Home Blog Page 4050

PM Modi announces National Hydrogen Mission: Here is how clean energy is produced through Hydrogen

OpIndia Staff
-
0
PM Modi announces National Hydrogen Mission: Here is how clean energy is produced through Hydrogen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday formally announced the launch of a National Hydrogen Mission to expedite plans to generate carbon-free fuel from renewables as he set a target of 2047 for India to achieve self-reliance in energy.

Addressing the nation on the 75th Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi announced the National Hydrogen Mission in a push for India’s energy security. Stressing on the need for energy independence, PM Modi announced that the government intends to make India a global hub for Green Hydrogen production and exports.

“Green hydrogen will give India a quantum jump in achieving its targets,” he asserted.

In his speech, the Prime Minister also noted that India could achieve self-reliance in energy through a mix of a gas-based economy, adding sugarcane extracted ethanol in petrol and electric mobility. “For India to progress, for Atmanirbhar Bharat, energy independence is necessary,” he said. “India has to take a pledge that it will be energy independent by the year we celebrate the 100th year of Independence,” he noted.

Prime Minister Modi’s statements on the need for self-sufficiency in energy comes against the backdrop of India spending Rs.12 trillion annually to meet the energy needs. With mounting import bills on securing India’s energy needs, the announcement of a National Hydrogen Mission to put greater emphasis on Hydrogen-based energy is significant.

The Modi government first announced the National Hydrogen Mission in the Union Budget for 2021-22 in February this year. The Union Budget for 2021-22 had announced a National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) that will draw up a road map for using hydrogen as an energy source.

What is Hydrogen-based energy?

As we know, Hydrogen is the lightest and first element on the periodic table. Hydrogen is also the simplest element on earth as it consists of only one proton and one electron. At standard temperature and pressure, Hydrogen is a nontoxic, nonmetallic, odourless, tasteless, colourless, and highly combustible gas.

The gaseous element is an energy carrier, not an energy source, but can be used to store, move, and deliver energy produced from other sources. Hydrogen weighs less than air, hence it rises in the atmosphere and is therefore rarely found in its pure form, i.e. H2.

However, it does not typically exist by itself in nature and must be produced from compounds that contain it. Hence, the gaseous element must be converted into Hydrogen fuel to be used as a clean energy source.

The production of Hydrogen Fuel

Even though Hydrogen fuel is a source of clean energy, the manufacturing of Hydrogen fuel, however, is energy-intensive and has carbon byproducts. Hydrogen fuel can be produced through several methods. The most common methods today are natural gas reforming through a thermal process and electrolysis. Other methods include solar-driven and biological processes.

Thermal Process:

In Thermal processes, Hydrogen fuel production typically involves steam reforming at high temperatures, in which steam is made to react with a hydrocarbon fuel to produce Hydrogen. Many hydrocarbon fuels can be reformed to produce hydrogen, including natural gas, diesel, renewable liquid fuels, gasified coal, or gasified biomass.

Today, about 95% of all hydrogen is produced from steam reforming of natural gas. However, Hydrogen fuel is extracted from hydrocarbons, leaving a large carbon footprint. The Hydrogen fuel produced in this process is known as Grey Hydrocarbon. This process constitutes India’s bulk production. Similarly, the Hydrogen fuel formed from burning coal is referred to as Brown Hydrogen.

But thanks to innovation, scientists have come up with Blue Hydrogen, a fuel that leaves less carbon footprint. Blue hydrogen is often considered a low-carbon fuel for generating electricity and storing energy. Blue hydrogen is produced using the same reforming process that is used to create Grey and Brown hydrogen, however, the Carbon emissions so produced in the process would be captured and stored underground.

However, there is a catch. Scientists now believe that Blue Hydrogen may be no better solution and potentially a fair bit worse than continuing to use fossil fuels. As Carbon capture and storage equipment are expensive, it only raises the price of the fuel. The process of making blue hydrogen also requires a lot of energy.

As per scientists, for every unit of heat in the natural gas at the start of the process, only 70-75% of that potential heat remains in the hydrogen product. So, to put it simply, if Hydrogen is used to heat a building, one would need to use 25% more natural gas to make Blue Hydrogen than if it was used directly for heat, hence making it unviable.

