Development of Agro-Food Market ,Research in Food Technology ,Radiation Processing Technology

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and is responsible for implementing the Rules & Regulations made thereunder. The quality standards of various agro-food products are prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations. The vertical standards for food products are prescribed in Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011 & horizontal standards in Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulation, 2011. FSSAI is in the process of harmonizing the existing Indian standards with Codex and other international best practices. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries provides financial assistance for promoting Research & Development in the food processing sector under the plan scheme for Quality Assurance, Codex Standards and Research & Development and Other Promotional Activities. All Universities, IITs, Central/State Government Institutions, Public Funded organisations, R&D laboratories and CSIR recognised R&D units in private sector are eligible for assistance as per the guidelines of the scheme. Ministry also has two academic –cum- research institutions viz. National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Kundli, Sonepat, Haryana and Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT), Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. Both these institutions are mandated to undertake research in various aspects of food processing. Research in food processing is also being undertaken by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and institutions like Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Science and Technology, Defence Food Research Laboratory under Ministry of Defence and various State Universities Research in Food Technology Ministry of Food Processing Industries has two Institutes engaged in research and development activities in the food processing sector: i) National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), at Kundli, Sonepat, Haryana. NIFTEM has been recognized as a Deemed to be University under De Novo Category by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. NIFTEM has modern teaching and research laboratories. The Institute has commenced its academic program in 2012-13. ii) Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. This is also an academic-cum-research Institute under the Ministry. The Institute formerly known as Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC) has been upgraded into a national- level institute in 2008. The Institute has modern teaching laboratories and a food processing incubation and training centre. Both the Institutes are mandated to undertake research in various aspects of food processing. In addition, various Institutes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture are undertaking research in food technology. Institutions like Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, Karnataka under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), under Ministry of Science & Technology; Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore, Karnataka under Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defence, and various State Universities and their affiliated colleges are also carrying out research in different sectors of food processing/ technology. Radiation Processing Technology The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing a scheme for Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure with the objective of preventing post-harvest losses of horticultural & non-horticultural produce. One of the components of the Cold Chain scheme is the setting up of Irradiation facilities for preservation of the food products like onion, potato etc. Irradiated food is regulated in the country in accordance with the Atomic Energy (Control of Irradiation of Food) Rules, 1996. Food can be irradiated only in a food irradiation plant, which is authorized by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and licensed by the competent Government Authority. The license to carry out food irradiation operation is given only after ascertaining the safety of the installation, its suitability to ensure proper process control, and availability of licensed operators and qualified staff. Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology (BRIT) is providing consultancy services for establishment of food irradiation plant. