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PM Modi suggests students take advantage of India being the third-largest start-up ecosystem

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PM Modi suggests students take advantage of India being the third-largest start-up ecosystem

On Sunday 6th March 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested students take advantage of start-ups in various sectors of as India is the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world. He was addressing the students on the occasion of the inauguration of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Symbiosis University in Pune. PM Modi said that the present generation is fortunate enough to not have suffered the damaging impact of the earlier psychology which was largely defensive and dependent.

Emphasizing the changing mood of the nation, PM Modi said, “If this change has come into the country then its first credit also goes to all of you, the youth of our country.”

He added, “Students are representing the generation in front of which there are infinite opportunities. Today our country is one of the largest economies in the world. The world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem is in our country today. Missions like Startup India, Standup India, Make in India and Self-reliant India are representing your aspirations. Today’s India is innovating, improving, and influencing the whole world. India is now on the way to becoming a global leader in those sectors in which the country did not even think of moving forward on its own feet earlier.”

Explaining this point further he said, “The example of mobile manufacturing is in front of us. Till a few years ago, mobile manufacturing for us, and so many electronics like this meant the same thing – import! Bring it from anywhere in the world. But today the situation has also changed. India has emerged as the second-largest country in the world in mobile manufacturing. Seven years ago there were only 2 mobile manufacturing companies in India, today more than 200 manufacturing units are engaged in this work.”

Quoting another example of the defense sector, PM Modi said, “In the defense sector, for decades, we were believing that we can rely on what other countries will give us. In the defense sector also, India, which was earlier recognized as the world’s largest importer country, is now becoming a defense exporter. Today, two major defense corridors are being built in the country, where modern weapons will be made, to fulfill the defense needs of the country.”

In his detailed speech, PM Modi further said, “In the 75th year of independence, we are moving ahead with the new goals of building a new India. Our young generation has to lead this campaign. Today, from the software industry to the health sector, from AI and AR to automobile and EV, from quantum computing to machine learning, new opportunities are being created in every field. From Geo-Spatial Systems, Drones to Semi-conductors and Space Technology, reforms are being done continuously in the country.”

PM Modi underlined his vision saying, “These Reforms are not for making Government’s record, these Reforms have brought opportunities for you. And all I can say is that Reforms are for you, for the youth.”

Indian national Harjot Singh, who had sustained bullet injuries in Kyiv and lost his passport, to be brought back to India from Ukraine

OpIndia Staff
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Indian national Harjot Singh, who had sustained bullet injuries in Kyiv and lost his passport, to be brought back to India from Ukraine

General VK Singh has announced on Twitter that Harjot Singh, the Indian national who sustained bullet injuries in Kyiv will return to India on a flight on March 07, 2022. Harjot Singh, an IT specialist from Delhi suffered injuries after being shot in Kyiv while he was on his way to Lviv. Singh is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kyiv after he was admitted after being hit by a bullet in a fight.

On February 27, 2022, in the week when the Russian invasion of Ukraine had just kicked off, Harjot Singh was trying to flee the Ukrainian capital and was injured after he was shot at during a fighting. Confirming the news, Gen VK Singh had told that Singh was immediately rushed to a hospital in Kyiv. While being treated at the hospital Harjot pleaded to the Indian government to make arrangements for him to return to India. He requested, “Since I have got a new life, I want to start afresh. Want to spend time with my family,”

Following this update, Union Minister of State, General VK Singh has now confirmed that Harjot will be returning back to India on a flight scheduled tomorrow. The minister is overlooking the rescue operation of Indian nationals in Poland as a part of the Indian Government’s Operation Ganga. As of now, 21000 Indians have left Ukraine, of which reportedly 19920 have reached India through the rescue operation carried out by the Indian government.

Delhi’s Chhatarpur-resident Harjot Singh is an IT specialist and he was in Ukraine for higher studies. He was stuck by two bullets, one on a leg and the other on his chest. Govt of India will bear the expenses of his medical treatment.

