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Need to relook Make in India policy to boost defence industry: CDS Rawat

New Delhi (NVI): India’s aspirations of being a regional power can no longer be held hostage to arms import, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat today said, while highlighting the need for industry to seize opportunities in defence manufacturing.

While addressing eSymposium on ‘Catalysing Defence Exports’, organized by FICCI, General Rawat said, “Amidst the host of initiatives taken by the government to boost domestic defence industry, time is now right for the industry to seize the opportunities and achieve strategic interdependence in defence manufacturing and make India a net exporter of defence equipment.”

He stated that it is imperative for India to invest in building long-term indigenous capabilities on application of decisive military power which will also give us the benefit of increasing our defence exports in the future. “All stakeholders must play a key role in developing the desired defence ecosystem,” he said.

To boost the defence industry and export of defence products, General Rawat emphasized on the need to relook the Make in India policy. “Make in India theme may be relooked with three broad objectives viz. Make in India for import substitution, Make in India for sustained domestic demand and Make in India for global exports,” he added.

He further said that there is a need for well thought out defence export strategies on economic viability and sustained growth for defence industry.

General Rawat said that recent announcements by the government including the negative import list, increasing the FDI limit, separate budget provisions are some of the initiative that will lead to a comprehensive defence ecological system within the MSME sector.

“The MSMEs as tier-2 and 3 suppliers, startups as innovators and industry houses as aggregators, quality assurance services, and academia must work in synergy to come up with world class defence products,” he said.

He also said that India needs to revamp our ordnance factories and other defence PSUs in terms of modernization, work culture and quality control. “Corporatization including public listing of some units would be the way forward to ensure more efficient interface with the designer and the end user,” he said.

CDS Rawat further emphasised that COVID-19 has impacted the supply chain distribution including the defence sector. “India should have a robust defence manufacturing capacity which will not only ensure strategic interdependence but will also bring substantial revenue in making India modern, prosperous, and secure,” he added.

-ARK

J&K’s Covid tally nears 50,000 with highest single-day spike of 1617 cases

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir today witnessed yet another single-day record spike of 1,617 coronavirus positive cases, including 67 travelers, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the Union Territory to 47,542.

Today’s spurt in Covid-19 positive cases has broken all previous records, said the UT health officials.

Of the total 47,542 cases, 33,445 are from Kashmir and 14,097 from Jammu division. Officials said that among 1,617 new cases, 723 belong to Kashmir while 894 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir division has reached 33,445, including 26,505 recoveries.

On the other hand, the total number of positive cases in Jammu division has reached 14,097 including 7,366 recoveries and 123 deaths.

The officials said that total number of active cases in the UT us 12,839 including 6,231 from Kashmir division and 6,608 from Jammu division.

With 620 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in J&K has reached 33,871 which is 71.24 percent of the total cases which was over 78 percent a few days ago.

Notably, first time since covid-19 outbreak, Jammu has more active cases than in Kashmir division as Jammu division has 6,608 while Kashmir division has 6,231 active cases.

“Cases tested positive in J&K include 260 from Srinagar, 85 from Baramulla, 37 from Pulwama, 69 from Budgam, 69 from Anantnag, 75 from Bandipora, 51 from Kupwara, 16 from Kulgam, 23 from Shopian and 38 from Ganderbal in Kashmir division while as 894 from Jammu division include  583 from Jammu, 71 from Rajouri, 36 from Kathua, 77 from Udhampur, 30 from Samba, 18 from Ramban, 31 from Doda, 11 from Poonch, 28 from Reasi and 09 from Kishtwar,” as per the daily Covid bulletin.

Apart from that, 5,02,377 persons in J&K are under observation while 44,532 persons have been kept under home quarantine. Besides that, 12,839 persons are in isolation.

As per the bulletin, 3,92,784 persons have completed surveillance period and 51,390 persons are under home surveillance.

So far, results of 11,31,076 samples are available out of which 10,83,534 stand negative while 47,542 have tested positive. Among positive cases 12,839 are active and 33,871 persons have recovered. Highest single-day spike of 1617 cases; J&K’s tally nears 50,000

-ARK

J&K: 2 CRPF personnel injured in grenade attack at South Kashmir’s Anantnag

Kashmir
Representational Image

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured after terrorists lobbed a grenade in Lal Chowk area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district this evening, officials said.

A senior police officer said that militants lobbed a grenade on a CRPF party of 40 battalion in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag, resulting in injuries to two CRPF men. Both were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, he said, adding that the area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers. The two injured were identified as Chander Pal and Sunil Kumar.

Officials said that both injured are stable and will be discharged from the hospital soon. Heavy contingent of police and CRPF have launched a massive cordon and search operation in the area to nab the attackers.

-ARK

More than 46k buyers registered on GeM, 62k cr transacted in UP alone

New Delhi (NVI): More than 46,000 buyers are registered on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and 62 thousand crores have been transacted in Uttar Pradesh alone through the portal, indicating that GeM is fast-growing and aims to become a leading e-commerce place for sellers.

