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PM holds interaction with CMs to discuss situation emerging post Unlock 1.0

Published By : Admin | June 16, 2020 | 16:26 IST
PM Modi interacts with Chief Ministers on Covid-19 issue
India's fight against coronavirus will be remembered in the future for how we worked together and served as an example of cooperative federalism: PM
With the steps taken in the last few weeks, green shoots are now visible in the economy: PM Modi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today interacted with Chief Ministers via video conferencing to discuss the situation emerging post Unlock 1.0 and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the sixth such interaction of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers, the earlier ones had been held on 20th March, 2nd April, 11th April, 27th April, and 11th May.

Timely decisions to combat the virus

Prime Minister observed that timely decisions taken to combat the pandemic have been effective in containing its spread in the country. When we look back, people will remember that we have presented an example for cooperative federalism to the world, he said.

We have tried to save each and every life, the Prime Minister said. He underlined that all modes of transport are now open, lakhs of migrant labourers have travelled back to their villages, thousands of Indians have returned from abroad, and even though India has a huge population, coronavirus has not assumed as life threatening a form as in the rest of the world. He said that health experts worldover are praising the discipline shown by Indians, adding that the recovery rate in the country is now over 50%. He also noted that India is amongst the nations with the least deaths due to coronavirus. Prime Minister mentioned that a big lesson is that if we remain disciplined and follow all rules, coronavirus will cause least damage. He emphasized on the importance of usage of mask/ face cover, without which no one should venture out. This is not just important for the person concerned but also for his family and community. He also talked about following the mantra of ‘do gaz doori’, washing hands with soap and using sanitizer. He forewarned that any laxity in discipline will weaken our fight against the virus.

Green Shoots in Economy

Prime Minister noted that with the efforts of the past few week, green shoots in the economy are visible, including rise in power consumption which was earlier falling, fertilizer sale in May this year seeing a significant increase, a healthy increase in Kharif sowing in comparison to last year, production of two wheelers increasing, digital payment in retail reaching pre lockdown level, increase in toll collection in May and bouncing back of exports. These signals are encouraging us to forge ahead.

Benefits of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

Prime Minister said there is significant importance of agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and MSMEs in the participating States, provisions for which have been made under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. Talking about the provisions to provide timely credit to MSMEs, he said that if quick disbursal of credit to industries is ensured through Bankers Committees, these industries will be able to start working quickly while also ensuring provision of employment opportunities. Smaller factories require guidance and hand-holding, he said. He mentioned the importance of working together on value chains to give fillip to trade and industry. Specific Economic Activity Points in the states should work 24 hours a day and loading and unloading should be quickened to give further boost to economic activity.

Prime Minister mentioned the benefits set to accrue to farmers through reforms in the agriculture sector, including new avenues to sell produce, increase in income which in turn would increase demand in the economy. New opportunities for North-East and tribal regions in the areas of farming and horticulture are set to be created, with opening up of new markets for organic products, bamboo products and other tribal produce. The States will also benefit from a cluster based approach for local products, he said, adding that such products should be identified at each block and district level for better processing and more effective marketing. He emphasized on the need of working together to ensure that the announcements made under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan fructify at the earliest.

Chief Ministers speak

Today’s interaction was the first part of the two day interaction, and witnessed participation of States and UTs including Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Ladakh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu, Sikkim and Lakshadweep.

The Chief Ministers thanked the Prime Minister for his leadership during such a challenging time and uniting the country to fight for the collective fight against the virus. They provided feedback about existing health infrastructure in their states and efforts for augmentation to tackle the impact of the virus. They mentioned about the awareness campaigns being run by them, help being provided to workers who have returned home, usage of Aarogya Setu app, and kickstarting of economic activities in the states.

Focus on both life and livelihood

Prime Minister thanked the Chief Ministers for their views. He underscored the importance of being focussed on both life and livelihood. He said that on the one hand, health infrastructure will need to be boosted with emphasis on testing and tracing, economic activity will also need to be increased. The decisions need to be taken keeping in view both current needs and future requirements.

He asked the leaders to continuously keep driving in the fact that danger of the virus is not over yet, and the need to remain vigilant while opening up the economy.

Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that while we have so far fought a successful battle against the pandemic, the road ahead is long and suggestions given by the Prime Minister regarding use of mask/face cover, maintaining do gaz doori etc should be followed by all.

Earlier review of preparations

Prime Minister had held a detailed meeting with senior ministers and officials on 13th June to review India’s response to Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting had reviewed the national level status and preparation in the context of the pandemic.

It was observed that out of the total cases two-thirds are in 5 states with an overwhelming proportion of cases in big cities. In view of the challenges being faced, particularly by the large cities, it was discussed to augment testing as well as the number of beds and services to effectively handle the peak surge of daily cases.

Prime Minister had taken cognizance of the recommendations of the Empowered Group on city- and district-wise requirements of hospital beds/isolation beds which will be required and instructed Health Ministry officials to undertake emergency planning in consultation with the States/UTs. He had also advised the Ministry to ensure suitable preparations in view of the start of the Monsoon season.