Electrolytic Process:

Hydrogen fuel can also be produced through an electrolytic process. Electrolysis is the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Therefore, electrolysis offers a promising option for carbon-free Hydrogen production from renewable and nuclear resources.

Electrolysis processes take place in an electrolyser, in which H2O or water is decomposed into Oxygen and Hydrogen gas. The Hydrogen gas so obtained is considered clean and carbon-free, and it is referred to as Green Hydrogen. As it leaves Oxygen as a byproduct, it is beneficial for nature and does not cause any harm.

Not just Electrolysis, there are other ways to produce Green Hydrogen. For example, scientists have successfully used solar energy and wind energy technologies to split Hydrogen from the water molecule.

Research is underway to develop other ways to produce Green Hydrogen, such as using microbes that use light to make Hydrogen or converting biomass into gas or liquids and separating the Hydrogen.

Biological Processes:

Another efficient way of producing Hydrogen fuel is through Biological processes. In this process, microbes such as bacteria and microalgae are used to produce Hydrogen through biological reactions.

In microbial biomass conversion, the microbes tear down organic matter such as biomass or wastewater to produce Hydrogen. In photobiological processes, the microbes use sunlight as the energy source and use the natural photosynthetic activity of bacteria and green algae to produce Hydrogen.

This is another source of Green Hydrogen.

Currently, almost all Hydrogen fuel in India comes from fossil fuels, i.e., Grey, Brown or Blue Hydrogen. However, Prime Minister Modi intends to create an enabling environment to produce Green Hydrogen in the country. The announcement of the National Hydrogen Mission by Prime Minister Modi from the ramparts of Red Fort has now given a significant impetus to the clean energy sector in the country.

India puts its weight on Hydrogen as a source of clean energy

Through the National Hydrogen Mission, India must now capitalise on one of the most abundant elements on earth – Hydrogen for a cleaner alternative fuel option. India has a massive edge in Green Hydrogen production due to its favourable geographic conditions and abundant natural resources.

The focus on producing clean energy through Green Hydrogen is also in line with the Modi government’s ambitious goal of producing 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022. In addition, the usage of Hydrogen fuels, especially Green Hydrogen, will help India achieve its emission goals under the Paris Agreement and reduce import dependency on fossil fuels.

As mentioned in PM Modi’s Independence Day speech, India needs to augment its capacity in the production and storage of Green Hydrogen, a source of clean energy that in the future guarantees not only energy security but also ensures self-sufficiency.

Watch: Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait goofs up, refers to August 15 as ‘Republic Day’, gets slammed online

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Watch: Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait goofs up, refers to August 15 as ‘Republic Day’, gets slammed online

On Saturday (August 14), farmer leader Rakesh Tikait sparked a controversy after he goofed up between India’s Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations during an interview with NDTV.

At about 1 minute and 12 seconds into the conversation, Tikait was asked about the plans of the farmer protestors on the occasion of August 15. He responded, “The farmer will unfurl the flag on his farm, tractor, home, district, and villages. “Sab Ganatantra divas manayenge (We will all celebrate Republic Day).” Later in the conversation, he goofed up once again and blamed the BJP for supposedly likening the celebration of ‘Republic Day’ celebrations with a political agenda.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/NDTV)

Netizens slam Rakesh Tikait for confusing ‘Independence Day’ with ‘Republic Day’

A Twitter user (@Agnistic_Exploring) wrote, “Farmer’s protest need to be registered with the Guinness World Records for being the longest prank ever played and continues to play even after the exposure under the influential leadership of Rakesh Tikait. The man who has the power to celebrate republic day on 15th August.”

Another user, Pallavi, remarked, “That’s what happens when you are High”

“I think Tikait uncle was busing doing cheap drugs with Pakistani PM Imran Khan,”commented another user.

Rakesh Tikait had earlier warned of a ‘tractor rally’ on Independence Day

In the last week of July, Tikait announced that the farmers, protesting against the three farm laws passed by the government last year, will hold a tractor rally to Ghazipur border on August 14 and 15 where they will unfurl the national flag on Independence Day. He further added that the tractors will go from two districts. “We will go by tractors to Ghazipur border on August 14 and 15. On August 15, we will hoist the flag. Tractors from two districts will go. We did not remove the national flag on January 26,” Rakesh Tikait said.