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is also regulating the food safety aspects of irradiated food products. Under the scheme of Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure, the Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid @ 50% of the total cost of plant & machinery and technical civil works in general areas and 75% for NE region and difficult areas (North-Eastern States, Sikkim, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) subject to a maximum grant-in-aid of Rs. 10 Crore for setting up integrated cold chain projects including irradiation facility. The entrepreneurs/ promoters are free to set up Irradiation facility as per their business model and financial capability throughout the country including Maharashtra. The Ministry has approved 04 irradiation projects under the Scheme. A total grant of Rs. 24.04 crore has been approved for these four projects. The Ministry is also assisting setting up of Irradiation facility as one of the components under scheme of Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure for non-horticultural products under National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) through State/UT Governments. The financial assistance is provided as Grant-in-aid @ 35% of the bank appraised project cost for general areas, and @ 50% of the project cost for difficult areas including North-Eastern Region, subject to maximum of Rs. 5 crore. Interest Subsidy @ 6% per annum subject to a maximum of Rs. 2.00 crore per project or actual interest accrued on term loan, whichever is lower, for a period of 5 years from completion of the project for general areas, and @ 7% per annum subject to a maximum of Rs. 3.00 crore per project or actual interest accrued on term loan, whichever is lower, for a period of 7 years from completion of the project for difficult areas including North-Eastern Region and hilly States. The scheme guidelines for Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure prescribe implementation schedule for setting up the cold chain projects including Irradiation projects as 24 months in general areas and 30 months in difficult areas from the date of issue of the sanction to the project. Processing of Agricultural Produces The Ministry has assigned a repeat study to CIPHET, Ludhiana for assessing the present position of post-harvest losses, which is expected to be completed in January, 2015.             In order to enhance the existing/installed capacities of food processing industries (FPIs) in the country, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) had launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme - National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) implemented through State/UT Governments during 12thFive Year Plan. Under the following Schemes of Mission, financial assistance is provided to the entrepreneurs in the form of grants-in-aid for overall development of food processing sector including capacity enhancement: (i)           Technology Up-gradation/Establishment/Modernisation of Food Processing Industries, (ii)          Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure for Non- Horticultural Products, (iii)         Setting up of Primary Processing Centres / Collection Centres in Rural Areas, (vi)         Modernisation of Meat Shops, (vii)        Reefer Vehicles, (ix)         Setting up / modernization of abattoirs (w.e.f. 2014-15).   To introduce state of art technology of international standards in the food processing industries and also to minimise the wastage of perishable agricultural produces in the country, the Government has announced following incentives for food processing sector:- (i)           A special fund of Rs. 2000 crore has been created in National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for providing affordable credit to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing units in designated Food Parks.  New units as well as modernization of existing units are eligible for loan from the Special Fund, to the extent of 75% of the project cost.  The rate of interest will be linked to Prime Lending rate of NABARD and the risk rating of the borrowing entity.  The loan shall be repayable within a maximum period of 7 years, including the initial gestation of a maximum of 2 years.  (ii)          All Refrigeration Machineries and parts used for installation of Cold storage, Cold room or Refrigerated Vehicle for preservation, storage, transport or processing of agricultural, apiary, horticultural, dairy, poultry, aquatic and marine produce and meat are exempted from Excise Duty.  (iii)         Pasteurizing, drying, evaporating, etc. machinery used in Dairy Sector is exempted from Excise Duty. (iv)         Excise duty on food processing and packaging machinery reduced from 10% to 6%.  In addition, the Ministry is implementing various other Central Sector schemes namely – (i) Mega Food Park Scheme for creation of modern infrastructure to food processing industries; (ii)  Scheme for Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure for creation of preservation infrastructure including pre-cooling facilities at production sites, reefer vans and mobile cooling units for the purpose of linking groups of producers to processors and market through well-equipped supply chain; and (iii) Setting up/Modernization of Abattoirs  for promoting scientific and hygienic slaughtering of animals, use of modern technology for slaughter waste management.  These initiatives are aimed at filling the gaps in the supply chain and expanding the processing capacities by introducing latest technology to minimize wastages of agricultural produces in the country.  Other agencies of the Government like National Horticulture Board (NHB), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and State Government are also providing financial assistance for cold storages under their respective schemes to reduce the wastage of agricultural produce.