Feel embarrassed that PM bought ticket but we didn’t: Devendra Fadnavis apologises for not buying ticket for inaugural ride on Pune Metro, offers payment

OpIndia Staff
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Feel embarrassed that PM bought ticket but we didn’t: Devendra Fadnavis apologises for not buying ticket for inaugural ride on Pune Metro, offers payment

Former CM of Maharashtra and current opposition leader in the state Devendra Fadnavis has apologized for not buying a metro ticket on Pune Metro and has requested metro authorities to accept payments from him. He said this while speaking in the program organized in Pune for the inauguration of the Pune metro by PM Narendra Modi on 6th March 2022. Pune Metro project was initiated by Devendra Fadnavis in 2014 when he had become the CM of Maharashtra. The Metro project was today inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi.

While speaking on this occasion, Devendra Fadnavis has said, “For Pune today is the day of fulfilling the dream. Because today, Pune’s own metro has run. The first ticket of this metro is bought by mister prime minister by mobile payment and he has travelled in the metro. Therefore we feel embarrassed that we have travelled without having bought any ticket. So I request the metro authorities to please collect the payment from us. The PM buys a ticket and we travel without one, which is not the right thing.”

Devendra Fadnavis further said, “There were so many difficulties in this work. But we had established this Maha Metro company for this work. And Maha Metro has completed the Pune metro project in record break time. Most importantly, this is the first metro in the country with 50 revenue from a non-peer box. I thank you honorable PM Modi Ji, for you passed the project to clean the local river of Pune. In upcoming times, there will soon be 100 percent clean transportation using electric and CNG buses in municipal transport. We will see Pune’s new identity as a city with good public transport service.”

Devendra Fadnavis added, “Honorable Prime Minister sir, you have passed a metro project in Nashik and the second phase of Nagpur metro as per my request. I thank you for that. I congratulate the Pune municipal corporation for the new statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the corporation office premises.”

After inaugurating a 12 km section of Pune Metro, PM Modi had taken a ride in the inaugural metro service by personally buying ticket at the ticket counter. He had travelled from Garware College to Anand Nagar after flagging off the train.

Russian Banks to switch to Chinese payment system UnionPay after Visa and MasterCard suspend operations in Russia

OpIndia Staff
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Russian Banks to switch to Chinese payment system UnionPay after Visa and MasterCard suspend operations in Russia

Several Russian Banks would soon start issuing banking cards using the system of Chinese operator ‘UnionPay’ along with Russia’s own Mir network. This came soon after American companies including Visa and Mastercard suspended their operations in Russia on March 5, as part of sanctions imposed by US govt over the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Prominent Russian Banks including Sberbank which is Russia’s biggest money lending institution along with Alfa Bank and Tinkoff have decided to use Chinese credit Card company UnionPay’s mechanism to issue credit and debit cards to their customers. An announcement for the same was made on Sunday.

The Russian banks need to use an alternate payment network as major American networks Visa and Mastercard will no longer work in the country, inconveniencing millions of ordinary Russians who have nothing to do with Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. American Express and Paypal also have announced that they are suspending their operations in the country.

On Saturday, U.S. payment companies namely Visa.Inc, MasterCard.Inc and Pay Pal suspended their operations in Russia saying they would work with clients and partners to cease all transactions there. This would terminate all the transactions happening using MasterCard and Visa cards in the country. After the Western sanctions imposed on Russia which have frozen the country’s central bank’s assets worth $640 billion, the pulling out of payments firms is touted to be an increased worry for Russians who are bracing unprecedented inflation, economic hardships and shortage of essential imported goods.

What happens now?

Ever since its annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has taken steps to curtail its financial dependence on the West. Sberbank Rossii PAO, Russia’s largest lender said that the moves by American payment companies would not hinder Russian customers as transactions in Russia pass through its local domestic National Payment Card System which does not depend on foreign payment systems.

Along with Russia’s own banking payment system MIR which was launched in 2015, Chinese company UnionPay will be managing the card payment systems of Russian banks. As ATMs and business corporations in Russia will no longer support cards supported by foreign companies, Russian customers will have to switch to newer debit/credit cards issued by Russian banks supported with MIR and UnionPay. Notably, UnionPay already have significant presence in Russia, and a large number of Russians already use UnionPay cards issued by several Russian banks.

