 146 crore at village Mandir Hasod (development block -Aarang) district Raipur.
Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh presided over the function. Fifteen development works worth Rs 44 crore were dedicated and `bhoomipoojan` of 13 works worth Rs 102 crore were performed. Also, Foundation stone was laid for lining the main canal structure construction of the Mahanadi Irrigation Project worth Rs 78 crore.
9. Amit Shah launches ‘Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana’ in Jharkhand to provide houses to freedom fighters.
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scheme to develop villages of freedom fighters, called the Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana, from the Jharkhand rural hamlet of Ulihatu which is tribal leader Birsa Munda’s birthplace. The village is in Maoist-hit Khunti district.
Shah, on the third day of his Jharkhand visit, met the descendants of Birsa Munda and gave away gas connections and solar lamps to some of the beneficiaries of the new scheme. The BJP chief and Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das planted saplings there.
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Shah lauded the state government for implementing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “If we can’t give a developed village to the descendants of the great Birsa Munda and so many others, such as Nilamber, Pitamber and Sidho Kano, then we will not be able to return their debt. Not only Jharkhand, the entire country is indebted to them as they kept raising their voice against the British,” he said.
Ulihatu, a village in Arki Block, had remained virtually inaccessible for a long time after Independence because of Left-wing extremism.
Villagers recalled that then Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad had visited them in 1994 and promised development. But things did not move forward. In the intervening period, many leaders came calling. “They come to us once in a while. Things get spruced up. And then things remain the same. They are coming again now. We hope this time the assurance becomes a reality,” said Budh Ram Munda, the grandson of Birsa Munda who is a head constable in Jharkhand police.
An official from the Welfare Department said that the programme would provide 136 pucca houses to the dwellers of Ulihatu and a couple of other hamlets around it.
10. Union Petroleum Minister to co-chair 13th Inter-Governmental Commission meeting at Astana, Kazakhstan.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan will be visiting Astana, Kazakhstan from 19 - 20 September 2017 to co-chair the 13th Meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) with Kazakhstan. Mr Kanat Bozumbayev, Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan will co-chair the meeting from Kazakhstan side.
The IGC meeting aims to follow up on the agenda set between India and Kazakhstan during the two visits of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Kazakhstan in July 2015 and June 2017.
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During his visit, Shri Pradhan is scheduled to discuss various issues and ideas for stepping up the cooperation in energy sector, trade, economic, investment, transport & connectivity, agriculture, information technology, space, healthcare and cultural spheres between the two countries with his counterpart. The two sides are also expected to finalize a strategy and roadmap for expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The Minister is being accompanied by a delegation comprising senior officials from Ministries/Departments, including Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mines, Electronics & IT, Tourism, ISRO, Department of Atomic Energy, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and also high level executives from ONGC Videsh and Railway Board.
11. Zero Hunger Programme to be launched in October.
India’s ambitious Zero Hunger Programme through interventions in farm sector will be launched on occasion of World Food Day (October 16) with focus on agriculture, nutrition and health in a symbiotic manner.
The Programme will be initiated by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in association with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), MS Swaminathan Research Foundation and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
Key Facts
The programme consists of organisations of farming system for nutrition, setting up genetic gardens for biofortified plants and initiation of ‘Zero Hunger’ training. A genetic garden for biofortified plants contains germplasm of naturally biofortified crops through plant breeding. It has plants and crops that help supplement micro-nutrient deficiencies, including iron, zinc, vitamin A and iodine among others.
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The Programme initially will be launched in three districts – Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Koraput (Odisha) and Thane (Maharashtra). These three districts will act as model of integrated approach to deal with hunger and malnutrition by adopting suitable agricultural or horticultural practices.
The Programme will ensure suitable methods of measuring impact of intervention by identifying the nutritional maladies in each district and applying appropriate agricultural/horticultural and animal husbandry remedies.
This dedicated farm-based programme is in sync with India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end hunger by 2030. It will be in addition government’s plan to deal with issue of malnutrition through various other initiatives under its goal to make India malnutrition free by 2022.
12. Jharkhand Government launches Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana.
Jharkhand Government has launched Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana aimed at developing villages of freedom fighters in the state. It was launched from Ulihatu Village, birth place of freedom fighter Birsa Munda.
