National Judicial Appointments Commission Act Notified

The Government today notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014 for bringing in a change in the existing system for appointment of Judges in Supreme Court and High Courts.

Two Bills titled 'The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty First Amendment) Bill, 2014' and 'The National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014' were passed unanimously by the Lok Sabha on 13.08.2014 and Rajya Sabha on 14.08.2014 respectively. Subsequently these Bills were ratified by the required number of State legislatures before getting the President’s assent. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty First Amendment) Bill, 2014 enacted as the Constitution (Ninety Ninth Amendment) Act and the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 were published in Gazette of India on 31st December 2014.

Both the Acts were to come into force on such date as the Central Government would notify them in the Official Gazette.

Accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014, the Central Government appoints the 13th day of April, 2015, as the date on which the said Act shall come into force.

Further, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 (40 of 2014), the Central Government appoints the 13th day of April, 2015, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.

The Constitution (Ninety Ninth Amendment) Act, 2014 provides for the composition and the functions of the proposed NJAC.

The Acts provide for a transparent and broad-based process of selection of Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts by the National Judicial Appointments Commission (#NJAC). The NJAC would be chaired by the Chief Justice of India as in the earlier collegium system. The NJAC membership would include two senior most Judges of the Supreme Court, the Union Minister of Law and Justice, two eminent persons to be nominated by a committee of the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Justice of India, and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People, or if there is no Leader of the Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in the House of the People. With a view to ensuring that the composition of the National Judicial Appointments Commission is inclusive, the Act provides that one of the eminent persons shall be nominated from amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Caste, the Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities or Women. The NJAC will frame its own regulations. 

A knowledge society in the true sense of the word'

Education occupies a strategic position in India's development priorities. India's efforts to achieve universal #elementary education gained further momentum with the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002, and the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which became effective on April 1, 2010. The RTE Act, 2009, entitles every child in the age group of six to 14 years to a right to free and compulsory elementary education in a neighbourhood school.

India has been a keen and dedicated member of the global EFA (Education For All) initiative and a founder of its E-9 subgroup. As a follow-up to the Dakar Framework of Action for EFA, a 'National Plan of Action for Education for All', was formulated in 2002 in India, with a view to contextualise and strategise policies and programmes for achieving the EFA goals. We formulated many programmes, the most prominent being the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which is the Indian version of Education for All.

India has made substantial progress towards the EFA goals, as is brought out in the GMR (Global Monitoring Reports) too. Several strategic approaches have been found to be effective in promoting the goals of Education for All, namely the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Saakshar Bharat. Mission mode implementation of these programmes has accelerated (the) efforts towards EFA goals. Under the strategies of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan - the flagship programme for universalisation of elementary education that covers about 1.4 million schools and the National Programme of Mid-Day Meals that provide mid-day meals daily to about 11 million school children - near universal access to and enrolment in elementary education has been achieved.

Significant progress has also been made in bridging social category gaps in elementary education. Facilitating community involvement in both elementary and adult education programmes has been an important strategy for accelerating progress towards Education for All goals. School Management Committees with 75 per cent membership of parents in government and government-aided schools have contributed increasingly to improved schools, community involvement in school activities and participation of local self-government bodies in planning and management of elementary and adult education programmes.

For the first time in India's literacy movement, #Sakshar Bharat, an innovative concept of "certified literate", a transparent assessment and certification system has been designed and operationalised in collaboration with the National Institute of Open Schooling. This practice has spurred demand for literacy, made the outcomes of the adult education programme measurable and significantly enhanced overall credibility of the programme. This system has opened for neo-literates avenues for vertical mobility in basic education. The Sakshar Bharat programme continues to focus on districts with low female literacy.

We do seek to endeavour to improve quality outcomes in education, through the Pade Bharat Bade Bharat initiative, to ensure targeted learning levels in the foundational years of education.

Recognising the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of making education a pillar for the nation's character building, a new paradigm of education that fosters knowledge with analytical skills, logical reasoning and the ability to imagine beyond the given and stimulating life-long learning, is being adopted. Achieving excellence by improving the quality and relevance of education and enabling all children to achieve expected/specified learning outcomes remains a key goal. Our focus, therefore, is to build an education system with the highest educational and ethical standards that encourages young people to be productive and socially responsible citizens.