The announcement to carry out yet another tractor rally appears to be a desperate move by the farmer leader to revitalise the flamed-out farmers’ protests that has now rolled into their ninth month.

Watch: Muzaffar Wani, father of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, unfurls national flag in Jammu and Kashmir’s Tral

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Watch: Muzaffar Wani, father of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, unfurls national flag in Jammu and Kashmir’s Tral

Muzaffar Wani, the father of Hizbul Mujahideen commander and Islamic terrorist Burhan Wani who was hunted down by the Indian security forces in 2016, unfurled the Indian tricolour on Independence Day in Tral on Sunday.

According to the reports, Muzaffar Wani, the father of the slain terrorist Burhan Wani, hoisted the Indian flag at the Government Higher Secondary School, Tral in Jammu and Kashmir, where he is the Principal.

Muzaffar Wani also sang the Indian National Anthem that was also played during the celebrations. The videos of the event went viral on the social media.

On the occasion of Independence Day, the tricolour was hoisted at all government schools, colleges and other institutions across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. As part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the Union Territory administration had directed all departments, including the Education department to hoist flags in all offices on Independence Day. 

Earlier, there were reports that Wani had refused to hoist the Indian flag and had tendered his resignation as he was against it. However, in a video statement, he had refused the claims saying it was a “rumour” and clarified, saying he has not resigned.

Security forces eliminated Hizbul Mujahideen commander and Islamic terrorist Burhan Wani on 8th July 2016 in the Kokernag area of the Anantnag district. For several years Burhan Wani had managed to stay away from the grasp of the security forces. Wani was the poster boy of terrorism in Kashmir and was very active on social media, regularly posting pictures brandishing weapons to attract Kashmiri youths into his fold.

Following his death, several people rushed to whitewash his image. Journalist Barkha Dutt termed him as a “son of school headmaster”. Former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah had shed tears and was more worried about the aftermath of Wani’s death instead of congratulating the army.

Independence Day: Here is how the schemes and initiatives of the Modi government have benefitted Indians

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Independence Day: Here is how the schemes and initiatives of the Modi government have benefitted Indians

On the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his annual public address from the ramparts of the Red Fort. During his 1.5 hour-long speech, he highlighted the schemes and initiatives undertaken by the government to improve the lives of the masses. He had also shared a blueprint of future aspirational projects that are set to revolutionise our lives even more.

The Indian Prime Minister pointed out how the ‘Jan Ausadhi Yojana’ benefitted the poor and needy through easy access to affordable medicines. “Over 75,000 Health & Wellness Centres have been built and we are working on a network of hospitals at the block level,” he outlined the progress made in the health sector.

PM Modi informed the impact of Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) in the manufacturing sector. “7 years ago, we were importing mobile phones worth $8 billion! With the PLI schemes running effectively, the imports have significantly reduced and we’re exporting mobile phones worth $3 billion,” he added.

PM Modi also talked about the development work undertaken in Indian villages. “In past few years, facilities like road, electricity have reached villages. Today the optical fiber network is providing the power of data to villages,” he reiterated.

The Indian Prime Minister emphasised about the impact of his ambitious mission of ‘Har Ghar Jal.” He said that over 2.5 crore people are now receiving piped water in their homes in the last 2 days.

From the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi talked about the two Covid-19 vaccines, namely, Covishield and Covaxin that was been leading India’s fight against the Wuhan Coronavirus. “We had spent so long getting the polio vaccine! But today, we can proudly say that the World’s Largest Vaccine Programme is running in India. Over 54 crore vaccine doses have been administered!” he added.

While speaking about roadside vendors, PM Modi said, “No one has ever thought about the roadside vendors in the history of India. We are connecting them to banking services through SVANidhi Yojana and helping them with loans.”

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Modi government eliminated a whopping 15000 ‘needless’ legal compliances to make the life of citizens better.

Lastly, PM Modi spoke about the government’s toughness against terror that has helped avert attacks since he came to power. He concluded, “India has given a stern signal to its enemies by surgical and air strikes. This tells us that India is changing. India can take the most difficult decisions and isn’t reluctant to implement them.