Indo-Russia Bilateral Air Force Exercise Avia-Indra I ,Joint Military Exercise Hand-In-Hand 2014 Culminates

An eighteen member Russian Air Force team at Air Force Station Halwara in Punjab is participating in Phase II of the Indo-Russian bilateral exercise‘AVIA – INDRA I’. The Russian delegation headed by Major General Lyapkin Alexander N consists of Fighter and Helicopter aircrew among other members. Russian aircrew have flown IAF Su-30 MKI, Mi-35 & Mi-17 along with our aircrew. Earlier, members of the Russian delegation visited Bengaluru, where they were exposed to indigenous projects such as Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), Light Combat Helicopter and Advance Light Helicopter (Dhruv). Today, the media witnessed ‘air to ground’ firing by aircraft and helicopters jointly flown by pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) and Russian Federation Air Force (RFAF) at Sidhwan Khas range near Halwara. The joint exercise will further strengthen the relations between the two Air Forces taking forward the India – Russia strategic partnership. The Russian team will be in India till 28 November 14. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma has expressed deep sorrow over the passing away of Kathak legend Sitara Devi who passed away in Mumbai today. In his condolence message, the Minister has said that passing away of Sitara Devi is a great loss to the Indian classical dance. She was a cultural icon of the country who devoted her entire life to Kathak and was instrumental in popularising the dance world over. She made a significant contribution towards reviving Kathak and ensuring its elevation to a dignified status. In her departure, we have lost a distinguished cultural figure whose absence will be felt by one and all, the Minister added. Joint Military Exercise Hand-In-Hand 2014 Culminates                                                                                                 The fourth India China Joint Training Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2014 culminated on   25 November 2014 after a Joint Tactical Exercise and a closing ceremony held at Aundh Military Camp, Pune. Twelve days of joint training included understanding of transnational terrorism, developing interoperability and conduct of a joint tactical operation controlled by a Joint Command Post.             Lt General Ashok Singh, Army Commander, Southern Command of the Indian Army and Lt General Zhou Xiaozhou, Chief of Staff, Chengdu Military Command, People’s Liberation Army of China witnessed a Joint Tactical Exercise conducted at College of Military Engineering, Pune, on 25 Nov. The exercise involved insertion of troops by slithering from helicopters and destroying a terrorist hide out. It demonstrated the commitment of both Armies in working closely with each other to eradicate the menace of terrorism in all its forms.             Later, Lt General K Surendranath, Chief of Staff of Southern Command of Indian Army & Lt General Zhou Xiaozhou, Chief of Staff, Chengdu Military Command, People’s Liberation Army of China jointly reviewed the parade commanded by Colonel MS Khan,  Commanding Officer of the 9 Rajputana Rifles.  Fly past by Sukhoi-30 aircrafts added colour to the impressive parade displayed by the joint contingent. Co-Opting Private Sector in Production of Defence Equipment The Defence Production Policy, 2011 aims at achieving substantive self-reliance in the design, development and production of equipment/weapon systems/platforms required for defence in as early a time frame as possible; creating conditions conducive for the private industry to take an active role in this endeavour; enhancing potential of SMEs in indigenisation and broadening the defence R&D base of the country. In pursuance of the Defence Production Policy 2011, the Government has taken the following major steps to promote the participation of private sector in the indigenous production of Defence equipment; • Technology perspective and Capability Roadmap, which gives out the details of the equipment and technologies required by our Armed Forces, has been put in public domain to provide the industry an overview of the direction in which the Armed Forces intend to head in terms of capability in future. • Preference to ‘Buy (Indian)’, ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’ ‘Make’ categories of acquisition over ‘Buy (Global)’ category, thereby giving preference to Indian industry in procurement. • The procedure for ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ category has been further simplified in order to make the category more attractive for Indian Defence Industry. • A clear definition of indigenous content has been provided which would not only bring more clarity on the indigenous content required for difference categorization but also enhance the indigenisation in defence products in India. • Indian private sector industry has also been allowed to receive Maintenance Transfer of Technology (MToT) in ‘Buy (Global)’ cases. • FDI policy in Defence sector has been reviewed and as per the new policy, composite foreign investment up to 49% has been allowed through FIPB route and beyond 49% with the approval of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). • Defence Products Lists for the purpose of industrial licensing has been revised and in the revised list most of the components /parts / raw materials have been taken out of the purview of industrial licensing. • Defence Export Strategy has been formulated and put in public domain. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for issuing NOC for export of military stores has been simplified and made online.