With a view to harness technology for education the use of ICT (information and communications technology) in education, the introduction of massive open online courses (MOOCs), Swayam (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) as a massive platform for on-line learning, have been under taken in a mission mode. Emphasis on skill development for (the) 'Make-in-India' campaign, quality of education, #Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and initiatives for inclusive education are being accorded high priority.

The 2015 GMR provides an opportunity to the international community to put in place a co-operation mechanism to facilitate achievement of the goal of education for all within the shortest possible time period. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate India's commitment to support the global effort to achieve the goal of education for all and promote enhanced cooperation with developed and developing countries for advancing the post-2015 education development agenda.

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to convey our appreciation to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and other EFA co-convening agencies for leading the co-ordination of the development of the Post-2015 education agenda, and the development of the corresponding Framework for Action. We must continue to work together to ensure completion of the unfinished EFA agenda and prepare the spring board for the post 2015 agenda.

With winds of change sweeping through continents at a rapid pace, it is important that we join hands to ensure that we become a knowledge society in the true sense of the word - that no child remains without access to quality education; and no adult remains without access to basic literacy and life skill development and that we nurture innovation and skill building to enable youth to livelihood skills and foster economic development. The challenge before us is one of commitment and relentless perseverance. I take this opportunity to invite all of you to together join hands and strengthen the efforts of the national governments in their endeavour to realise the dreams of all our children and young people.

India & France Sign An Mou to Establish a Marine Biology Institute

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed yesterday in the presence of Prime Ministers of India & France during the visit Shri Narendra Modi to France, for establishing an Institute for frontier Marine Science & Technology Research in the five years.

Under the MOU India’s Department of Biotechnology would  join hands with the Université Pierre Et Marie Curie (UPMC) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France’s National Centre for Scientific Research- CNRS) to set up a the National Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology in India. As a part of this France would contribute expertise in developing high standard marine stations for collaborative research programmes, train manpower, facilitate setting up efficient research infrastructure, facilities & technologies. Indian would bring interest & proficiency in cell & molecular biology & biotechnology. It will also provide Indian researchers access to the French marine stations with extraordinary technical capabilities.

The Institute will carry out fundamental science research with a multidisciplinary approach and will collaboratively address the most important topics in marine biology and marine biotechnology.

India’s several marine zones offer immense resources which can be tapped for biology and biotechnology research. Applications of molecules and bio-materials discovered from marine sources are also numerous. But most of the resources remain poorly charted and relatively untouched. The country can boast of a handful of talented biologists, who can rapidly chart our marine and island diversity, make discoveries and apply them to human and animal welfare. They can be potential leaders in this venture.

The charting of our Island diversity will soon be accomplished in collaboration with ISRO and the deep sea exploration will be done in collaboration with the Earth Sciences Ministry.

This collaboration is expected to address this challenge by upgrading human resources, boosting capacity and sophisticated technology needed to explore high-speed and high-quality Ocean and island- biology at the highest international level.

The French have a chain of the world’s best marine stations (Roskoff, Banyuls and Villefranche) and these are linked to other European marine stations. Harnessing the expertise they have developed in the area, can help speed up the process which would take years to develop independently.

The collaboration will help set up a high-tech hub and two major ‘spokes’ in mainland India. These centres will train a new generation of marine biologists and bio-technologists in the use of the best scientific methods and techniques. In parallel, India will develop its own marine stations while learning from this collaborative hub. The smaller stations will be set up in chosen locations from the Andamans to Kutchand Lakshadweep escalating the development of the country’s own programmes.

#NPCIL and France’s #AREVA Sign Pre-Engineering Agreement for #Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project

NPCIL and France’s AREVA Sign Pre-Engineering Agreement for Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), a PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, and M/s AREVA of France have entered into a Pre-Engineering Agreement (PEA) on April 10, 2015 in connection with the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project for setting up of two EPR (Evolutional Pressurised Reactor) rectors of 1650 MWe each to be set up in collaboration with France.

The PEA mainly pertains to assessment of licenseability of the EPR project as per Indian laws, codes, guides, regulations, manuals, practices and general acceptability, as well as an informed understanding of the EPR technology itself.

The PEA will, therefore, facilitate NPCIL to obtain details of the EPR technology, make a detailed safety assessment of the plant and take up the licensing process with Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), as soon as the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project is taken up for implementation.