In a big push for ‘Digital India initiative, PM Modi launched the much anticipated digital payment system called e-RUPI on August 2. It is one of the several programmes that have been launched by the Modi government as part of the Digital India initiative. PM Modi emphasised that e-RUPI will ensure targeted, transparent and leakage-free delivery to the beneficiaries. He added that unlike other modes of digital payment solutions, it is purpose and person-specific.

While highlighting the efforts made by the government amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, he said that about ₹2300 crore was disbursed to the poor people. PM Modi said that e-RUPI will boost digital transactions and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). He said that the world is impressed by India’s rise in the fintech sector due to the foundation work done to improve digital infrastructure in the past 6-7 years.

US exits lock, stock and barrel from Afghanistan, Biden deploys 5,000 additional troops to evacuate local allies as Taliban advances

OpIndia Staff
-
0
US exits lock, stock and barrel from Afghanistan, Biden deploys 5,000 additional troops to evacuate local allies as Taliban advances

US President Joe Biden has ordered the deployment of 5000 additional troops to ensure a safe and orderly withdrawal of US officials and other diplomatic allies, the US Embassy in Kabul confirmed on Sunday.

Joe Biden has also authorised the evacuation of Afghans who helped the US Military carry out its mission in the country and those that are at risk from the Taliban. The US Embassy also informed that it has been communicated to Taliban representatives in Doha that any threat to the American personnel or their mission will be met with a swift military response.

Meanwhile, Taliban has now occupied all major cities of Afghanistan, leaving Kabul as the only major city under the Afghan Government’s control. Late on Saturday evening, they also captured Mazar-i-Sharif, the Afghan government’s last major holdout in the northern part of the country.

According to reports, Taliban militants are merely 11 km away from Kabul. Fears are now rapidly increasing that the Islamist terror outfit may launch an assault on Kabul anytime soon.

On Saturday (August 14), Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made his first public appearance after the Islamist terror outfit, Taliban, intensified its offensive. In a pre-recorded message, the Afghan President called for the remobilisation of armed forces, following their crushing defeat at the hands of the Taliban.

Amul leads the way in women empowerment as it celebrates 75 years of Indian Independence: Watch video that has won hearts

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Amul leads the way in women empowerment as it celebrates 75 years of Indian Independence: Watch video that has won hearts

Born in 1946, as an offshoot of India’s struggle for independence, Amul, the world’s ninth-largest dairy company is also celebrating its 75th anniversary corresponding to that with India’s 75th year of Independence. To mark this occasion, brand Amul, also known as the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), has released a video where it celebrates the 36 lakh women dairy farmers it has empowered in the course of these 75 years.

On the occasion of India’s 75th anniversary, Amul shared a snippet of the campaign video on its official Twitter handle with a caption: “Founded in 1946, #Amul celebrates 75 years of milk and progress by enriching the lives of 36 lac women farmers and providing taste, health and nutrition to 135 crore Indians every day #75YearsofAmul”.

The song depicts how the country has flourished over the years and how there has been a milk revolution over the years. Now, with changing times, technological advancement including digital payments, Amul has turned 75 and the country has become better. The video depicts women riding motorcycles wearing traditional clothes and telling how the cooperative movement has made women independent while the brand has reached every corner of the world.

The video is a beautiful depiction of how the cooperative society has championed gender equality for the last seven decades, encouraging women to step out and contribute to family income.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Amul co-operative movement, in its 75th year, has reached a group turnover of Rs. 53,000 crores (€6.01 billion). Despite the negative impact of the Covid-19 induced pandemic and its adverse effect on the dairy commodity markets, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul Federation) has registered a turnover of Rs 39,248 crore in the financial year 2020-21.

Amul is the brand that single-handedly helped India change from being a milk-deficit country to become the world’s largest producer of milk and milk products by doubling the country’s production to some 130 million tons annually over the last two decades. Amul is the ninth-largest dairy company in the world.

Kashmiris get emotional as the colours of Indian national flag fill the streets, thank PM Modi for creating history

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kashmiris get emotional as the colours of Indian national flag fill the streets, thank PM Modi for creating history

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been lit up with the colours of the Indian flag to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day, known to be muted in Kashmir for decades. Many visuals have emerged on social media sites, which show many parts of the valley illuminated with lights of the national flag’s colours. This is the third Independence Day celebration in the valley since the special status to Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped in 2019.

