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There are 55 Indian civilians, 227 fishermen in Pak custody

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan has in its custody 55 civilian prisoners and 227 fishermen, who are Indians or believed-to-be-Indians, according to a list handed over to India, which demanded their early release and repatriation along with the missing defence personnel.

Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 4 Indian civilian prisoners and 126 Indian fishermen to India whose nationality has been confirmed and conveyed to Pakistan.

In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to 14 believed-to-be Indian civilian prisoners and 100 Indian fishermen who are in Pakistan’s custody.

The Indian government also asked Pakistan to expedite the grant of visas to the members of the medical experts team and facilitate their visit to Pakistan to assess the mental condition of believed-to-be Indian prisoners of unsound mind, lodged in different jails of Pakistan; to organise early visit of the Joint Judicial Committee to Pakistan; and to organise early visit of the 4-member team to Karachi in connection with release and repatriation of 22 Indian fishing boats.

The issue came up as India and Pakistan exchanged, through diplomatic channels, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody, in keeping with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement under which such lists are exchanged on 1st January and 1st July, every year.

India handed over lists of 267 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 99 fishermen to Pakistan who are in India’s custody.

An External Affairs Ministry statement said India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s country.

In this context, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 82 Pakistan prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan.

Will work to create synergy among Army, IAF, Navy: CDS Gen Rawat

New Delhi (NVI): Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat today said he would work to create more synergy among the three Services so that these work as a team.

“The CDS is mandated to facilitate integration, ensure best economical use of resources allocated to the Armed Forces and bring uniformity in the procurement procedure,” he told reporters here.

“I want to assure you that the Army, Navy and Air Force will work as a team and the CDS will ensure integration among these,” he added.

To a question, he said the armed forces in India remain away from politics while working under the government.

Gen Rawat, who became the first CDS of the country after his tenure as the Army Chief, will be the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all Tri-Services matters.

He will also head newly-created Department of Military Affairs (DMA).

The CDS will have a key role in ensuring optimum utilisation of allocated budget, usher in more synergy in procurement, training &operations of the Services through joint planning and integration.

The CDS will facilitate indigenisation of weapons and equipment to the maximum extent possible while formulating the overall defence acquisition plan for the three Services.

Earlier, Gen Rawat inspected the Tri-Service Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravanewere also present on the occasion.

Gen Rawat is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; Higher Command, National Defence College. He also attended the Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth in the United States.

During his distinguished career in the Army, he commanded an Infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Sector, a Rashtriya Rifles Sector, an Infantry Division in the Kashmir Valley and a Corps in the North East.

He had also commanded a Multinational Brigade in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As an Army Commander, he commanded a theatre of operations along the Western Front and was appointed the Vice Chief of the Army Staff before assuming office of Chief of the Army Staff.

During the span of over 41 years in the Army, General Rawat has been awarded several gallantry and distinguished service awards.

Panchayats being empowered in Kashmir

By Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): The government has embarked on a plan to strengthen grass root leadership in Kashmir by giving more administrative and political powers to the elected Panchayat members to fill the political vacuum created after detention of mainstream political leaders since August 5.

All the mainstream leaders of all the politicians, including Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were detained on August 5, when the Centre moved to abolish special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and divided the state into two union territories.

Since then, about a dozen junior-rung political leaders have been released while the top leadership continues to be detained at MLAs hostel in Srinagar.

Due to their detention, there has been hardly any political activity in Kashmir for over five months.

In the meantime, the government is strengthening Panchayats in the newly-created union territory of Jammu and Kashmir by giving Panchs and Sarpanchs enough powers to take decisions regarding development works in their respective jurisdictions.

The Union Territory administration has decided to give administrative control of 21 departments to Panches and Sarpanches at the Gram Panchayat level.

Some of the departments which have been zeroed-in on include Rural Development, Social Welfare, Health, Education, Power, Horticulture, Fisheries and Agriculture.

Explaining the administrative role of panchayat members, Director, Rural Development Department Kashmir, Sarwar Qazi said they will administer these departments at the Gram Panchayat level.

“If a Gram Panchayat constitutes of seven Panches and Sarpanches, then multiple departments will be allotted to a member. If there are more than 21 Panches in a Gram Panchayat, then more than one member will share powers for looking after each department,” he said.