The PEA will also contribute to explore the most efficient and cost-effective pathways for project implementation, and to maximise the scope of localisation of different components of the power plant, with a view to not only make the project economical, but also enhance India’s domestic capabilities in line with the campaign for “Make in India”.

These preparatory steps are going to be necessary whenever the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project is taken up, thus saving precious time and cost in the implementation of the project.

EPR is an advanced Light Water Reactor (LWR) technology. Understanding the nuances of this technology will also be to our advantage as NPCIL strives to augment its capability in the LWR domain.

The signing of PEA with AREVA is an important reflection of India’s abiding interest in partnering with France in the civil nuclear power sector.

The Department of Atomic Energy also welcomes the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Indian company L&T and M/S AREVA of France on April 10, 2015 for cooperation to maximise localisation for the EPR nuclear reactors in India. The collaboration, through transfer of technology, is expected to facilitate manufacturing in India of many critical components for the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, which otherwise either are not accessible to India or would have to be imported. The collaboration is expected to have a multiplier effect in enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities with cutting edge technology, not only in nuclear power sector, but in other areas as well, such as petrochemicals and infrastructure. The MOU is in accord with the “Make in India” campaign of the Government aimed at enhancing indigenous technological and manufacturing capabilities of Indian industries. 

Knowledge Based Information” To Farmers: Technology Based Initiatives in #Agriculture Sector

The Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme “National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)” in the entire country. This centrally sponsored Mission Mode Project (MMP) was introduced during the last quarter of the 11th Plan Period from 2010-11 in 07 selected States (Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh) in Phase-I of this Project and have now been extended to cover all the remaining 22 States and 07 UTs during the current Plan Period starting from 2014-15.  The  Programme aims to achieve rapid development of agriculture in India through ICT enabled multiple delivery  channels such as Internet, Government Offices, Touch Screen Kiosks, Krishi Vigyan  Kendras , Kisan Call Centres,  Agri-Clinics, Common Service Centers, Mobile Phones (Broadcast, IVRS, interactive messaging using unstructured Supplementary Service Data and Voice Recognition for ensuring timely access to agriculture related information for the farmers of the country.  A number of applications in agriculture and allied sector have been developed under the project for providing integrated ICT based services to farmers.

Knowledge based information is being provided to farmers through a number of web and mobile based applications including the Farmers’ Portal (www.farmer.gov.in) (in beta version at present), mKisan Portal (www.mkisan.gov.in) and Kisan Call Centres (KCC). These Portals are facilitating knowledge based information and advisories to farmers through an integrated web portal and mobile based platforms respectively.

Details of the activities in these applications include:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Interventions:

Department of Agriculture & Cooperation has developed 80 portals, applications and websites (primarily in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre) covering both the headquarters and its field offices/ directorates. The important portals include SEEDNET, DACNET, AGMARKNET (prices and arrivals in Mandis), RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana), ATMA, NHM (National Horticulture Mission), INTRADAC, NFSM (National Food Security Mission) and APY (Acreage, Productivity and Yield). 

SMS Portal/mKisan Portal

Officers, Scientists and Experts from all over the country are using  this Portal for disseminating information on various agricultural activities, giving topical & seasonal advisories and providing services through SMSs to farmers in their local languages.  SMSs classified into three categories, viz. information, services and advisories.  The content may include information about the Schemes, Advisories from Experts, Market Prices, Weather Reports, Soil Test Reports etc.  The farmers registered for receiving SMS messages have been grouped    based    on the   State, District, Block and the Crops/Activities selected by respective farmers.   The SMS Portal provides a platform for integration of service delivery under different sectors viz. Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. 

Mobile based services for farmers and other stakeholders being delivered through organisations, Departments and offices of Central & State Govts. down to the Block level (including State Agriculture Universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Agro-Meteorological Field Units) have been brought together under a single umbrella viz. mKisan portal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. The URL is www.mkisan.gov.in.  mKisan Portal subsumes all mobile based initiatives in the field of Agriculture & allied   sectors.

Interactive Voice Response System, Unstructured Supplementary Services of Data or USSD (which is essentially Interactive SMS and can facilitate data entry and query on Web Portals without internet), Mobile Apps and Services.