Under this scheme, villages of many tribal freedom fighters will be developed and their habitants will be provided basic amenities. These villages had remained inaccessible for long time after Independence because of Left-wing extremism. Now they will be provided with 136 pucca houses.
Birsa Munda
Birsa Munda was tribal, freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to Munda tribe from Chhotanagpur area. He had led Munda rebellion towards end of 19th century against British Raj. Starting in 1895, revolt was against interference by British administration which transformed tribal agrarian system into feudal state around Chhotanagpur area, as well as interference in their religious matters from Missionary activities.
Birsa Munda had adopted Guerilla Warfare techniques to launch surprise attacks in which many police officials were killed. The revolt was brutally suppressed by Britishers. Birsa Munda was arrested and was sentenced to death and died in jail of Cholera.
13. Government invites startups for Northeast Venture Fund.
The Ministry of Development of Northeast has invited start-ups from all over country to avail benefits of Northeast Venture Fund in a bid to make Northeast India favourite destination for young Startups.
The dedicated Venture fund aims to remove constraints faced by youngster when he sets out to be on his own by providing financial relief. Further it seeks to tap vast unexplored avenues in Northeast for generating livelihood particularly in fruit, food, handicraft and tourism industry.
Northeast Venture Fund (NVF)
NVF is first dedicated venture capital fund for North-Eastern region. It has been set up by North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi). Its purpose is to encourage entrepreneurship in North-eastern region, primarily by offering support to first-generation entrepreneurs. In addition, NEDFi performs role of hand-holding and capacity building.
14. Tripura is the First State to Set Up Family Welfare Committees.
Tripura on Monday became the first state in the country to set up family welfare district committees to deal with the issue of fake and biased complaints by women against their husbands, in-laws and husband`s relatives, as per an apex court directive.
State Governor Tathagata Roy in the presence of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and other high dignitaries formally launched the family welfare committees in all eight districts in Tripura at a function in Tripura High Court.
Tripura is the first state to have formed such committees, Tripura High Court Chief Justice T. Vaiphei said at the event.
"After filing of complaint by a woman against her husband, in-laws and husband`s relatives, the district family welfare committees would scrutinise the complaint, try to mitigate and mediate between the two sides to settle the dispute," T. Vaiphei said.
"After the district family welfare committees have submitted their report, the police officials would start appropriate legal action."
Quoting Supreme Court Judge Adarsh Kumar Goel, Vaiphei said that Tripura High Court is the first high court among 24 High Courts in India that has constituted family welfare district committees.
Tripura High Court Judge Subhashish Talapatra said in the Rajesh Sharma versus state of Uttar Pradesh case, the Supreme Court on July 27 directed that each complaint of cruelty to a woman by her husband or his relatives, which does not involve tangible physical injuries or death, shall be referred to the family welfare committee of the district.
"This apex court judgment is based on the court`s observations that section 498-A of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) is abused by some women, particularly to harass elderly in-laws. The apex court cited the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data in support."
The family welfare district committees may comprise para-legal volunteers or social workers or retired officers or even the wives of serving officers, but the panel members will not be called as witnesses if the police or magistrate decide to investigate a particular case.
Judge Talapatra told IANS that over 80 per cent frivolous, fake and biased cases across the country are filed by a section of women against husband, in-laws and husband`s relatives.
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"Such fake and prejudiced cases are the cause of huge damage to a large number of families and harm the dignity of innocent people," Judge Talapatra said.
He said that the Supreme Court in its directions said that the new system to deal with the section 498-A of the IPC would be for six months and the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) would submit a report in March before the apex court on the performance and outcome of the district family welfare committees across the country.
"After getting the report of the NLSA and considering other related aspects, the Supreme Court would take the next steps on the issue," Judge Talapatra said.
Both Governor Tathagata Roy and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in their speeches welcomed the Supreme Court`s steps.
Sarkar called for passage of the women`s reservation bill. "To empower women and to maintain equality, the much-expected legislation on one third reservations for the women in Parliament and state assemblies must be enacted at the earliest," Sarkar said.