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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 8th edition of India Mobile Congress during the International Telecommunication Union – World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (ITU-WTSA) 2024 held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today. WTSA is the governing conference for the standardization work of the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations Agency for Digital Technologies, organized every four years. It is for the first time that the ITU-WTSA is being hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific. It is a pivotal global event that has brought together more than 3,000 industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over 190 countries, representing telecom, digital, and ICT sectors.

Chairman of the Reliance JIO-INFOCOMM Limited, Shri Akash Ambani, commended Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership, which has catalyzed India’s remarkable digital transformation. He said that in the third term, Shri Modi has positioned the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) as a significant platform for innovation and collaboration, driving unprecedented growth in the digital sector. Shri Ambani noted that India has transitioned from a nation struggling with 2G speeds to becoming the world’s largest data market. He emphasized that India’s journey from ranking 155th in mobile broadband adoption to its current status demonstrates the power of synergy between government and industry. He further highlighted the inclusion of over 530 million unbanked Indians through initiatives like Jan Dhan accounts, with a significant portion being women. “Modi ji’s commitment to innovation has ensured that technology reaches every corner of our nation, leaving no one behind,” Shri Ambani stated. He proposed leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool across various sectors, aiming for a developed India by 2047 and urged for updates to the data center policy to retain Indian data within the country, fostering a robust AI ecosystem.

Emphasizing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for a Digital India, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Airtel, Shri Sunil Bharti Mittal, reflected on India’s telecom journey, emphasizing its transformative progress in telecom infrastructure and digital technologies. He said, “the real transformation began in 2014 with Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a ‘Digital India,’ which ignited the 4G revolution. This has empowered millions, including those in our rural areas, to access smartphones and essential digital services.” He highlighted the transformative impact of 4G technology, which has brought smartphones and digital services to millions, including those in rural areas. He underscored the government’s initiatives to boost local manufacturing through the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) program, positioning India as a manufacturing hub for telecom equipment. “We are committed to reducing our dependence on imports. With initiatives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program, we are transforming India into a manufacturing hub for telecom equipment,” he said. Discussing future ambitions, Mittal announced that India is set to lead in 5G technology, with extensive rollouts planned across urban and rural regions within the next 12 to 18 months. He also discussed the potential of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) networks, stating, “These networks will bridge the connectivity gap in our most challenging terrains, ensuring all Indians have access to fast internet services.”

Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Shri Kumar Mangalam Birla highlighted the steadfast support by the government in consistently recognizing the importance of digital connectivity and introducing several reforms over the years to drive India towards an even more connected, empowered and inclusive digital nation. He lauded the government's continued thrust on expanding digital infrastructure and accelerating digital adoption for people and businesses equally. Recalling the Prime Minister’s quote on MSME meaning maximum support to micro, small and medium enterprises, Shri Birla said that they are committed to providing maximum support by promoting digital transformation to India's small businesses making them future ready. He laid emphasis on focus on technologies like 5G, IoT, AI and cloud services and expressed the belief that a thriving digital ecosystem can be created that empowers India’s MSMEs to drive economic growth. He informed that India achieved the remarkable feat of 10 crore telecommunication consultations in tele-medicine and said that it is a matter of great pride for every Indian. Pointing out one of the most pressing issues being addressed by the government regulator and industry in the past year, Shri Birla touched upon spam control and fraud protection. Talking about the potential of the Indian telecom sector he hailed the Prime Minister's bold vision of a digital India. He expressed confidence that they would do their part with the continued support of the government, and help in realizing the Prime Minister's digital India destiny. He thanked the government, partners and the entire telecom community for making the past year truly an exceptional one.

Secretary General ITU, Ms. Doreen Bogdan Martin said that it is a great honor to be present at the joint ceremony with the Prime Minister on the occasion of 2024 World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly and India Mobile Congress. She said that it is a powerful symbol of the deep ties between the ITU and India and recalled the meaningful conversation with the Prime Minister last year during the inauguration of ITU Area Office and Innovation Center. She spoke about world leaders coming together just a few weeks ago in New York and adopting the Pact of the Future and its global digital compact where a powerful message was sent out to the world about the digital future. She recalled the Prime Minister’s emphasis on the need for global digital governance and highlighted how he made India's ambition very clear to lead by example and share its digital public infrastructure with the entire world. Referring to India’s G20 Presidency where DPI was a huge priority, Ms Bogdan Martin expressed delight in ITU becoming a knowledge partner. She underlined that the world has a lot to learn from India’s accomplishments with regard to unified payments interface. She stressed that standards build trust and that they are the engine which powers such platforms allowing them to operate at scale and providing every Indian with life-changing services through mobile device access. Ms Bogdan Martin further added that trust nurtures inclusion and inclusion can unlock the full potential of digital and emerging technologies for everyone, including the third of humanity that's still offline. She noted that this is a first-of-its-kind meet in Asia and called for bold collective action. She expressed confidence that in the next 10 days the role of international standards can be strengthened as the bedrock of global digital governance. She also touched upon ethical use of AI and urged to align technological progress with digital inclusion.