Kisan Call Centres            

Kisan Call Centres have been functioning since 21 January, 2004 and working in 14 different locations covering almost all the states.   All KCC locations are accessible by dialing single toll free number 1800-180-1551 from 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM on all 7 days a week nationwide.  With the improvement in the quality of KCC services due to state of the art infrastructure and new technological features such as Voice Media Gateway, Dedicated Internet Bandwidth, Provision of Voice Mail during call waiting period and SMS to farmers (conveying gist of advisories given), number of calls flowing in to the Kisan Call Centres has increased.

Strengthening of IT Apparatus in Agriculture and Cooperation in the States and Union Territories    of which one  of the component is AGRISNET.

Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India is implementing a Central Sector Plan Scheme “Strengthening/ Promoting Agricultural Informatics & Communications” of which one  of the component is AGRISNET. The objective of AGRISNET  is to provide improved services to the farming community through use of   Information & Communication Technology(ICT). 

As has been informed in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 20^th March 2015 by Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Mohanbhai Kundaria, information on natural calamities, weather forecast and agromet advisories is being disseminated to farmers  through multiple delivery channels including mKisan Portal(through SMSs), Kisan Call Centres (KCCs)  of the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation and Gramin Krishi Mausam of the India Meteorological Department.

Information relating to the  natural calamities  are being provided to district level under a number of initiatives taken by the Ministry and the India Meteorological Department (IMD):

Weather based Information regarding natural calamities disseminated to farmers under different programmes.

ü  Weather based information on natural calamities like drought etc. is one of the identified services under NeGP-A pertains to “Providing information on Forecasted Weather” and aims at providing disaggregated District level information in each agro-ecological sub-region on forecasted weather and agro-met advisories through multiple service delivery channels to the farmers (including SMS) .

ü  Weather related advisory service to farmers under Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) is being implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra and India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Services (MoES), Govt. of India.

ü  Development of need based content on weather information and advisories to farmers has been initiated by IMD, Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra and GIZ, New Delhi under the  project on “Climate Change Knowledge Network – Indian Agriculture (CCKN-IA)”.

ü  Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) regularly (on monthly basis) carries out drought assessment at District/sub-district level using satellite based remote sensing data, rainfall data and ground information with respect to sowing progression, irrigation percentage, under the National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) programme etc. These assessments are communicated to concerned Departments in States including Maharashtra and are also available online on MNCFC website (www.ncfc.gov.in). 

ü  IMD in consultation with SAUs, State Department of Agriculture (including Maharashtra) carries out monitoring of drought and other calamities at district level based on the observed rainfall and other parameters like Aridity Index, Standardised Precipitation Index, NDVI etc.

Under the National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) programme, the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) carries out drought assessment at District/sub-district level using satellite based remote sensing data, rainfall data and ground information with respect to sowing progression, irrigation percentage, etc. These assessments are communicated to concerned Departments in States and are also available online on MNCFC website (www.ncfc.gov.in). 

Right to #Legal Aid; A Constitutional Commitment

 As political philosopher; Charles de Montesquieu said that; "In the state of nature...all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law." The protection of law to poor, illiterate and weak is important to ensure equal justice. Legal aid is one of the means to ensure that the opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any person by reason of poverty, illiteracy, etc.

                Legal aid is free legal assistance to the poor and weaker sections of the society with the object to enable them to exercise the rights given to them by law. Justice P.N.Bhagwati has rightly said that "the poor and the illiterate should be able to approach the Courts and their ignorance and poverty should not be an impediment in the way of their obtaining Justice from the Courts." 

                The Constitution of India gives much emphasis on the constitutionalism and rule of law. In India the rule of law is regarded as a part of the basic structure of the Constitution and also of natural justice. The rule of natural justice says that individuals should not penalized by decisions affecting their rights or legitimate expectations unless they have been given prior notice of the cases against them, a fair opportunity to answer them, and the opportunity to present their own cases.

                The preamble of the Constitution secures to its citizen, social, economic and political justice.  Article 14 of the Constitution makes it clear that the State shall not deny to any person equality before law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. The aim of Article 14 is to ensure equal justice. The guarantee of equal justice is meaningless if the poor or illiterate or weak persons cannot enforce their rights because of their poverty or illiteracy or weakness. 