Initiatives to Strengthen Coastal Security

After the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in 2008, several measures were announced by the government to strengthen coastal and maritime security along the entire coast. Due to the coordinated efforts of all concerned, all these measures are now in place and overall maritime security is much stronger than before. The Indian Navy has been the lead agency in this regard and is assisted in this task by the Indian Coast Guard, Marine Police and other Central and state agencies. At the apex level the National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS), headed by the Cabinet Secretary, coordinates all matters related to Maritime and Coastal Security. Joint Operations Centres (JOCs), set up by the Navy as command and control hubs for coastal security at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Port Blair are fully operational. These JOCs are manned 24×7 jointly by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police. Coastal patrolling by Navy, Coast Guard and marine police has increased sharply over the last few years. At any given time, the entire west coast is under continuous surveillance by ships and aircraft of Navy and Coast Guard. As a result, potential threats have been detected and actions have been taken to mitigate them in good time. Inter–agency coordination, between nearly 15 national and state agencies has improved dramatically, only due to regular “exercises” conducted by the Navy in all the coastal states. Nationwide, over 100 such exercises have been conducted till date since 2008, and this has strengthened coastal security markedly. In addition to continuous patrolling by Navy and Coast Guard, modern technical measures have also been implemented for coastal surveillance, by way of a chain of 74 Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers, for gapless cover along the entire coast. This is complemented by a chain of overlapping 46 coastal radars in the coastal areas of our mainland and Islands. A second phase of coastal radars is also being implemented to plug the small gaps in some places. As part of the effort to enhance our Maritime Domain Awareness, the Honourable Raksha Mantri, Shri Manohar Parrikar, inaugurated the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence Network (NC3I) last Sunday. This over-arching coastal security network collates data about all ships, dhows, fishing boats and all other vessels operating near our coast, from multiple technical sources including the AIS and radar chain. These inputs are fused and analysed at the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) at Gurgaon, which disseminates this compiled Common Operating Picture for Coastal Security to all 51 nodes of the Navy & Coast Guard spread across the coast of India. This Nodal Hub for the coastal security of our country, which has been conceptualised by the Indian Navy, is a major step in the establishment of a coastal security shield along the coast. Issue of ID cards to all fishermen with a single centralised database, registration of over 2 lakh fishing vessels operating off our coast and equipping fishing boats with suitable equipment, to facilitate vessel identification and tracking are some of the other steps taken. Our fishing communities are adept mariners, whose cooperation is indispensible to our maritime security. Fishing communities have become the ‘eyes and ears’ of our security architecture. This has been achieved by spreading awareness in these communities through coastal security awareness campaigns, conducted by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, in all coastal districts of the country. In the Western Naval Command itself, nearly 70 such campaigns have been conducted in 2014 alone. During these campaigns fishermen have been strongly advised and warned not to cross the International Maritime Boundary as it is in the interest of their safety. Fishermen today own GPS receivers and are therefore fully aware of their positions at sea. The Navy and Coast Guard have also provided periodic maritime training to marine police in all coastal states. In WNC itself over 250 police personnel have been trained in 2014. In order to have a permanent police training facility, Marine Police training institutes in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have been approved by the Government recently. These will provide the Marine Police better facilities and infrastructure for professional training. In order to be better prepared to prevent a 26/11 incident from the sea, the Indian Navy, along with the Coast Guard and Indian Air Force are currently conducting the annual Defence of Gujarat Exercise for five days. On the occasion of the 6th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, over 30 ships and submarines and aircraft of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Coast Guard and State agencies have been deployed for this exercise off the Western Coast of India. During this exercise, the defence of the offshore oil production areas will also be tested. This exercise will provide an opportunity to fine tune SOPs and test new operational concepts for coastal security. Since 2008, coastal and maritime security has been strengthened substantially by successful implementation of technical, organisational and procedural initiatives, by all maritime security agencies. Plugging gaps, where identified, is continuous process that is being addressed appropriately.

Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the inauguration of the Commonwealth Science Conference