The Clock Tower at Lal Chowk in Srinagar has been lit up in the colours of the national flag.

Tri-colour lights have been installed in Salal dam in Reasi district, visuals shared by news agency ANI showed.

Projects of JKPDCL across Jammu and Kashmir has also been lit up in tricolour on the eve of the 75th Independence Day.

A snippet of video showing the old Zero Bridge lit with the tricolour light in Srinagar, Kashmir has also been doing the rounds on the microblogging site.

While many other flyovers, bridges and buildings in Srinagar, Kashmir were also adorned with the colours of the Indian flag.

The Baghliar Dam in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir was also illuminated with the colours of the Indian flag in the eve of Independence day.

The Mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Azim Mattu had taken to Twitter to inform that the tallest Tricolor of Jammu and Kashmir will be inaugurated at Hari Parbat Fort, Srinagar as India celebrates its 75th Independence Day.

As part of the Independence Day celebrations, hundreds of schools and government offices across Jammu and Kashmir hoisted the national flag today. Journalist Ahmed Ali Fayyaz tweeted that, in the first, the Indian national flag will be unfurled at 23,000 schools on the occasion of Independence Day on August 15th.

All phone, SMS and internet services are functioning at full speed in Kashmir for the first time on the Indian Independence Day on 15 August since 2003, added the journalist in his subsequent tweet.

An emotional citizen of Jammu and Kashmir, elated with the fact that he was being able to celebrate Independence Day in his homeland Kashmir, thanked PM Modi for creating ‘History’.

“I am celebrating Independence Day, in my homeland Kashmir for the first time in my life! Can’t believe it’s happening. This is HISTORY. Had yearned for it all my life as a displaced Hindu who grew up in a refugee camp in Jammu. Thank you, @PMOIndia@HMOIndia@OfficeOfLGJand“, wrote one Sahil Tikko on Twitter, while sharing his video standing in front of the Clock Tower in Lal Chowk in Srinagar, which has been lit up in colours of the Indian flag.

India enters the 75th year of Independence today. While addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi charted out the roadmap to development for when India enters 100th year of Independence. You can listen to his speech and read more about it here.

PM Modi announces ‘fortified rice’ to be part of all schemes by 2024: Here is all you need to know about how it will help combat malnutrition

OpIndia Staff
-
0
PM Modi announces ‘fortified rice’ to be part of all schemes by 2024: Here is all you need to know about how it will help combat malnutrition

On August 15, while addressing the nation on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that all rice distributed under different schemes across the country would be fortified by 2024. Fortifying rice is the process in which broken rice is grinded into powder, mixed with nutrients such as Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 and then shaping it into kernels that look like rice.

Generally, these kernels are mixed with normal rice at a 1:100 ratio. PM Modi said every scheme, including mid-day meals and rice distributed via ration shops, would be 100% fortified. In July this year, it was reported that the government might soon announce a policy for large scale distribution of fortified rice.

Why is the fortification of rice important?

As per the data provided by the Lancet, WHO (World Health Organisation) and Save The Children, undernutrition is one of the biggest challenges India is facing. Data suggests that every second woman is anaemic, and every third child is stunted in India. Due to lack of proper nutrition, every fourth child suffers from malnutrition and every fifth child is wasted.

Reports suggest that malnutrition is the cause behind 68% of deaths in children under the age of 5. Every year, India loses around 1% of its GDP, clocking at around Rs 1.35 lakh crore due to iron deficiency anaemia. Around Rs 7,400 crores are lost in productivity, illness and death due to malnutrition.

Rising malnutrition in India

In a recent study by the Government of India titled “National Family Health Survey -5” or NFHS-5, it was revealed that there had been deterioration in stunting in 13 states, wasting in 12, anaemia among children in 18, underweight in 16 and anaemia among pregnant women in 13 states compared to NFHS-4. The situation might have deteriorated further during and post-pandemic; thus, there was an immediate need for intervention from the government.