According to an UnionPay note issued in 2017, more than 85% ATMs accepted UnionPay cards for withdrawing Russian roubles. The company had said that about 600,000 POS terminals and 100,000 ATMs accepted UnionPay cards, and the numbers must have gone up in the last four years. Therefore, the transition from American companies to UnionPay should be smooth.

What is UnionPay ?

UnionPay which kicked off in 2013, is a Chinese payments managing company that issues banking cards and deals with operations related to banking transactions. With international recognizance in more than 180 countries, UnionPay International (a Global level subsidiary of China UnionPay) has issued banking cards in more than 70 countries. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company will soon operate in Russia in partnership with Russia’s local MIR.

Source: Business Insider

Amidst Russia’s global isolation, China has emerged as a key player in developing economic bonds with Russia. China and Russia also share close bilateral ties in trade which recorded a rise of 35.9% last year with total trade at $146.9 billion. The dragon also reverted to its own currency while pursuing trade with Russia with an aim to limit the US Dollar. The strategic bilateral partnership which has been underlined after Russia’s isolation by the West has is being termed the ‘DragonBear game’.

Denmark plans to exempt Ukrainian refugees from controversial ‘jewellery law’ that allows police to seize valuables from immigrants to fund their stay

OpIndia Staff
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Denmark plans to exempt Ukrainian refugees from controversial ‘jewellery law’ that allows police to seize valuables from immigrants to fund their stay

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Denmark government is planning to exempt the Ukrainian refugees from the controversial ‘jewellery law’. Rasmus Stoklund, immigration spokesperson for the Social Democratic government, was quoted by Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet saying the law should not be applied to the Ukrainians who come to Denmark to escape Russian military action.

The ‘jewellery law’ was passed in 2016, under which the police was allowed to confiscate valuables and cash above 10,000 kroner (Norwegian currency) which is equivalent to USD 1,100 approx from the migrants and asylum seekers. The valuables collected from asylum seekers were to be used to fund their stay in Denmark,

Since its launch, the law has faced criticism from across the globe. When the law was passed in 2016, Independent had quoted Per Fiig, the chief of the National Police Immigration Centre, saying “Danish police are paying daily attention to whether those asylum seekers and foreigners we encounter, who are here illegally, have valuables that can help to finance the costs of their stay. Now, police have found valuables that could be seized.”

Though it was passed in 2016, based on reports of 2019, the law was almost never implemented. Especially when it comes to jewellery, nothing was confiscated from the immigrants. The aim of the law was to fund the stay of the immigrants and asylum seekers in Denmark using valuables of the refugees themselves.

In Denmark, the majority of the refugees came from war-torn Syria at the time when the law was enacted. Speaking about the case of Ukrainian, Stoklund justified the plan to waive off the law suggesting they were regional neighbours of Denmark. He said, “The jewellery law is made for if you leave the nearby region where you are safe, and travel through (other) safe countries. But that is not the case for Ukrainians. We are in their nearby region.”

Demark plans to enact special residency law for Ukrainians

Another specific step that Denmark plans to take for Ukrainian refugees is to amend its rules for allowing them to stay for a longer duration. Currently, Ukrainians can stay in Denmark for 90 days without Visa. Though it is unclear what the changes would mean the government is set to introduce a bill to make it easier for the Ukrainians to stay in Denmark. Also, the government is planning to make amendments in Danish Labour Law to make it welcoming for the Ukrainian refugees.

West Bengal government imposes internet blackout in some districts to prevent question paper leaks during secondary school exams

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal government imposes internet blackout in some districts to prevent question paper leaks during secondary school exams

As the class tenth board examinations in West Bengal start from Monday 7th March 2022, the state government has imposed an internet blackout in parts of a few districts to prevent question paper leaks during the exams. The exams will be conducted between 7th March 2022 and 16th March 2022. Home and Hill Affairs Department of the Government of West Bengal has issued an order on 3rd March 2022 in which it is stated that the internet services will be blocked, however call and messaging will operate normally.