I am happy to participate in the inaugural ceremony of the Commonwealth Science Conference being organized by the Royal Society for the first time in India. The Royal Society is one amongst the great science academies of the world. It is not only one of the oldest but also an academy with a great history of accomplishments. The Royal Society has represented quality and defined directions in science for long decades. For a person to be elected Fellow of the Royal Society is a signal achievement and honour. Many of independent India`s best scientists have been elected Fellows. A star amongst them is Professor C. N. R. Rao, one of the principal organizers of this meeting. India is particularly proud of Prof. Rao and his contributions to science and institution building. In recognition of his services to science and the nation, he was awarded earlier this year, our highest civilian honour - the Bharat Ratna, making him the first and only scientist ever to receive this award. It is wonderful that Bangalore, India`s IT hub and home to many scientific institutions is host to this Commonwealth Science Conference. I understand that several of the more recent Fellows of the Royal Society from India are from Bangalore’s Indian Institute of Science and the Tata Institute’s National Centre for Biological Sciences. The headquarters of the Indian Space Research Organization, whose scientists are the pride of India is also located here. The ISRO`s most recent achievement of Mangalyaan or mission to Mars has been described by the Time magazine as one amongst the top 25 inventions of the year and something which portends well not just for our space programme but for science in general. India is the fourth in the world to reach the Mars. It is also the first to attain this goal in its very first attempt and at a cost of US $ 74 million, a fraction of the money spent by others. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, The Commonwealth is a unique international organization. It straddles the North-South divide in the world with an immense diversity of races, religions, cultures, geographical spread and stages of development. The bulk of its membership comes from 31 small states with a population size of 1.5 million or less. The larger member states at the same time share many similarities with them. Thus, the Commonwealth is a very useful forum for dialogue, promoting understanding on global issues and forging consensus on international action. India is a founding member of the Commonwealth and its largest member state, being home to nearly 60% of the total population of the association. India is the fourth largest contributor to Commonwealth budgets and programmes. It is second only to the UK in providing technical experts to Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation for the purpose of extending assistance to developing Commonwealth countries. Ladies and Gentlemen, India is strongly committed to the fundamental values and principles of the Commonwealth. It believes the Commonwealth, has the potential to play an even greater role in relation to contemporary challenges facing the world and can be a bridge builder between the developing and developed countries. It is our view that the Commonwealth, with its diverse membership and democratic style of functioning based on consensus and informality, is well placed for global advocacy on contemporary issues. It is therefore important that all Commonwealth countries get together not only to discuss contemporary issues related to science and technology but also to explore how best science can be used to address the pressing challenges that confront humanity. India, under the guidance of our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, adopted science and technology as a priority from the early days of our independence itself. The creation of new educational and research institutions began from 1950 itself. As early as 1951, the country decided to set up an Atomic Energy Commission which has enabled India build her own reactors. The space programme was also soon started enabling us launch rockets and satellites into space. At the time of Independence, our agriculture sector was under-developed and we were a net importer of food grains. It is the synergy between science and public policy which resulted in technologically upgrading our agriculture system. The excellence of our scientists and toil of our farmers, together led to the Green Revolution of the sixties, which made our country self-reliant in food and also, a major exporter today. Such a transition has few parallels in human history. In the years that followed, India based research led to the emergence of a strong pharmaceutical industry followed by more recently the Biotechnology and Information Technology industries. We in India see our future as inextricably linked to the progress we can make in the field of science and technology. ICT and the digital revolution is rapidly transforming our lives. The number of mobile phone users in India was around 930 million at the end of September 2014 which is the second highest in the world after China. Our mobile phone density of 74.55 compares favourably with other top ranking countries. India also ranks third after China and the USA in terms of number of internet users. At the same time, the penetration of internet use as a percentage of our population is only around 19.2% at present indicating the huge potential that exists for further growth. The Parliament of India adopted in 1958 a science policy resolution which promised to "foster, promote