Solution to malnutrition

Along with dietary diversification, supplementation and bio-fortification, food fortification can play a vital role in combating malnutrition in the country. Rice is considered to be the ideal vehicle for supplying micronutrients in India, as 65% of its population consumes rice as a staple food. Fortified rice with Iron Folic acid and Vit B12 with a shelf life of around 1.5 years is a much viable option compared to bio-fortification. WHO reports suggest fortified rice can reduce the risk of iron deficiency by 35%.

As PDS (Public Distribution System) covers almost 81 crore people and supplies 350 LMT of rice per year, fortification of all rice would provide essential nutrients to all beneficiaries.

Benefits of fortification on economy and health

According to FSSAI, GDP gain by supplying fortified rice would be around Rs 49,800 crore. Over the next five years, Rs 8098 crores would be saved for Women of Reproductive Age (WRA).

According to reports, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra has been able to reduce anaemia by 10%. By supplying fortified rice in Gajapati, Odisha, anaemia has been reduced by 6%. In Bangaluru, Karnataka, anaemia has been reduced from 61% to 39%.

Rice fortification ecosystem in India

In the last year, central and state governments are making consistent efforts to establish an ecosystem for the distribution of fortified rice. Several schemes have been introduced since 2019-2020 for a period of three years. The government has also established standards for fortified rice through a regulatory agency such as FSSAI.

Several partnerships with research and academic institutes, including IITs-Kharagpur & Madras, CFTRI, ICMR, Stanford University, UC Berkley, Emory University, and development partners such as WFP, PATH, TATA Trust, Nutrition International have been established by the government.

Reportedly, six states have already started the distribution of fortified rice, and four more would start by September 2021. Data suggests the government has distributed 2.03 LMT fortified rice till June 2021. It has been proposed that 250 high burden districts should be covered from April 1, 2022.

With the efforts made by the Government of India, the production of Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) has increased from 7.250 MY to 60,000 MT in the last two years. Around 2,690 rice mills have already installed blending units for the production of fortified rice.

‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’: PM Modi charts out map for Atmanirbhar Bharat for India at 100

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’: PM Modi charts out map for Atmanirbhar Bharat for India at 100

PM Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort as India entered 75th year of Independence.

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1426726234365386758

This was his eighth consecutive Independence Day address. Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation after he unfurled the Tricolour at the Red Fort. There was no teleprompter and PM Modi had some notes he referred to while addressing the nation. There was also no security enclosure either.

Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Modi paid his homage to all the freedom fighters who gave their lives for this great nation. “I salute everyone who has played a key role in this glorious journey of our nation,” said Prime Minister Modi.

“I would like to begin by conveying greetings on this special occasion of Independence Day. This is a day to remember our great freedom fighters. Be it Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, or Jawaharlal Nehru, we are thankful to our leaders who brought Independence,” said PM Modi.

Expressing his gratitude towards all frontline and healthcare workers who helped the country fight the Covid-19 pandemic, PM Modi said that the doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation workers, scientists and crores of citizens worked with a sense of service during the pandemic. He said all those who devoted every moment to serve others in this period deserve the country’s appreciation.

PM Modi also lauded the 2020 Olympic contingent saying, “The athletes who have made us proud at Tokyo Olympics are here amongst us today. I urge the nation to applaud their achievement today. They have not only won our hearts but also inspired future generations.”

In his address, PM Modi remembered partition horrors and spoke about the decision of marking August 14 as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’.  

“We have taken a decision to observe August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, to honour the pain and sufferings faced by the people of India during the partition. Yesterday India took an emotional decision; 14th August will be known as Partition Horror Remembrance Day,” PM Modi said in his address.

PM Modi also spoke about the Covid-19 vaccination programme of the country, saying that Indians have fought this battle with a lot of patience.

“We had many challenges, but we worked with extraordinary pace in every area. It’s a result of the strength of our industrialists & scientists that today India doesn’t need to depend on any other nation for vaccines,” the Prime Minister noted in his national address.

The Prime Minister said it is a moment of pride for the country that because of our scientists, we were able to develop two Make in India Covid-19 vaccines and carry out the world’s largest vaccine drive.

In his address, PM Modi said that India is running the largest Covid-19 vaccination program as more than 54 crore people have received vaccine doses so far.