The order states, “Intelligence reports have been received that Internet transmissions and Voice over Internet Telephony may be used for unlawful activities in certain areas over the next few days. Examination of the information received gives reason to believe that such unlawful activities are likely to occur in the absence of preventive measures. The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of expression of IndianCitizens but at the same time allows for reasonable restrictions on the same.”

It further says, “No restriction is being imposed on voice calls and SMS and on newspapers, hence communication and dissemination of knowledge and information is not stopped in any way.”

Ruling the order of internet blackout, the order says, “Now therefore in order to prevent obstruction, annoyance or injury to any person lawfully employed, or danger to human life, health or safety, or a disturbance of the public tranquillity, or a riot or an affray, through an order under Sec. 144 Cr.P.C. and in compliance with sub-rule 2(1) of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Service) Rules, 2017 and sub-rule 2(A) of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Amendment) Rules, 2020 it is promulgated that any data related message or class of messages to or from any person or class of persons relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by or transmitted or received by any telegraph within the ambit of the India Telegraph Act, 1885, shall temporarily not be transmitted in the interest of maintaining public order and preventing incitement to the commission of any offence within the jurisdiction of the Block/Police Stations listed in the Annexure.”

The order has also clearly mentioned the time duration of the internet blackout. It says, “This order shall remain valid and shall be implemented from 11 am to 3:15 pm on 07.03.2022 to 09.03.2022, 11.03.2022, 12.03.2022 and 14.03.2022 to 16.03.2022.”

It is notable that the annexure names the areas where this order is applicable. The list includes parts of Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Birbhum & Darjeeling.

BBC middle east editor coaches Ukrainians on how to use petrol bomb against Russian tanks and armoured vehicles

OpIndia Staff
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BBC middle east editor coaches Ukrainians on how to use petrol bomb against Russian tanks and armoured vehicles

BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen has used his Twitter handle to coach Ukrainian people on how to use a petrol bomb in the middle of a war zone. On 4th March 2022, while replying to a tweet in which Ukrainian youths were shown heading towards the war after completion of their three-day training, Jeremy Bowen tweeted an image showing the weak spots in the Russian armoured vehicles and tanks. Specific sections of the vehicles were marked in that image in order to detonate the viewing hatches and the air inlets of the vehicles using Molotov cocktails.

In his tweet, Jeremy Bowen said, “Where to throw a Molotov cocktail. Guide for Ukrainian volunteers of Kyiv shows weak spots in Russian armor, viewing hatches, and air inlets.”

The image shared by him on Twitter clearly shows where exactly should a petrol bomb impact a tank and other armoured vehicles in order to cause maximum damage. There are six different military vehicles and tanks of Russian design in that picture and specific spots on the armour are shown by arrows. The spots mainly consist of the viewing hatches and air inlets as told by Jeremy Bowen.

The image was shared by BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen on his Twitter handle. Image Source: Twitter

What Jeremy Bowen suggested is very dangerous, as it encourages citizens to attack heavily armed war vehicles with homemade bombs. Molotov cocktails are mainly used by violent protesters and rioters, to attack police and oppositions. But they are unlikely to be effective against tanks and armoured vehicles operated by heavily armed soldiers. Moreover, if attacked with such petrol bombs, the army will definitely fight back using sophisticated weapons, which will cause fatalities to the civilian attackers.

War is to be fought by trained professional army, but Ukraine has broken that rule by encouraging civilians to fight the might of Russian army. Volodymyr Zelenskyy govt has given deadly weapons to ordinary Ukrainians without any training to fight the Russian soldiers, and now western journalists are encouraging civilians to attack tanks and armoured vehicles with petrol bombs, which will cause more civilian casualty as a consequence.

