Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the release of a set of eight commemorative postage stamp of Indian musicians

It gives me great pleasure to release this set of commemorative postage stamps today. As we pay tribute to eight of the greatest music maestros of contemporary India, we celebrate their life and work and their matchless legacy. These eight maestros are, without a doubt, among the tallest luminaries in the history of world music. They have not only achieved personal perfection but have made extraordinary contributions, in their respective fields, to the development and evolution of the schools of music in which their talents were nurtured and honed. Their contribution and its enrichment of our cultural heritage cannot be quantified or estimated. It is infinite in its resonance and their names will be mentioned with great reverence. Their music will be cherished by the young and old, for many decades to come. I congratulate the Department of Posts for their initiative in bringing out these stamps. As these travel, pasted on letters and parcels and as they are added to the collections of stamp collectors and music connoisseurs and as they are used by people across the continents, these stamps will inform and remind all who see them of a golden era in musical achievements, a high point in the history of shastriya sangeet in India. At this juncture, when we Indians, as a people, we are deeply involved with so many things, political processes and economic growth and development, while also facing the challenges of a globalized world, it is comforting and invigorating to pause and reflect on our unique cultural heritage. Music, in its pure form, is spiritual nourishment for our souls. It is at the core of our cultural and secular heritage. Our classical music, which has its origin in the Vedas, is said to be a gift of God himself; it is Nadabrahma, the sound of God, the music that pervades the universe. Although one cannot sum up the achievements of these gifted souls in just a few words, I would like to pay homage by recalling a few aspects of their outstanding contribution to Indian music. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan made his debut at the age of 13 at a music conference in Allahabad in 1936. His mastery of the sarod and his brilliant compositions gave him the title of a ‘national treasure’. As a performer and as a teacher, he popularized Indian classical music - not only in India but also in Europe and in the USA. Pundit Bhimsen Joshi had developed the khayal form of singing. He was best known for his popular renditions of devotional music. He was a classicist by training and temperament but evolved an approach that sought to achieve a balance between "traditional values and mass-culture tastes". Smt. D. K. Pattammal, who started her training at the age of only four years, went on to become a legend in Carnatic Music. She achieved the highest levels in her field of music . Along with Smt. M S Subbalakshmi and Smt. M L Vasanthakumari, she was considered one of the "Female Trinity of Carnatic Music”. Her perfect rendering of Ragam Tanam-Pallavi , a composition that had all along been a domain of male artists, earned her the title of "Pallavi Pattammal”. Smt. Gangubai Hangal, another child-prodigy, made her debut in the 1924 session of the Indian National Congress in the august presence of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. She fought prejudice and opposition to make music her career and remained committed to classical music for 75 years - until her last concert in 2006 . Pundit Kumar Gandharva is remembered for his creation of new ragas and for bringing the spotlight to the music of Madhya Pradesh. His legacy includes his amazing experimentation with Nirguni bhajans and folksongs. Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana had set new standards through his mercurial improvisations in both melody and metre - without ever losing the emotional content of the songs that he rendered. Pundit Ravi Shankar, will forever be remembered for the heights that he conquered as a legendary sitar player and composer of Hindustani classical music. He popularized the sitar in all parts of the world with his brilliant performances and creative compositions. His use of unconventional rhythmic cycles and unique compositions remain unrivaled to this day. Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan, who introduced Indian music to the world along with Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan was another of the greatest pioneers of Indian classical music. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Salient Features of 19th Livestock Census

v  The total livestock population consisting of Cattle, Buffalo, Sheep, Goat, pig, Horses & Ponies, Mules, Donkeys, Camels, Mithun and Yak in the country is 512.05 million numbers in 2012. The total livestock population has decreased by about 3.33% over the previous census. v  Livestock population has increased substantially in Gujarat (15.36%), Uttar Pradesh (14.01%), Assam (10.77%), Punjab (9.57%) Bihar (8.56%);    Sikkim (7.96%), Meghalaya (7.41%), and Chhattisgarh (4.34%). v  The number of milch animals (in-milk and dry), cows and buffaloes, has increased from 111.09 million to 118.59 million, an increase of 6.75%. v  The number of animals in milk, cows and buffaloes, has increased from 77.04 million to 80.52 million showing a growth of 4.51%. v  The Female Cattle (Cows) Population has increased by 6.52% over the previous census (2007) and the total number of female cattle in 2012 is 122.9 million numbers. v  The Female Buffalo population has increased by 7.99% over the previous census and the total number of female buffalo is 92.5 million numbers in 2012. v  The exotic/crossbred milch cattle increased from 14.4 million to 19.42 million, an increase of 34.78%. v  Indigenous milch cattle increased from 48.04 million to 48.12 million, an increase of 0.17%. v  The milch buffaloes  increased from 48.64 million to 51.05 million with an increase of 4.95% over previous census. v  The total sheep in the country is 65.06 million numbers in 2012, declined by about 9.07% over census 2007. v  The Goat population has declined by 3.82% over the previous census and the total Goat in the country is 135.17 million numbers in 2012. v  The total pigs in the country have decreased by 7.54% over the previous census and the total pigs in the country are 10.29 million numbers in 2012. v  Horses & Ponies population has increased by 2.08% over the previous census and the total Horses & Ponies in the country is 0.62 million numbers in 2012. v  The total Mules in the country have increased by 43.34% over the previous census and the total Mules in the country are 0.19 million numbers in 2012. v  Camel population has decreased by 22.48% over the previous census and the total Camels in the country is 0.4 million numbers in 2012. v  The total Donkey population in the country have decreased by 27.22% over the previous census and the total donkeys in the country are 0.32 million numbers in 2012. v  The total poultry population in the country has increased by 12.39% over the previous census and the total poultry in the country is 729.2 million numbers in 2012. v  The total Mithun and Yak in the country has registered a growth rates of 12.98% and -7.64% respectively over the previous census and the Mithuns and Yaks in the country is 0.29 million and 0.07 million in numbers respectively.

Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates Global Skills Summit in New Delhi

Minister of State (I/C) Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that his Ministry will welcome and embrace all meaningful skill development efforts with open arms, as skill development is a social transformation tool leading to wealth creation for individuals and through them, for the entire nation. Inaugurating the Global Skills Summit here today, He called upon the Industry to focus on inclusive skilling and reaching out to areas affected by left-wing extremism, the North-Eastern region and other hill states.  He urged the captains of the Industry to come forward and work with the government to reach out to the youth in the challenging areas of the country.  He said women constitute a sizable number in the country; however, their participation in the economic growth is limited.  Shri Sonowal said, this must change by creating a conducive environment for their participation in the skills development activities.

Shri Sonowal said, the importance of skill development was echoed by the Prime Minister on 15^th August when he said “If we have to promote the development of our country, then our mission has to be “skill development” and “skilled India.”   The minister said that the best way to achieve this is to converge and synthesize all efforts, which his ministry is set to do. At the same time, we have to excite and engage the youth of the country to participate without inhibitions. This requires delivery of skills to meet the local aspirations, demand and conditions.  It is time that we make the youth and the parents aware that developing skills is as important and dignified as securing a degree.

 Following the text of the speech:

“I am grateful to FICCI for having given me an opportunity for discussing Skill Development, which is one of the most critical subjects for India today.  I am told that the FICCI Global Skills Summit is an annual event and every year the skilling community gathers at FICCI to debate and exchange thoughts and ideas to recharge themselves and translate these ideas to actions on ground. While coming on to the dias, I signed the Skills Pledge, an expression of my commitment to honour skills. I urge everyone to do the same – even those who have signed the pledge earlier need to renew their commitment.

The importance of skill development was echoed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 15^th August when he said “If we have to promote the development of our country, then our mission has to be “skill development” and “skilled India.” We also understand that the best way to achieve this is to converge and synthesize all efforts, which my ministry is set to do. At the same time, we have to excite and engage the youth of the country to participate without inhibitions. This requires delivery of skills to meet the local aspirations, demand and conditions.  It is time that we make the youth and the parents aware that developing skills is as important and dignified as securing a degree.

We all know that this mammoth task cannot be achieved by the government alone. Industry’s participation is necessary, and  I urge FICCI to take the lead in bringing the industry onboard to recognize skills not only through jobs but through preferential employment, increased salaries / wages and creating an atmosphere within their companies for employees to get skilled and upskilled. Industry has to lead by example, and there are many ways that you can contribute. Providing apprenticeship opportunities is one. This will help reduce the disconnect between industry and vocational training centres as well as school education and vocational training, which will ensure that the training is less relevant to industry’s needs. A larger effort is needed to percolate the same feeling in the community, since in our case the unorganized sector offers more employment than the organized sector. Unless the community starts demanding quality work, the importance of skilling will not easily set in.

The Government has been facilitating the setting up of sector skills councils, to bridge the employer, the training providers and the educational system. The sector skills councils can play a very important role, but that is only if you as members of the industry engage with them. The basic function of the Sector Skills Council is to present the view points and needs of the sector that it represents, and its effectiveness in being able to do so will depend on how well it is interacting with its members. This is a two-way responsibility – while the Sector Skills Council need to reach out to individual units in the sector, each such unit also needs to make its view known to the council. In this context the theme of the Global Skills Summit: “India’s Skill Eco-system: from Design to Action” is appropriate. The action has begun.