“A time comes in the development journey of every country when that nation defines itself from a new end when it takes itself forward with new resolutions. Today, that time has come in India’s development journey,” said Prime Minister Modi in his Independence Day speech.

PM Modi also set the 100th Independence Day as the target to fulfil the Atmanirbhar Bharat plan. “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayaas is very important for the achievement of all our goals,” he said, adding that the country has to move towards making 100 per cent efforts.

“We have to make sure that 100 per cent of villages have roads, 100 per cent of households have a bank account, 100 per cent of beneficiaries have Ayushman Bharat cards, and 100 per cent of eligible people have a gas connection under the Ujjwala scheme,” he added in his address.

Highlighting the developmental initiatives of his government, PM Modi said that the benefits of many schemes that started in the last seven years had reached the doorsteps of crores of poor. From Ujjwala to Ayushman Bharat, the poor of the nation knows their (schemes’) strength, and today, government schemes have picked up the pace and are reaching their goals, he noted.

The Prime Minister also noted that it is essential to fully utilise the capabilities of India to take it to new heights in the 21st century, and to achieve this, the country has to hold hands of the section that is lagging behind, the area that is lagging behind.

“Besides caring about basic facilities, reservation for Dalits, backwards, tribals, economically weak sections of general category. Recently reservation was granted to OBCs, under the all-India quota, in medical education. States have been granted the right to make their own OBC lists,” Prime Minister Modi said in his speech.

Speaking on the issue of the government’s human development initiatives, PM Modi said that it is his government’s priority to take Poshan to every person, every poor person. The government has decided to provide fortified rice to the poor by 2024, the Prime Minister announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Sunday.

Highlighting the government’s initiatives in the health sector, Prime Minister Modi said that under the Jan Aushadhi Yojana, the poor and needy are now getting affordable medicines. In the last seven years, 75,000 Health and Wellness Centres have been built, and the government is working on a network of hospitals at the block level, said Prime Minister Modi.

Amid the prevailing situation of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, announced that hospitals in India would soon have their own oxygen plants. 

Prime Minister Modi also said that a Delimitation Commission has been constituted in Jammu and Kashmir, and preparations are on for assembly elections in the future. During his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Modi noted that Ladakh is witnessing the creation of modern infrastructure, while on the other hand, Indus Central University will make Ladakh a centre of higher education.

Today we see our villages changing rapidly, said PM Modi, noting that facilities like road and electricity have reached villages in the past few years. In addition, the optical fibre network is providing the power of data to villages, the internet is reaching there, and digital entrepreneurs are getting ready in villages, too, he noted.

Speaking on the government’s initiatives in the Northeast region, Prime Minister said that a new history of connectivity is being written in the region, and the government is working on connecting all the state capitals of North-East with rail service, which will be completed very soon.

Calling small-scale farmers India’s pride, Modi, while advocating for their welfare, PM Modi said that the country has to deal with the fact that our farmers now have less land to cultivate on. He noted that more than 80% of our farmers have less than two hectares of land, adding that the government will have to focus on helping our small farmers.

“In the coming years, we will have to increase the collective power of the small farmers of the country. We have to give them new facilities. They must become the country’s pride,” Prime Minister Modi said.

In his speech, PM Modi spoke about challenges to help farmers as much as possible and said that his mantra is “Chhota Kisan bane Desh ki Shaan”.

“It’s our dream. But, in years to come, we have to further increase the collective strength of small farmers of the country, we will have to provide the new facilities, ” he said, announcing that “Kisan rail” will be started on more than 70 rail routes of the country today.

The Prime Minister also launched the National Hydrogen Mission with the aim of making India the world’s largest exporter of gas. “India is the only nation that is on the path to meeting its climate goals. Green Hydrogen is the future of the world and I plan to make India the global hub,” he noted in his speech. ,

Saying that the country has moved towards a “people-centric approach” when it comes to bureaucracy, PM Modi said, “We have to stop the over-involvement of government in the form of complex policies. Today, we have destroyed over 15,000 unnecessary compliances. Political will is required to bring in big changes, big reforms. Today, the world can see that there is no dearth of political will in India. Good and smart governance is needed to bring reforms.”