The tweet is not a reaction to Vladimir Putin’s decision to ban media outlets from spreading fake news as per his new strict law, after which many media houses including BBC had stopped reporting activities in Russia. In fact, this Tweet by Jeremy Bowen has appeared hours before the decision. The tweet might have caused a few people to raise their eyebrows but with left-liberal media of the west that indirectly or sometimes directly supports antisocial activities through its reporting under the garb of preaching the importance of the so-called free and fair journalism that has the courage to speak the truth to the power.

Underlining this trait, Kanchan Gupta tweeted, “Western media. Free, fair, fearless. MiddleEast Editor of BBC using his Twitter handle to spread the word on how to use Molotov cocktails in a conflict zone. [We saw shades of this when our media-fuelled violent anarchy in the guise of anti-CAA protest and farm law protest.]”

It is notable that many so-called journalists and media outlets had misreported the anti-CAA protests in order to guide the protesting Muslims in a particular direction that culminated in the subsequent Delhi riots.

India evacuates 298 students from Pisochyn in Ukraine after Sewa International of RSS informs MEA about them, were harassed by local agents demanding hefty amounts

OpIndia Staff
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India evacuates 298 students from Pisochyn in Ukraine after Sewa International of RSS informs MEA about them, were harassed by local agents demanding hefty amounts

On March 5, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine said the 298 Indian students stranded in Pisochyn in Ukraine have been evacuated. Pisochyn is one of the most adversely hit regions in Ukraine in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine were informed on Saturday that around 300 students were stuck in Pisochyn waiting for evacuation, and they were out of essential supplies like food and water. The officials on the ground swung into action and immediately arranged food and water for the students. Later, on the same day, all the students were evacuated.

The series of events that led to the evacuation

On March 5, Manu Khajuria, an Indian living in the UK, came to know about the Indian students stuck in Pisochyn who were being harassed by the agents amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Khajuria is volunteering with Sewa International, the international wing of RSS.

Agents were demanding $500 per person

The local agents who were in contact with the students in Ukraine were not only causing delay in their evacuation but also allegedly asking them a hefty amount per person to evacuate. The students who were stranded in Pisochyn said they were asked to pay anywhere between $200 to $500 per person for a seat on the bus. “Those who had money paid and left Pisochyn, but the remaining students did not have enough funds. We are waiting for the government to evacuate us,” a student said while seeking support from the government.

Screenshot shared by RSS volunteer.

External Ministry swung into action immediately

The Ministry of External Affairs and the teams of Union Ministers lodged in neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation were informed about the situation immediately.

Speaking to OpIndia, the RSS volunteer said, “When I came to know about the situation, I immediately informed the ministry and teams working on the ground to coordinate the evacuation. Within minutes I got the reply from the ministry asking me for more details that I provided. Ministry also informed all four teams under the union ministers to stay on alert so that the students could be evacuated at the earliest.”

He added by the time he collected the required information and forwarded it to the ministry, teams of all four ministers coordinating the evacuation had already contacted him multiple times to get the information. “All this happened within minutes, and I forwarded the details to Gen (Retired) VK Singh as the students were in Pisochyn, and he was managing the evacuation from that region.”

‘Within two hours, the students had food and water

The first priority of the Government officials was to provide food and water for the students. He said, “The students were out of food. They were exhausted and scared. Within two hours of my first message, the food and water had reached the students. Keep in mind that it was an active war zone, and despite the adversities, the officials were in full action to ensure the safety of the students.”

At 1 AM on March 5, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine had also published a post informing about the food and water being delivered to the students. Though the students had some food left with them, the majority of the students were vegetarian, and they only had left non-veg options with them. Once the Embassy delivered the food items, the next step was to get them out of the active war zone.

In less than an hour, three buses were dispatched to get the students out of Pisochyn. The Embassy wrote, “Reaching out to our 298 students in Pisochyn. Buses are en route and expected to arrive soon. Please follow all safety instructions and precautions.”

By 6 AM, the buses had reached the location, and the evacuation process had started. A total of five buses were arranged for the students.

At 7:57 AM, all 298 students were out of Ukraine. The Embassy said, “Pisochyn has been evacuated of all Indian citizens. The mission will continue to remain in touch with them throughout their journey. Their safety has always been our priority.”