                       Articles 38 and 39, of the Constitution of India lay down clear mandate in this regard.  According to Article 38 (1) the State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic or political, shall inform all the institutions of the national life.

                        Article 39-A directs the State to ensure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.

                     Right to free legal aid or free legal service is an essential fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. It forms the basis of reasonable, fair and just liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which says, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law”.

                       In State of Maharashtra v. Manubhai Pragaji Vashi, The Supreme Court has made it quite clear that it is now well established that the failure to provide free legal aid to an accused at the cost of the State unless refused by the accused, would vitiate the trial. In M.H Hoskot v. State Of Maharashtra, Justice KrishnaIyer observed that providing free legal aid is the State's duty and not Government's charity.               

             The Code of criminal Procedure and the Code of Civil Procedure also contain provisions in relation to the free legal aid. Section 304 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides that where in a trial before the Court of Session, the accused is not represented by a pleader and where it appears to the Court that the accused has not sufficient means to engage a pleader; the Court shall assign a pleader for his defence at the expense of the State. Section 304 makes it clear that the State is under an obligation to provide legal assistance to a person charged with offence triable before the Court of Session.  It enables the State Government to direct that these provisions shall apply in relation to any class of trials before other courts in the State.

                   Order 33 of the Civil Procedure Code provides in respect of the suit by indigent person.  On the application to sue as indigent person is being granted the plaintiff shall not be liable to pay court fee and in case he is not represented by a pleader, the Court may, if the circumstances of the case so requires, assign a pleader to him.  This benefit has now been extended to the dependant also.

                 A separate legislation, The Legal Services Authority Act, 1987 has been enacted to constitute the Legal Service Authorities to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities and to organise Lok Adalats to secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice. The Legal Services Authorities Act establishes statutory legal services authorities at the National, State and District level.  It makes provisions in relation to Lok Adalat.  The main object of the Lok Adalat is to provide quick justice at less expense. 

                 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also under Article14 (3)(d) guarantees to everyone: “Right to be tried in his presence, and to defend himself in person or through legal assistance of his own choosing; to be informed, if he does not have legal assistance, of this right; and to have legal assistance assigned to him, in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment by him in any such case if he does not have sufficient means to pay for it”

                   In a democracy, where rule of law is supreme; it is essential to ensure that even the weakest amongst the weak, poorest among the poor, in the country does not suffer injustice arising out of any abrasive action on the part of State or private person. As a way forward there is need to ensure capacity building for legal aid movemement. This requires strengthening the skills of stakeholders of legal aid; law teachers, lawyers, law students, volunteers such as aaganwadi workers, Members of local panchayat etc to act as intermediates between rural people and legal service institutions. In state of Maharashtra v. Manubhai Pragaji Pragaji vashi, the Supreme Court has highlighted the necessity for capacity building and held that in order to provide the "free legal aid" it is necessary to have well-trained lawyers in the country. This is only possible if there are adequate number of law colleges with necessary infrastructure, good teachers and staff.

             The major drawback of legal aid movement in India is the lack of legal awareness. People are not aware of rights and protection available under the law. It needs to be realized that the promotion of awareness regarding legal aid is not the exclusive duty of the Legal fraternity. It is equally the concern and responsibility of the society at large. Constitutional commitment for legal aid can only be cherished if society comes forward to care for its vulnerable population.

Statement delivered by the PM after the Signing of Agreements in Paris

Text of the Press Statement delivered by the PM after the Signing of Agreements in Paris