The Prime Minister said that the priority would be to ensure that the services reach the last person seamlessly. “For the all-round development of the nation, it is essential to end the unnecessary interference of govt and government procedures in the lives of people,” he noted.

In a move to strengthen the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative, PM Modi announced that all Sainik Schools across the country will now be open for girls.

“I used to get messages from lakhs of women children that they want to study in Sainik Schools. 2-2.5 years ago, for the first time, we started an experiment of opening Sainik Schools for girls from Mizoram,” said PM Modi.

Hailing India’s daughters and women empowerment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 74 years of Independence said that the woman of the country has evolved from education to sports and added that today, be it education or Olympics, the daughters of this country are performing tremendously, and the country has to ensure that they get equal opportunities and they feel safe and respected.

Prime Minister also noted that the country has to work together for the next-generation infrastructure, world-class manufacturing, cutting innovations and new-age technology.

In the coming days, the government will launch PM Gati Shakti Plan, a 100 lakh crore national infrastructure master plan which will make a foundation for holistic infrastructure and give an integrated pathway to our economy. The Prime Minister also announced that 75 Vande Bharat trains would connect every corner of India in 75 weeks of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence.

While giving his speech on the celebrations of 74 years of Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also requested citizens to ‘pledge’ for ‘energy independent before completing 100 years of independence’. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that the country is facing ‘the menace of terrorism and expansionist policies’ and India will leave ‘no stone unturned’ to strengthen our Armed Forces. In his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled surgical strikes and airstrikes and termed them tough decisions that India can undertake. 

“By conducting surgical strikes and airstrikes, we have given a message of the emergence of a new India to our enemies. It also conveys that India can take tough decisions,” said PM Modi.

After concluding his traditional Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Olympic contingents present at the celebration at Red Fort. This year, to mark the celebrations of August 15, the Union Government had welcomed Olympic contingents who hailed India’s name at Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

Taliban now controls all key Afghan cities except the capital Kabul

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Taliban now controls all key Afghan cities except the capital Kabul

After capturing the Jalalabad city, the Taliban has now occupied all major cities of Afghanistan, leaving the capital city of Kabul as the only major city under the Afghan Government’s control. Late on Saturday evening, they also took Mazar-i-Sharif, the Afghan government’s last major holdout in the northern part of the country.

Taliban closing in on Kabul, only 11 km away

According to reports, Taliban militants are merely 11 km away from Kabul. Fears are now rapidly increasing that the Islamist terror outfit may launch an assault on Kabul anytime soon.

The Islamist terror outfit releases statement vows to protect its “beloved nation”

Despite its rapid advances, leaving a frightening toll of death and mayhem, the Islamist terrorist group has released a statement in which it has vowed to protect lives, honour and create a peaceful and secure environment for its “beloved nation”.

“The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) will, as always, protect their life, property and honour and create a peaceful and secure environment for its beloved nation,” the statement read according to Reuters.

The Sunni Pashtun group said that its swift successes demonstrated that it was widely welcomed by the people and that Afghans and foreigners would not be harmed.

More US troops sent for evacuation

Meanwhile, the US President, Joe Biden has vowed to send more troops to evacuate civilians and warned the insurgents not to threaten that mission.

After consultations with his national security team, Biden said a total of “approximately 5,000” US soldiers, up from 3,000, will now help organize evacuations and the end of the US mission after 20 years on the ground.

He warned the Taliban that any action “that puts US personnel or our mission at risk there, will be met with a swift and strong US military response.”

The statement for the US President came after the terrorist group took control of Mazar-i-Sharif, closing in further on Kabul.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani calls for re-mobilisation of armed forces against the Taliban

On Saturday (August 14), Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made his first public appearance after the Islamist terror outfit, Taliban, intensified its offensive. In a pre-recorded message, the Afghan President called for the remobilisation of armed forces, following their crushing defeat at the hands of the Taliban. He emphasised that it was the topmost priority of the Afghan government. Ashraf Ghani said, “Under the current situation, remobilizing of the security and defence forces are our top priority and required measures are underway for this purpose.”

The president said that he will not allow the imposed war on Afghans to bring further killings, loss of the gains made in the last 20 years, destruction of public property and continued instability. 

1...4,0494,0504,051...7,680Page 4,050 of 7,680