Operation Ganga

The government of India has initiated Operation Ganga to evacuate all Indian nationals, including the students from war-torn Ukraine. Over 13,000 Indians have already been brought back to India. Four Union Ministers are in neighbouring countries coordinating the evacuation. The MEA said over 21,000 people had left Ukraine so far, and the remaining Indians who are safe in the neighbouring countries will be brought back to India within a couple of days. On average, 3,000 Indians are reaching India via special flights arranged by the Indian government. The Indian Air Force is also providing assistance in the evacuation process.

Rescued student from Ukraine slams media for twisting her words that she said in an anguished state

OpIndia Staff
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Rescued student from Ukraine slams media for twisting her words that she said in an anguished state

Two days back, a video of an Indian girl student, recently evacuated from Ukraine, crying and lashing out at the government for not making proper arrangements to bring back stranded students in Ukraine had gone viral on the social media platform. But now, the girl has released a video statement making a U-turn, and accused the media of twisting her statements.

The girl Satakshi Sachan also thanked the govt of India for rescuing her from Ukraine, and said that the govt helped her a lot to reach India.

Two days after her video blaming the govt went viral, Satakshi Sachan has released the new video making a u-turn, where the Indian student slammed the media for twisting her statement that was made when she was in an anguished state.

Satakshi Sachan said she thanked the government for bringing her back to India safely and added that she was not able to comprehend the efforts the Indian government had put into bringing them back as she was in an anguished state.

“I wanted to go home badly,” Satakshi said, adding that the government has helped them a lot to return to India. Slamming the media, especially the Dainik Bhaskar journalist, she said her statement had been twisted, and it was wrong for them to do so.

Earlier on March 4, Dainik Bhaskar journalist Vaibhav Palnitkar had put out the video saying that the girl student identified as Satakshi Sachan, a resident of Kanpur, has returned from Ukraine to share the truth about the evacuation, thus exposing the government propaganda.

In the video shared by the Dainik Bhaskar journalist, Satakshi Sachan was seen shedding tears and slamming the government. “We elect the government and call ourselves a democracy, but the Indian government did not even come to our rescue,” said the angry student.

As the journalist asked about the message she wanted to deliver to the government, the sobbing girl said that several other Indian students were stranded in Kharkiv and Kiev and demanded the government to bring them back as soon as possible.

“Be on the ground personally; we are facing many things. Do not give orders by sitting in India,” the girl expressed her anger at the government.

The student also claimed that the government did not do anything for them to bring back and added that she crossed the border on her own. She also asked who was to blame if something had happened to her.

The girl had said that the Indian Embassy approached them only after they crossed the Romanian border. The girl had claimed that the Indian government did not do anything to rescue them, adding that they did not even receive the food. The Indian student had also claimed that the food was provided to them by the Romanian government.

The girl said that she had gone through a lot and faced mental trauma, adding that the Indian government did not do anything for the students stuck in the war-torn country.

“Please don’t hide it. The Indian government has not done anything,” the angry student had said in an earlier video that had gone viral, which was used by the opposition parties to attack the Modi government for not making enough arrangements to evacuate the stranded Indian students in Ukraine.

As the video of the student went viral, Rahul Gandhi also jumped in to politicise the evacuation process and claimed that such shameful treatment of students is an insult to the entire country. The Gandhi-scion had said that the bitter truth of Operation Ganga had shown the real face of the Modi government.

PM Modi inaugurates key infrastructure projects in Pune including Metro rail, hails their completion in record time

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi inaugurates key infrastructure projects in Pune including Metro rail, hails their completion in record time

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Maharashtra’s Pune on Sunday. He was in the city to inaugurate several development projects related to accelerating mass transportation systems in Pune. These include the inauguration of a 12-km track of Pune Metro, laying the foundation of the Mula-Mutha Riverfront Project and the launch of over 143 e-buses dedicated to the city among others. The significance of these projects not only lies in the fact they promise a sustainable and environment-friendly future but also in their timely execution in record time.