His Excellency President Hollande एवं उपस्थित मीडिया के सभी प्रतिनिधि,

आज यहां फ्रांस आकर मुझे बहुत खुशी हुई है। मैं राष्‍ट्रपति जी का और फ्रांस की जनता का मेरे स्‍वागत और सम्‍मान के लिए हार्दिक अभिनंदन करता हूं। यूरोप की मेरी यह पहली यात्रा है। लेकिन पहली यात्रा मैं फ्रांस से शुरू कर रहा हूं। यह इस बात का प्रतीक है कि भारत और फ्रांस के संबंध कितने गहरे हैं, कितने पुराने हैं, कितने महत्‍वपूर्ण हैं और भविष्‍य में इनका क्या महत्‍व है। फ्रांस भारत के सबसे घनिष्‍ठ मित्रों और विश्‍वसनीय Partners में से एक है। जैसा कि राष्‍ट्रपति जी ने बताया कि हम कई बातों में साझी परंपराओं को ले करके आगे बढ़ रहे हैं। अच्‍छे समय और चुनौती भरे समय में दोनों में फ्रांस भारत के साथ खड़ा रहा है। फ्रांस सदैव भारत के प्रति संवेदनशील रहा है और अंतर्राष्‍ट्रीय मंच पर फ्रांस ने खुलेआम भारत का साथ दिया है और भारत का समर्थन किया है। हम दो बड़े लोकतंत्र देश हैं। हमारे मूल्‍य एक जैसे हैं हमारे हित कई मायने में एक दूसरे के साथ जुड़े हुए हैं, एक दूसरे के पूरक हैं। हमारे संबंध व्‍यापक हैं, जमीन से आसमान तक, सागर से अंतरिक्ष तक और अब साइबर क्षेत्र में भी हम सहयोग कर रहे हैं। आज ऐसा कोई क्षेत्र नहीं है जिसमें फ्रांस और भारत की साझेदारी न हो। आज मेरी और राष्‍ट्रपति ओलौन्द की बहुत अच्‍छी बातचीत हुई। हमारे रक्षा क्षेत्र के संबंध पुराने और गहन हैं। Defense Equipment और Technology में फ्रांस हमेशा एक भरोसेमंद Supplier रहा है। Fighter Jet से लेकर Submarines तक हमारे सहयोग उत्‍तम रहे हैं। भारत में Fighter Air Craft की Critical operational necessity को ध्‍यान में रखते हुए मैंने राष्‍ट्रपति जी से 36 Rafael Jets Flyaway Condition में जल्‍द से जल्‍द दोनों सरकारों के समझौतों के माध्‍यम से खरीदने की बात की है। हम दोनों ने निर्णय किया है कि भारत के लिए यह अलग प्रक्रिया में दिए गए that the terms and conditions would be modified for this purpose, साथ ही साथ राष्‍ट्रपति जी ने Defense क्षेत्र में Make In India का पूरा समर्थन किया है और Make In India सिर्फ Project नहीं बल्कि एक Ambition के रूप में आपने उसकी सराहना की है।

भारत और फ्रांस की कं‍पनियां मिलकर भारत में रक्षा उपकरण बनाएंगी और साथ ही साथ रक्षा तकनीकों का विकास भी करेंगी। इस संदर्भ में आज मेरी फ्रांस की डिफेंस कंपनियों से काफी विस्‍तार से बातें हुई हैं। आज हम भारत और फ्रांस की रक्षा साझेदारी को एक नए स्‍तर पर ले गए हैं। Nuclear Power के क्षेत्र में फ्रांस भारत के प्रमुख साझेदारों में से एक है। मुझे खुशी है कि जैतापुर में Six Nuclear plant बनाने पर हमने प्रगति की है। बिजली बनाने की कीमत को कम करने के संदर्भ में और अधिक तकनीकी क्षमता और Study करने के लिए दोनों पक्षों ने आज समझौता किया है। विशेषकर आज AREVA और L & T के बीच भारत में Forgings बनाने के लिए समझौता हुआ है और मैं मानता हूं कि यह समझौता बहुत ही महत्‍वपूर्ण है। Make In India का यह उत्‍तम उदाहरण होगा और भारत को Advanced Technology के क्षेत्र में एक नई जगह मिलेगी।