The empowered Panchayats could also generate their own funds by charging fees for building permission, advertisement and hoardings.

Pertinently Centre has released Rs 1000 crore to Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir. Panchayats have been selected as eligible beneficiaries for various government welfare schemes and can get Rs 50 lakh-80 lakh per year for implementation of key national schemes such as the National Health Mission, Samagra Shiksha etc.

The government conducted Panchayat elections for 4483 Panchayat Halqas in November- December 2018 in which 35029 Panchs and 4483 Sarpanchs were elected. Currently, 12,776, which constitute 60 per cent of the Panch and Sarpanch seats, are lying vacant.

To fully establish the grass root democratic institution, the government is now contemplating holding of elections to vacant seats in the month of March this year.

An official from Election Office said the Centre has told the Jammu and Kashmir government to initiate the process of holding elections for vacant Panchayat seats.

“The final electoral rolls for the vacant seats will be completed in two weeks,” he said.

Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar also held a meeting with Divisional Commissioners and Inspectors General of Police of Kashmir and Jammu divisions to discuss poll preparations.

Kumar said the Centre has given an indication to initiate the process. “The entire process will begin once the notification is issued,” he said.

Moreover, it will be the Panchs and Sarpanchs who will replace the political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Republic Day function at Sher-i- Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar.

It will be the first time in the political history of Jammu and Kashmr that Panch and Sarpanchs will be sitting along with the bureaucrats in the front on Republic Day function.

According to official documents, the district development commissioner Srinagar has been directed to prepare the list of invitees. “Invitees shall include VVIP and VIPs including chairperson BDCs, Panchs, Sarpanchs and Councillors,” it reads.

An official said that road from Radio Kashmir to Sonawar would remain closed for few days before January 26. “The SSP security has been directed to ensure arrangement of bullet proof kiosk for VIPs along with dais.”

While Panchayat members welcome government’s initiative, they claim the powers given to then have been “supervisory” in nature only.

“It is good thing to have vacant panchayat seats filled. But the empowerment of Panchayat has remained confined to papers only. We demand panelising power also,” said Shafeeq Mir, President of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Association.

Chandrayaan-3 approved by govt: ISRO chief

Gyanganga Mission

Bengaluru (NVI): The government has approved Chandrayaan-3 project, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Sivan said today about the third edition of India’s moon mission which is targeted to be launched next year.

Addressing a press conference h7ere, Sivan said Chandrayaan-3 will be modelled on Chandrayaan-2 and will have landing and rover with propulsion module.

Chandrayaan-2 had orbiter-lander-rover configuration, Sivan said.

Chandrayaan-2 was launched in September last year but failed to achieve its target of landing.

Sivan, while listing ISRO’s achievements of 2019 and its future plans, said 2020 will be eventful for the space agency as it plans to launch at least 25 space missions during the year.

It will also be working on the ambitious Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan projects.

Gaganyaan is India’s first manned space mission, slated to be launched in 2022. The plan is to send three astronauts on the mission, training for which is expected to begin this month.

Sivan also said that ISRO, as part of its expansion plans, has acquired land in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi for a second space port.

Talking about Chandrayaan-2, Sivan said even though the landing could not be successful, the orbiter is still functioning and it is going to function for the next seven years to produce science data.

ISRO had chosen south pole of the Moon for Chandrayaan-2 soft landing but at the last minute, the lander lost contact as it apparently crash-landed.

New Year’s Day to mark birth of around 67,385 babies in India: UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

New Delhi (NVI): The 2020 New Year’s Day today will mark the birth of an estimated 67,385 babies in India, according to the UNICEF.

The number will account for 17 per cent of the estimated 392,078 babies expected to be born globally on the New Year’s Day, the global body said.

Each January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Year’s Day, an auspicious day for child birth around the world.

However, for millions of newborns around the world, the day of their birth is far less auspicious, it said.

In 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life; about a third of them on the first day of life, the UNICEF said.

Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery and infections like sepsis.

In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year, according to the UNICEF.

 

Over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half.

 

But there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in the first month accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990.