Praveen Wadhwani, Regional Business Facilitator, GeM Uttar Pradesh came up with the figures as GeM officials both from the Centre and regional level interacted with various business representatives from UP over virtual platform to address their queries and update them about the various features of the current version of GeM portal.

Wadhwani shared a presentation with the participants which detailed about the features of the portal and the registration process for manufacturers and OEMs. He also spoke that the state government mandates 25% procurement from MSEs and promotes government buying through the portal.

He also informed the participants that they can participate in bids and reverse auction on the platform for their products and services. “A new feature on the portal is that the sellers can initiate new product suggestion,” said Wadhwani.

Ankit Gupta, Chairman, CII Uttar Pradesh said, “In today’s world it has become pertinent to use the technologies in order to reach out to the bigger market, this has even become more important in the current COVID situation to reach out to the customer with the click of a button.”

He also noted that GeM portal has not only created a platform for sellers to explore the bigger market but has also opened the whole new world of opportunities for them in a transparent & systematic manner.

Also addressing the session, KC Jha, Advisor-GeM, GOI informed the participants that the portal has been in effect since August 2016. Through continuous business process re-engineering, it now takes less than 20 minutes to register as a seller on the platform, he said.

He also informed that tenders can now be opened within 7 days which previously used to take 21 days. Due consideration has also been given to start-ups and weavers who can now participate and sell on the portal without any middlemen.

The current version also assures timely and assured payment to the suppliers. Jha mentioned that work is in process for version 4 of the portal and it would also feature a mechanism to keep out sellers who quote unrealistic prices.

Manoj Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, MKU Ltd shared his experience as a registered seller and mentioned that the portal has made it very easy for the sellers to register themselves while he pointed out that the helpdesk can be made more efficient.

-ARK

First India, France, Australia trilateral dialogue held with focus in India-Pacific

New Delhi (NVI): The first India-France-Australia trilateral dialogue was held today virtually, with focus on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region.

During the dialogue, the three sides discussed economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 and domestic responses to the pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Cooperation on Marine Global Commons and potential areas for practical cooperation at the trilateral and regional level were also discussed, including through regional organisations such as ASEAN, IORA and the Indian Ocean Commission.

The three countries also had an exchange on the priorities, challenges and trends in regional and global multilateral institutions, including the best ways to strengthen and reform multilateralism, MEA said.

The outcome-oriented meeting was held with the objective of building on the strong bilateral relations that the three countries share with each other and synergising their respective strengths to ensure a peaceful, secure, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific Region. The three sides agreed to hold the dialogue on an annual basis.

The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, François Delattre, Secretary-General, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Frances Adamson, Secretary, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The meeting takes place at a time when the Indian Air Force is inducting French Rafale jets while New Delhi is taking maritime bilateral relations with Australia to the next level amid an escalating border row with China at LAC in Ladakh.

-ARK

Chinese FM to attend luncheon meeting with Jaishankar in Moscow amid border row

New Delhi (NVI): Amid an escalating border row at between India and China LAC in Ladakh, Chinese Foreign Minister Wangi Yi will attend a luncheon meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Moscow on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in the Russian capital, according to the Chinese state media.

EAM Jaishankar has already reached Russia to attend the SCO meet. State-run Global Times today said in a tweet that Wang Yi will be attending luncheon meeting with foreign ministers from India and Russia in Moscow.

“Chinese State Councilor and FM Wang Yi is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in #Moscow on Thursday: Chinese FM,” read a tweet by Global Times.


However, it is not clear yet whether Wang Yi will have a one-on-one meeting with his Indian counterpart. Jaishankar is the second cabinet minister to have arrived in Moscow to attend the SCO meet, as diplomatic and military levels talks with China are still underway to resolve the tense situation at LAC.

Before this, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Russian capital to attend the meeting of defence ministers of SCO countries. He had attended a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Gen Wei Fenghe.

Before he left for Moscow, Jaishankar had earlier this week described the situation in eastern Ladakh as “very serious” but called for political and diplomatic level engagements, in contrast with the “military option” remark by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat.

-ARK

UN reports first COVID-19 cases inside Syrian refugee camps in Jordan

New Delhi (NVI): Two coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Azraq camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan, which is home to more than 40,000 people who have fled their country’s civil war, the UN refugee agency said.

They are the first infections to be detected among Syrians living in refugee camps in Jordan.

The UNHCR said the two patients were transferred to quarantine facilities after testing positive, and their neighbours have been isolated as more testing is carried out.

UNHCR spokesman Mohammad Hawari said the two patients were transferred to an isolation centre on the Dead Sea. Those who were living with them, as well as their neighbours, were moved to an “isolation zone” inside the camp, and everyone who had contact with them is being tested.

Hawari added the camp hospital has 14 beds designated for patients with COVID-19. But officials are concerned the virus could easily spread among the crowded population.

“It is a reminder that everyone has been affected by this epidemic, and solutions must be addressed through international solidarity and cooperation,” UNHCR said in a statement.

Azraq is home to about 40,000 Syrian refugees, while the larger Zaatari camp in Jordan houses around 80,000.