Women constitute a sizable number in our country; however, their participation in the economic growth is limited. This must change by creating a conducive environment for their participation in the skills development activities. I am happy to note that this important issue is set to be discussed in the summit.

Moreover, the magnitude of the task ahead is so great that only an outcomes-based approach with scope for mobility, both vertical and horizontal within and between general and vocational streams will get us close to the objective of skilling the youth. Consequently, the National Skills Qualification Framework, a competency based framework has been notified which would make the youth break all inhibitions regarding vocational education. Such an approach would also mean that the millions of people in our country, who have mastered various crafts and trades through the traditional mode of the guru-shishya parampara, or who have become adept through sheer experience, could also become certified as long as they are able to perform to the outcome standards. This recognition of prior learning would itself empower millions of our workers through formal recognition of their skills.

Another dimension is the fact that 70% of this population of our country falls in rural and tribal India. To properly equip these millions of youth with the skill sets needed for them to be part of the modern work force, integration of skill development and the formal education system is necessary. This requires a collective effort by government, as well as by the private sector. The need of the hour is to synergize the efforts and resources to provide  a feasible platform for vocational education and skill development. The ideal way forward will be to seek both national and international partnerships that will strengthen the process of quality and inclusivity.  In this context, I would like to apprise you all that for the smooth implementation of the various skill development schemes of the government, we are rationalizing the various schemes of the government to achieve greater degree of convergence and harmonization. I assure you that we have also taken the regional differences in terms of geography into consideration and very soon we all will adopt a regionally balanced skill development approach which would be more fruitful.

It is important, through both macro and micro policies to create a Pull Factor which attracts and also enforces the people to get skilled to get into employment or self-employment. One such example could be to include a minimum percentage of certified skilled work forces in the tendering process of every manpower intensive project and increase the minimum percentage every year by a reasonable margin based on the life of the project.  At a local level, the industry could enforce it by ensuring that their ancillary services like drivers, housekeeping, security etc.  are certified  skilled.  Of course,  besides ensuring that the people at the shop floor are certified skilled. Another important pull factor that needs to be addressed is the issue of minimum wages. These need to be re-looked and aligned to the levels defined in the National Skills Qualification Framework.

I understand that every year, this Summit is attended by delegations from foreign countries and we attempt to learn from each other.  This year, I am told that we have representation from the United Nations, as well as from UK, Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Canada, Pakistan and other parts of Europe. I am sure that this Summit will be mutually rewarding experience. I hope we will see concrete outcomes from this summit.

I cannot conclude without highlighting the specific needs of those regions of our country that face additional challenges, including those of topography and geography. It is essential to focus on inclusive skilling and reaching out to these challenging areas, such as those affected by left-wing extremism and the North-Eastern and other hill states. I urge my friends from the industry to come forward and work with us to reach out to the youth in these areas. It is only through collective action and consolidated plan from all the stakeholders present here today that we can facilitate access to wage and self-employment opportunities for the working population of these regions and give them hope for a better future. Having first- hand knowledge of one of these areas, I can assure you about the potential of the youth in these areas.

I take this opportunity to state that my Ministry and I will welcome and embrace all meaningful skill development efforts with open arms, as we see skill development as a social transformation tool leading to wealth creation for individuals and through them, for the entire nation. I wish you all a meaningful two days here and look forward to the receiving a summary of the actionable agenda”.

Uttarakhand PCS -2012 Notification is out ,SAMVEG IAS/PCS DEHRADUN

Prelims Exam Date :30th November 2014
Last Date for application : 24th September,2014
Fees submission in banks :27th september,2014

Total vacancy : 237
SDM POST : 16
DSP Post : 21
Age : 21-42 years on 1st july 2014
satat preparing from today itself.you have just 3 months time to prepare.Buy old papers of ukpcs and uppcs(for csat part),make detail plane for preparation.read selected books many time before exam.

You can ask any query related to UK PCS ON THIS PAGE.

http://ukpsc.gov.in/files/PCS-2012.pdf
Best Wishes
SAMVEG IAS DEHRADUN,UTTARAKHAND

Eroding democratic gains,pak

The events that have unfolded in Pakistan over the last two weeks have all but wiped out the country’s small democratic gains of the last six years. A few thousand protestors under the leadership of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who leads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and a rabble-rousing cleric, Tahir ul Qadri, a Canadian of Pakistani origin, have effectively held the nation hostage, refusing to call off their agitation until the elected government of Nawaz Sharif resigned. In most democracies, such demands are settled in Parliament. Where the opposition has sufficient numbers, it may even succeed in unseating the government. Where it does not, it focusses on winning the next election. The Pakistan Army denies it but there has been much speculation about its role in the protests from the start, fuelled in recent days by the allegations of a top PTI leader who broke ranks with Mr. Khan. In any case, the Army’s eagerness to use the situation to tilt the civilian-military balance decisively in its favour has been all too apparent. The moment that the Army chief, Raheel Sharif, spoke to Mr. Khan and Mr. Qadri in an effort to end the stand-off will be remembered as the point at which the military gained an upper hand over the government. Since then, the Army has been urging talks between the government and the protestors and criticising the use of the police force to disperse mobs. A Corps Commanders’ conference to “discuss” the political situation cemented its position further.