 

UNICEF’s Every Child Alive campaign calls for immediate investment in health workers with the right training, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth.

 

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said the beginning of a new year and a new decade is “an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us.”

Fore said, “As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibilities and potential of each child embarking on her or his life’s journey—if they are just given that chance.”

 

Too many mothers and newborns are not being cared for by a trained and equipped midwife or nurse, and the results are devastating, she added.

 

“We can ensure that millions of babies survive their first day and live into this decade and beyond if every one of them is born into a safe pair of hands,” she further added.

 

UNICEF Representative in India Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque has said many of the newborns do not survive a year or even a day due to health complications.

 

“This New Year Day, let’s all make a resolution to fulfil every right of every girl and boy, starting with the right to survive,” she said.

 

“While India has improved its infant mortality rate significantly over the last few years,” she said.

 

Dr Haque indicated that reducing the rate of neonatal mortality remains a challenge.

 

“Majority of newborn deaths can be averted by strengthening primary healthcare and implementing low cost high impact interventions including early and exclusive breastfeeding; immediate skin-to-skin contact between the mother and the newborn baby; medicines and essential equipment; and access to clean, well-equipped health facilities staffed by skilled health workers,” she added.

 

“We can save millions of babies if we invest in primary healthcare systems, training, equipping, and empowering local health workers to provide equitable, quality, and respectful care to every mother and newborn, especially during labour and delivery and immediately thereafter,” Dr. Haque added.

 

    Temperature dips to 2.4 degrees Celsius in Delhi

New Delhi (NVI): On the new year day, minimum temperature in Delhi dropped to 2.4 degrees Celsius from 4.2 degree Celsius recorded yesterday, bringing further chill in the weather in the national capital.
The minimum temperature of 2.4 degree Celsius is five degrees below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The maximum temperature today is expected to be around 16.0 degree Celsius, it said.
The weatherman stated that there could be slight increase in temperatures over the next few days, as cold north-westerly winds are slowly getting replaced by easterlies, due to a change in the wind direction. But the conditions will still remain very cold.
“Not just Delhi, but neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and Faridabad are also facing severe cold conditions,” IMD stated.
‘Cold day’ conditions are declared when the day’s maximum temperature is below normal by more than 4.4°C.  A ‘severe cold day’ is when mercury remains more than 6.4°C below normal through the day.
Meanwhile, the air quality in national capital worsened today, sliding into “severe” category from “very poor” category.
According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR),the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at  462 which falls in the “severe” category.
The worst affected areas are Dhirpur, Delhi University, Chandni Chowk, Pusa, Lodhi Road, Mathura Road, IGI Terminal 3 and the neighbouring Noida.

SMS, broadband to be restored in govt hospitals in Kashmir

Jammu (NVI): Short Messaging Service (SMS) and the broadband services in all the government hospitals will be restored midnight in the Kashmir valley, the Jammu and Kashmir government announced today.
This announcement was made by Principal Secretary Planning Rohit Kansal, who is also the government spokesperson, at a press conference held here.
Telecommunication and internet has been disrupted in J&K since August when the Centre revoked its special status granted under Article 370.
Lately, the government had established internet points at various places to enable people to use these.
“Around 6 lakh persons like students, tour operators, businessmen, contractors, etc were facilitated at 900 internet touch points established by the government at various places in each district headquarters of the valley,” Kansal said.
He added that the government remains committed to the development of a vibrant, modern and competitive industrial and manufacturing sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The government has decided to set up a High Powered Committee under the chairmanship of Advisor KK Sharma to interact with various stakeholders and to suggest measures to improve the competitiveness of local industry,” he said.
  Announcing abolition of toll tax, the senior official said, “Pertinently with the imposition of GST, the country has moved towards one nation – one market or a one tax regime. Post GST, all barriers to entry/tariff based barriers have been removed.”

ASSOCHAM welcomes FM’s push to infrastructure sector

Mumbai/ New Delhi (NVI): Business chamber ASSOCHAM today welcomed the unveiling of Rs 102 crore of infra projects over the next five years by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, saying it will create new jobs, support related industries as also enhance the nation’s growth into the 5 trillion dollar economy.