and sustain” science in all its aspects. In 2013, a Science, Technology and Innovation Policy was initiated by the Government aiming to shape the future of an aspiring India. Today, we are determined and committed to continued investment in basic science even as we use science to transform our society. Indian scientists were proud partners in the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle in 2012. We were part of global collaborations in life sciences which resulted in a low-cost vaccine against Rotavirus, which will soon be introduced in our national immunization programme. The Indian scientific community has been also part of projects such as the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), Darmstadt, Germany; Macromolecular crystallography and high pressure physics beam line at the Elettra Synchrotron Facility, Trieste, Italy; Neutrino Experiments at Fermilab, USA; the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) Project at Mauna Kea, Hawaii; the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project, South Africa and Australia; and experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, Geneva. We hope to soon also launch international collaborative programmes in disease biology, marine biology and bioinformatics. Nanoscience and Technology is another area of focus. An umbrella programme, called the ‘Nano Mission’ has been launched to promote research and development in this emerging and active area. India today is placed third in the world in terms of scientific publications in this area. The `Nano Mission` is a good case study as to how capacity and capability in a specific field of Science can be strengthened through focused Government initiative. Professor C.N. R. Rao has led this successful effort. I take this opportunity to congratulate him for this wonderful initiative. Many new initiatives are also on the anvil in the fields of solar energy, electric mobility, high-energy physics, astronomy, vaccines and drug discovery, marine biology etc., to name only a few. We hope to focus in the future on three types of scientific efforts: (1) Blue sky research dealing with the important developments in fundamental science, including advanced materials and medical biology. (2) Research and development related to man’s pressing problems such as water and diseases specific to India. (3) Areas where India can emerge as one of the leaders in the world. We hope to identify such areas and support them adequately. Ladies and Gentlemen, I understand building scientific capacity in developing nations is one of the important topics which will be discussed in this Conference. I am also happy to learn about the initiatives the Royal Society is taking to stimulate science in Africa. The collaboration of young scientists from Commonwealth countries with leading laboratories of the world must be enhanced. There is also need to improve teaching and teacher quality at every level, especially schools. I believe this Commonwealth Science Conference can be transformative for our future if concrete programmes of action can be evolved in these areas. I understand one of the goals of this Conference is to recognize and encourage young scientists. I also see that young scientists have been invited to participate in the meeting and present papers. The attraction of talented students to study science and pursue a career in science is a big challenge in many developing countries and indeed the world over. Young boys and girls from every social and economic context from every corner of the world must have the opportunity to learn the rigorous tools of science to fulfill their dreams to understand the mysteries of our planet and the universe. I am happy to inform you of a major initiative of my Government in this regard called the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research scheme or INSPIRE which is being implemented through our Ministry of Science & Technology. Over the past five years, more than a million students have been provided awards from which more than 230 innovations are being processed for provisional patenting. Commonwealth nations must join hands in bilateral and international ‘Mega Science’ initiatives. Because of their scale and technical complexity, such ‘Mega Science’ projects are manifestly multi-agency, multi-institutional and, most often, international in character. I encourage the Royal Society to develop programmes of international collaboration which could stretch from the West Indies to Australia, with support from national funding agencies and private philanthropy. Together, the brilliant intellects gathered in this room can promote science and the scientific method to young people worldwide and make the world a better place. India would be happy to collaborate in whatever manner possible, especially to strengthen the scientific base and research capabilities of the smaller countries of the Commonwealth. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Science is one of the creative endeavours of human mind. Science seeks universal and fundamental truths. Science plays a vital role in the advancement of human life and its study is central to technological progress. Modern societies and nations must be built on scientific knowledge. A scientific culture and logic must determine the choices and decisions made by individuals, societies and nations. Let me conclude quoting Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who often pointed out: (quote) "The future belongs to science and to those who make friendship with science” (unquote).