Jordan hosts a total of more than 650,000 Syrian refugees, most of whom live outside of camps. At least four Syrian refugees living outside the camps in Jordan have tested positive, with three of them recovering.

Experts and aid agencies have warned of potentially catastrophic outbreaks in the world’s refugee camps, where sanitation is often poor and social distancing is nearly impossible.

More than 70 million people worldwide have fled their homes because of war and unrest, and up to 10 million live in refugee camps and informal settlements, according to media reports.

-CHK

Two smugglers shot dead by BSF troops at India-Pak border in Rajasthan

Items recovered from place of occurrence. (Image credits: @BSF_India)

New Delhi (NVI): Border Security Force (BSF) troops foiled an infiltration attempt along the border with Pakistan and shot dead two armed smugglers near Sriganganagar in Rajasthan on the intervening night of September 8 and 9, officials today said.

According to reports, the operation was carried out after receiving specific intelligence inputs about narcotics smuggling from Pakistan side to the Indian side in AOR of BOP Khayaliwala, Sriganganagar border outpost.

The alert BSF troops foiled a nefarious attempt by the armed smugglers to smuggle arms and ammunition.

BSF troopers seized arms and ammunition, drugs and Pakistani currency from the slain intruders who tried to cross the border fence, officials said.

On searching the area, the BSF found two pistols, 28 rounds of ammunition, eight packets of narcotics, one night vision device, Rs 13,000 in Pakistani currency, one national identity card no 31103-7254202-1 in the name of Shahbaz Ali S/o Mustaq Ahmed along with the bodies of the intruders.

The BSF and police have launched a search operation in the area and an FIR has been registered at Gajsinghpur police station.

The shooting comes less than three weeks after the BSF shot dead five intruders, who were trying to cross over to Indian territory from Pakistan, in a village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district.

-CHK

Indian telemedicine market to reach USD 5.5 bn by 2025: Study

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): The healthcare industry in India should shift from traditional method of doctor-patient interaction to digitally enabled remote consultations, as the domestic telemedicine market is expected to reach USD 5.5 billion by 2025, according to an EY-IPA study.

As per the study, evolution of teleconsultation and e-pharmacy will be the new normal, and around 15-20 per cent of the healthcare ecosystem is expected to shift to virtual care across triaging, consults, remote monitoring, home health, etc.

However, the healthcare industry, driven by the increased digitisation will require a strong regulatory framework to protect the patient’s data privacy and prescription substitution, it added.

The study stated that the telemedicine market in India will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31 per cent for the period 2020–25 and reach USD 5.5 billion.

“Virtual care which consist of tele–consult, telepathology, teleradiology and e–pharmacy and is experiencing growth in India due to the pandemic,” it said.

This boost will make teleconsultation and e-pharmacy account for around 95 per cent of the telemedicine market by 2025 which amounts to USD 5.2 billion, the study said.

According to the study, India’s e-pharmacy market is projected to reach 10-12 per cent of the overall pharmaceutical sales in the next five years driven by strong regulations, increased funding and creation of digital infrastructure.

“With the challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer behaviour and patterns are changing and the new norms of social distancing traditional ways of in-person doctor-patient interaction are being digitally enabled by remote consultations,” Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) Secretary-General Sudarshan Jain said.

Sriram Shrinivasan, partner & leader – Life Sciences, EY India also said, “The current levels of adoption by the patients and doctors along with emerging technologies, India will experience a growth in the digital health ecosystem.”

However, it will also need a robust regulatory and governance framework that provides the right support for growth, he added.

-RJV

PM Modi holds ‘Svanidhi Samvaad’ with street vendors from MP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held an interaction with street vendors from Madhya Pradesh as part of ‘Svanidhi Samvaad’.

“I congratulate all beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme. In my interactions with a few of them, I could see hope, confidence in their talks. I also congratulate Chief Minister Shivraj Singh and his team for his efforts through which in just two months over one lakh street vendors have received the benefit under the scheme,” the Prime Minister said.

“This scheme aims to provide a new beginning for the street vendors. This is the first time that a network of lakhs of people has been connected to the system and they have been given an identity,” he added.

PM Modi spoke to three vendors from Indore, Gwalior, and Raisen about the benefits they had received under the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme and the difficulties, if any, they had to face in procuring the seed capital for their business under the scheme.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also participated in the event, held through video conferencing.

The Prime Minister also said that under this scheme the beneficiaries can get fully exempt from having to pay back the interest on loans if they give attention to some small details.

He also said that a new process has been started to ensure that the street vendors do not lag behind in accepting digital payments, under which bank officials would visit them and provide them with QR codes, along with instructing them how to use it.

He also stressed on the use earthen pitchers instead of single-use plastic bottles for drinking water to save the environment.

The Centre had launched PM SVANidhi scheme on 1st June 2020 to help poor street vendors, impacted by COVID-19 resume their livelihood activities.

Madhya Pradesh stands first in the number of total applications accepted, with 47 per cent of these coming from the State alone.

-CHK

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