Today, Pune stands at the cusp of being the historical and cultural capital of Maharashtra and also a smart city in the making. The city accommodates the running of the highest number of two-wheelers recorded in the country while it stands at 5th position in the Swacch Sarvekshan Index.

PM Modi in his inauguration address remarked, “The city of Pune has always been famous for its cultural, spiritual and nationalist aspects. Taking into consideration the aspirations of a rising Pune, we have focussed on infrastructure to facilitate this change”. Here is a glimpse of key projects inaugurated/launched by Narendra Modi on Sunday.

Pune Metro

Launched in 2016 during the Devendra Fadnavis-led NDA govt, the work for Pune Metro kick-started after being taken over by Maha Metro for execution. Metro rail for Pune had been a long-standing demand among Puneites while it faced many obstructions and allegations regarding the ways of implementation. After PM Modi launched the project in 2016, a master plan was readied after taking into consideration the environmental, economical, urban and historical aspects of the city.

Today, PM Modi inaugurated a 12-km stretch of the total project covering a length of 33.2 km. Modi flagged off the run from Vanaz to Garware section and PCMC to Phugewadi section by buying a personal ticket himself before boarding the metro. While aboard, he interacted with students from the city who usually take bicycles to go to school. The North-South Corridor of Pune Metro from PCMC to Swargate is a hybrid route with an 11.5 km elevated track and a 6 km underground track.

To this date, Pune Metro stands as the fourth metro functional in the state after Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur. It employs a one-of-a-kind system where 11.19 MWp Solar panels are assembled on rooftops which will result in energy cost savings of ₹20 crores per annum.

Pune Riverfront Development Project

The 1100-crore Riverfront Development Project in Pune entails creating a continuous public realm and flood treatments across a 44 km stretch of the three rivers in the city – namely Mula and Mutha. The river rejuvenation and cleaning project aims to reduce the risk of flooding and at the same time enhance the connection of the city with the river. Despite being based on a master plan aimed at respecting the ecological and social aspects of the site, climate activists and organisations including Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future attacked to halt the project.

The Pune Municipal Corporation, however, went ahead with the project while the work for the first phase of the project is already started. PM in his inaugural speech stated, “When development projects related to protecting our rivers are laid, it is only then that the people realise the value of every drop of water,” The Pune riverfront development project is based on the Sabarmati River project in Ahmedabad which stands as one of the first successful riverfront projects laid in the country.

Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at PMC

On Sunday, PM Modi’s visit started with the inauguration of a 12-ft high statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Pune Municipal Corporation building. In his speech, he counted the contribution of Shivaji Maharaj as the founder of the Maratha Empire and his role in nation-building. He said, “I got the opportunity to inaugurate a huge statue of Shivaji Maharaj earlier in the day. It will continue to inspire our young generation”

Launch of 143 e-buses and e-bus depot

The Prime Minister dedicated over 143 electric buses to the city of Pune. He also inaugurated the pilot e-bus depot in Baner under the multi-modal transport system scheme. With this, the number of e-buses operating in the city will rise to 250. The electric buses running in the city are manufactured by Olectra, the company which is operating e-buses in other cities of the country as well.

The AC buses running on electricity are zero-emission vehicles that will contribute to reducing the collective carbon footprint of the city. The lithium-ion battery installed in the buses enables them to travel 200 km on a single charge, depending on traffic and passenger load conditions.

Besides these, PM Modi also inaugurated the state-of-the-art art gallery dedicated to erstwhile noted cartoonist and artist R K Laxman. He will also be preceding over to flag the centenary-year celebrations of Symbiosis University in Pune.

“The most important thing for the development of modern infrastructure in any country is speed and scale. But for decades, we had such systems that the completion of important projects used to take a long time. This sluggish attitude has been affecting the development of the country as well,” commented Modi while addressing the host of Projects. He reiterated while giving a speech that received thunderous applause that his government is committed to delivering time-bound, sustainably viable and ecologically sensitive infrastructure projects.

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