The demographic challenge

The rhetoric on the capacity of countries to reap the so-called demographic dividend cannot mask the more complex reality of a not-so-young world in 2014, and non-uniform patterns of growth. About a quarter of the world’s population — 1.8 billion — is in the age-group of 10-24 years, according to the latest United Nations Population Fund report. In 1950, the proportion was higher, at almost a third of the global total, at 721 million. The 10-24 age segment has thus declined overall, while it has more than doubled in absolute terms during the period. This means that in theory, people in this age bracket, their number larger than China’s population, can hope to live longer, be better fed and educated, do decent jobs and earn adequate incomes. In concrete terms, this segment would swell the share of the working-age population — those between 15 and 64 years — over the next few decades. But here is the catch. Nine out of ten people, or 89 per cent, in the 10-24 age-group live in less developed countries, says the UNFPA report. Most people who are alive today are below 30 years of age. In 17 states, 15 of them from sub-Saharan Africa, one half of the population is under 18 years. One in three girls in the developing world is married before reaching 18, raising the risk of early and perhaps unintended motherhood among children and hampering the realisation of their full potential. One in seven HIV infections occur during adolescence.

According to the World Bank, last year there were 100 dependants (those below 15 years and above 64 years) for every 100 people in the working age in Angola. The ratio was even higher, at 103, for Chad; for other states in the conflict zones of sub-Saharan Africa, the figures were in the 80s and more. Whereas India’s age-dependency ratio has ranged in the 50s per 100 working population between 2010 and 2013, China has stayed in the mid-30s during the corresponding period. India’s higher ratio underscores the extent to which social protection measures would have to be strengthened for both the components to ease their mutual interdependence and enhance the quality of life. Alongside measures to boost growth and attract multinational corporations in the manufacturing and services sectors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take up massive public-funded programmes in basic education, health care and vocational training, with a thrust on building a clean economy. Only then could the current younger age profile of the population prove advantageous. The demographic dividend refers to the potential among countries to increase economic growth by taking advantage of the changing age structure in the population. Clearly, a great deal remains to be done to realise this potential.

Capital Goods Sector

A scheme on” Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods Sector” has been notified on 5.11.2014.             The Scheme aims to make Indian capital goods industry globally competitive by strengthening technology development, providing common manufacturing infrastructure and extending financial assistance for technology acquisition.             The Scheme envisages Government Budgetary Support of Rs. 581.22 crore and Industry contribution of Rs. 349.74 crore.             The proposed Scheme has components consisting of infrastructural interventions as well as financial intervention to boost competitiveness of the domestic capital goods industry as under: ·        Setting up of Five Centers of Excellence (CoE) at Indian Institutes of Technologies/ Central Manufacturing Technology Institute for Technology Development in different sub sectors of Capital Goods. ·        Setting up of one Integrated Industrial Infrastructure Facility (IIIF). ·        Setting up of two common Engineering Facility Centers. ·        Setting up of Test and Certification Centre with full Government Support. ·        Technology Acquisition Fund Programme for acquisition of technology.             Detailed Guidelines of the Scheme including funding pattern are available on the website of the Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises at http://dhi.nic.in.             The scheme is likely to be implemented in five year.

Steps Taken by Govt. to Accelerate Pace of Reduction for MMR to Achieve MDG Goals

Under the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, the target is to reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by three quarters between 1990 & 2015. Based on the UN Inter–Agency Expert Group’s MMR estimates in the publication “Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2013", the target for MMR is estimated to be 140 per 1,00,000 live births by the year 2015  taking a baseline of 560 per 100,000 live births in 1990. As per the latest report of the Registrar General of India, Sample Registration System (RGI-SRS), Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has shown a decline from 212 per 100,000 live births in the period 2007-09 to 178 per 100,000 live births in the period 2010-12. If the MMR declines at the same pace, India will achieve an MMR of 141 per 100,000 live births which is almost equal to the estimated target of 140 per 100,000 live births under MDG -5 for the MDG. The key steps taken to accelerate the pace of reduction for Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) under the National Health Mission (NHM) for achieving MDG goals are: v  Promotion of institutional deliveries through Janani Suraksha Yojana. v  Capacity building of health care providers in basic and comprehensive obstetric care. v  Operationalization of sub-centres, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and District Hospitals for providing 24x7 basic and comprehensive obstetric care services. v  Name Based Web enabled Tracking of Pregnant Women to ensure antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care. v  Mother and Child Protection Card in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development to monitor service delivery for mothers and children. v  Antenatal, Intranatal and Postnatal care including Iron and Folic Acid supplementation to pregnant & lactating women for prevention and treatment of anemia. v  Engagement of more than 8.9 lakhs Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to generate demand and facilitate accessing of health care services by the community. v  Village Health and Nutrition Days in rural areas as an outreach activity, for provision of maternal and child health services. v  Health and nutrition education to promote dietary diversification, inclusion of iron and folate rich food as well as food items that promote iron absorption.  v  Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) has been launched on 1st June, 2011, which entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including Caesarean section.  The initiative stipulates free drugs, diagnostics, blood and diet, besides free transport from home to institution, between facilities in case of a referral and drop back home.  Similar entitlements have been put in place for all sick infants accessing public health institutions for treatment. v  To sharpen the focus on the low performing districts, 184 High Priority Districts (HPDs) have been prioritized for Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health+ Adolescent (RMNCH+A) interventions for achieving improved maternal and child health outcomes.