International Export Control Regime में सदस्‍यता के लिए भारत फ्रांस के ठोस समर्थन के लिए बहुत आभारी है। अंतरिक्ष सहयोग में भारत और फ्रांस ने 50 वर्ष पूर्ण किए हैं। मुझे खुशी है कि आज राष्‍ट्रपति जी और मैंने भारत और फ्रांस का एक संयुक्‍त Postal Stamp जारी किया है। हमने साथ मिलकर Satellite के निर्माण और Launch में सहयोग को आगे बढ़ाने का निर्णय लिया है। भारत के मंगलयान मिशन के बाद हम अब मिल करके Planetary Exploration में भी सहयोग करेंगे। आज भारत में विश्‍व में सबसे तेज गति से आर्थिक वृद्धि हो रही है। भारत के विकास में फ्रांस बड़ा योगदान दे सकता है और उसका यहां पर भी आर्थिक लाभ होगा। आज सुबह मैं Infrastructure के क्षेत्र में फ्रांस की Industries से मिला था। राष्‍ट्रपति और मैं अभी CEO Forum से भी मिलें। मेरा विश्‍वास बढ़ा है कि फ्रांस की कंपनियां भारत में निवेश बढ़ाएंगी। भारत के Railway Infrastructure के नवीनीकरण में भी हम सहयोग करेंगे। मेरी सरकार की अन्‍य पहलें जैसे Skill Development, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Smart Cities, Digital India क्षेत्रों में हम फ्रांस के साथ मिलकर आगे बढ़ेंगे। Science and technology हमारे संबंधों का अहम स्‍तम्‍भ है। आज दो महत्‍वपूर्ण समझौते हुए हैं। मैं Ocean Economy का Sustainable विकास यानी कि Blue Revolution पर बहुत बल देता हूं। इस संदर्भ में आज Marine Biology के क्षेत्र में समझौते का विशेष स्‍वागत करता हूं। मुझे बहुत खुशी है कि फ्रांस हमारे साथ मिलकर Urban Heritage और Tourism Promotion में आगे बढ़ेगा। इस क्षेत्र में फ्रांस की क्षमता से सभी परिचित हैं। मुझे राष्‍ट्रपति जी को यह बताते हुए बहुत प्रसन्‍नता हुई कि फ्रांस के नागरिकों को Electronic Travel Authorization के माध्‍यम से आसानी से भारत आने की सुविधा दी जाएगी, जो संबंधों को तो बनाते हैं साथ ही Tourism के लिए भी सरलता पैदा करते हैं। आज हमने समझौता किया है कि दोनों देशों में पढ़ाई के बाद हमारे छात्र देश में और समय रहकर Professional Training कर सकते हैं। जिससे उनको रोजगार मिलने की क्षमता बढ़ेगी। आज विश्‍व में एक चुनौतीपूर्ण माहौल है। कई क्षेत्रों में उथल-पुथल हो रही है। जिससे सभी प्रभावित हैं। बदलती दुनिया में स्थिरता के बारे में कई अनिश्चित प्रश्‍न हैं।

समुद्री, साइबर और अंतरिक्ष सुरक्षा सभी के लिए चिंता का कारण है। आतंक फैल रहा है और नए-नए स्‍वरूप ले रहा है। विश्‍व के अनेक क्षेत्रों और शहरों में इस चुनौती का सामना किया जा रहा है। चाहे पेरिस हो या मुंबई, भारत और फ्रांस ने एक-दूसरे के दर्द को सहा है और समझा है। इस वैश्विक चुनौती के लिए व्‍यापक वैश्विक Strategy की आवश्‍यकता है। इसमें हर देश का यह दायित्‍व है कि आतंक के विरोध लड़ाई में पूरा समर्थन दें और आतंक समूहों को पनाह लेने न दें और आतंकवादियों को जल्‍द से जल्‍द सजा दें। भारत और फ्रांस इन चुनौतियों को कई मायने में एक तरह से देखते हैं और इस कारण हम अपने सुरक्षा सहयोग को और घनिष्‍ठ करेंगे। इस संदर्भ में हम Indian Ocean के बारे में विचारों का आदान-प्रदान करेंगे। UN Security Council के Reforms हम दोनों का संयुक्‍त दायित्‍व है। भारत की Security Council की Permanent Membership के लिए समर्थन के लिए मैं फ्रांस का बहुत आभारी हूं| मुझे पूरा विश्‍वास है कि इस वर्ष के अंत में पेरिस में होने वाले Cop-21 सम्‍मेलन में फ्रांस के नेतृत्‍व में विश्‍व के लिए एक नया Roadmap बनेगा। भारत और फ्रांस मिलकर Climate Change और ऊर्जा के ‍विषयों पर अपना सहयोग आगे बढ़ाएंगे। अंत में, मैं फिर से राष्‍ट्रपति जी को धन्‍यवाद देता हूं | मुझे विश्‍वास है कि हमारी Strategic Partnership आज एक नई ऊंचाई पर पहुंची है जो दोनों देशों के नागरिकों के भविष्‍य को उज्ज्वल करने में और विश्‍व में शांति, सुरक्षा और समृद्धि को साकार करने में योगदान देगी।