The crisis itself might not have come about if Mr. Sharif had a better grip on governance. Mr. Khan’s campaign grew from a small complaint of election-rigging in a few constituencies. A simple way out would have been to address those complaints but the government let the matter drift. Despite his huge mandate, Mr. Sharif’s 15 months in power have been marked by all-around drift. He may survive this crisis for now as Mr. Khan stands politically isolated, save for support from Mr. Qadri and his following. Tuesday’s Parliament session, at which all other political parties — opponents and allies alike — made impassioned speeches urging Mr. Sharif to stand firm against the efforts to remove him, will perhaps go down as one of the most stirring in Pakistan’s chequered history of tentative democracies. But it is already clear that continue though he might, it will only be as a much weakened Prime Minister. How much ground the military has wrested from him, especially on policies on India and Afghanistan, will become apparent only in the days to come. New Delhi called off talks last month, and Pakistan’s changed scenario may only make it more difficult for the two sides to get back to the table.

A new sunrise

India and Japan have enjoyed the best of relations over the decades. Yet, their trade and economic partnership has, strangely, been under-performing, belying the promise and potential. Bilateral trade at $16.29 billion in 2013-14 accounted for just 2.13 per cent of India’s total trade and barely 1 per cent of Japan’s. The low-profile trade relationship is especially disappointing considering how much Japan has to offer in terms of investment and technology, and how much India needs both. India may be one of the largest recipients of Japanese ODA (Official Development Assistance), but when it comes to foreign direct investment (FDI), it ranks low, well behind China. Between April 2000 and February 2014, Japanese companies cumulatively invested $15.97 billion in India, accounting for just 7.46 per cent of total FDI inflows into India, which in a way epitomises the state of the economic relationship between the second and third largest economies of Asia. All this could change for the better, post-Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan, which seems to have breathed new life into economic relations. Japan has said it would invest 3.5 trillion yen ($33.5 billion) in India in the next five years in the sectors of infrastructure, manufacturing, transport and clean energy, and on smart cities, all thrust areas for development for the Modi government.

To be sure, this is not the first time we have seen positive intent in the leadership of the two Asian giants to improve trade and investment. Ever since India liberalised in the early 1990s, there has been steady interest among Japanese companies and investors — but they have often been frustrated by complicated procedures and cumbersome processes. Actually, Japanese companies willingly ceded market space in India to competitors from South Korea and China rather than deal with the red tape. It is in this context that Mr. Modi’s promises of “red carpet, not red tape”, and a special track in the Prime Minister’s Office to facilitate Japanese investments, have to be seen. Mr. Modi harped on all the right themes including the three Ds that India can boast of, namely democracy, demography and demand, while making his pitch to Japanese business. With manufacturing costs increasing in China and given the political issues between the two countries, Japanese businesses are looking to diversify, and India presents a good choice with its huge market. New projects such as those for super-fast trains and smart cities are ideal destinations for Japanese investments. The Modi government has to now move quickly to fulfil its promises of easing procedures and facilitating investment to capitalise on the optimism and goodwill generated from what has clearly been a successful visit in economic terms.

Dr Jitendra Singh Announces DBT Collaboration in Establishing A “National Cancer Institute” at Jhajjar, Haryana.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy, today, formally announced the decision to offer collaboration on behalf of Department of Bio-Technology with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi for establishing National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar in Haryana. Addressing a heavily attended Press Conference, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the project is to come up at the cost of 2000 crore and the Department of Bio-Technology under him will offer major inputs for Cancer Research and Care. He also announced the setting up of a Joint Research Advisory Body, which, he claimed, would be possibly the best in the world. The Minister said this joint initiative with Health Ministry and AIIMS, New Delhi is a part of his Ministry’s and endeavour to use Science and Technology as a medium of service to the society and to promote new technologies at affordable and cost effective price. Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Bio-Technology Department under him will help the medical researchers to design clinical trials and collaborate for joint development and evaluation of vaccines, biomarkers, therapeutics, etc. In addition, Dr Jitendra Singh also announced setting up of a major new Institute under Department of Bio-Technology for “Pre-term Birth” Research Clinical applications. This will be his Department’s major support to medical science considering the fact that India, with its highest number of Pre-term Birth and the highest number of Pre-term Deaths worldwide, contributes 25% of global pre-term related deaths, he added.