The Indian Government has been working towards the agenda of giving infrastructure development its due, especially in the scenario where the economy needs a fillip, ASSOCHAM President Niranjan Hiranandani said.

The MD of Hiranandani Group said the importance of infrastructure development in GDP growth has been apparent, the world over.

“We have seen governments giving a push to infrastructure with the aim of giving a fillip to economic growth,” he said.

Referring to the Finance Minister’s announcement today, he said, “It dovetails with other positive moves which the Indian government has recently unveiled, and the positive effects should be visible sooner rather than later.”

Indore ranks as the cleanest city in Swachh Survekshan League 2020

New Delhi (NVI): Indore city in Madhya Pradesh has been ranked the cleanest city in India for the fourth time in Swachh Survekshan League 2020 (SS League 2020) among the cities where population is more than 10 lakh.

Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri announced the results of Swachh Survekshan League 2020 (Quarter 1 and Quarter 2) here today.

According to the Swachh Survekshan League 2020, Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal ranked second in the first-quarter results (April-June), while Gujarat’s Rajkot grabbed the second spot in second-quarter results (July-September).

The third position was bagged by Gujarat’s Surat in the first quarter and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra in the second quarter. This time, a total of 4,237 cities participated in the league.

Speaking at the event, Puri said that Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) launched in October 2014 by the prime minister has completed five years of its journey. Today, urban India has become Open Defecation Free1. More importantly, there has been a perceptible and visible change in the condition of public toilets in the country.

“The focus of the Ministry has always been on ensuring the sustainability of the sanitation value chain as is evident in the SS 2020 parameters where wastewater treatment and reuse, and faecal sludge management have been given special attention,” he said.

“The ODF+, ODF++ and Water+ Plus Protocols by the Ministry work as the guiding document for cities in this regard,” he added.

Swachh Survekshan League 2020 (SS League 2020) was introduced with the objective of sustaining the onground performance of cities along with continuous monitoring of service level performance when it comes to cleanliness.

SS League 2020 is being conducted in 3 quarters, that is April- June, July – September and October- December 2019 and has 2000 marks for each quarter evaluated on the basis of monthly updation of SBM-U online MIS by cities along with citizen’s validation on the 12 service level progress indicators through outbound calls.

Ranks have been assigned in two categories, namely, cities with population of one lakh and above (with two sub-categories, that is 1-10 lakh and 10 lakhs and above) and cities with population of less than 1 lakh (under the < 1 lakh population category, the rankings are given zone and population wise).

The performance of cities in SS League 2020 is crucial to their ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2020 due to the 25% weightage of the quarterly assessments to be included in the annual survey scheduled to commence from January 4 till January 31 2020.

the fifth edition of the annual urban cleanliness survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA),Government of India, scheduled to commence from 4 January 2020 across India, was also rolled out on the occasion.

India needs to spend $1.4 trillion in infra sector in next 5 years: FM

New Delhi (NVI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today unveiled contours of the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), saying the country will need to spend around $1.4 trillion over the next five years on the sector to become a 5 trillion dollar economy.

Between the financial years 2008 and 2017, about $1.1 trillion were invested on infrastructure.

“The challenge is to step up annual infrastructure investment so that lack of infrastructure does not become a binding constraint on the growth of the Indian economy,” Sitharaman said addressing a press conference here.

She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day 2019, speech had highlighted that Rs.100 lakh crore would be invested on infrastructure over the next five years, including in social and economic infrastructure projects.

Subsequently, to achieve this objective, a Task Force was constituted to draw up the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) for each of the years from FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25 with the approval of the Finance Minister.

As per the NIP, total capital expenditure in infrastructure sectors in India during the fiscals 2020 to 2025 is projected at over Rs 102 lakh crore.

During the fiscals 2020 to 2025, sectors such as Energy (24%), Roads (19%), Urban (16%), and Railways (13%) amount to around 70% of the projected capital expenditure in infrastructure in India.

Out of the total expected capital expenditure of Rs. 102 lakh crore, projects worth Rs 42.7 lakh crore (42%) are under implementation, projects worth Rs 32.7 lakh crore (32%) are in conceptualization stage and rest are under development.

It is expected that projects of certain states, which are yet to communicate their pipelines, would be added to the pipeline in due course.

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