Address by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee to the Joint Session of both houses of Parliament

Address by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee to the Joint Session of both houses of Parliament

Honourable Members,

1. In this Basant season of renewal and growth, I welcome you all to the Joint Sitting of the Two Houses of the Parliament. I am confident that your deliberations will live up to the trust reposed in us by our fellow citizens, and going forth, we will all be partners in the progress and development of our great country.

2. During my address to the Joint Sitting last year, I had outlined the visionary initiatives undertaken by my Government towards building an India that strides into the future with confidence. A strong and forward-looking India that places within the reach of its people the opportunities and development promised by our Constitution. This development philosophy is captured in Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas, the fundamental tenet, which guides my Government.

3. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya spoke of Ekatma Manavata Darshan which envisages Antyodaya, where the empowering rays of opportunity reach the last person. This principle guides all the programmes of my Government. My Government, in particular is focused on "Garibon ki Unnati” (Poverty Eradication), "Kisaano ki Samriddhi” (Farmers’ Prosperity) and "Yuvaon ko Rojgaar” (Massive Employment Generation).

Honourable Members,

4. The overriding goal for my Government is poverty eradication. Gandhiji said and I quote "Poverty is the worst form of violence" (unquote). The essence of progress lies in bringing a sense of fulfillment to the poor and the deprived, the marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society. The poorest of the poor are entitled to the first charge on the nation's resources. Removing the scourge of poverty and destitution is our most sacred moral responsibility.

5. My Government is pledged to making this goal possible through financial inclusion and social security, the two wings on which human aspiration takes flight. To this end, my Government has placed great emphasis on food security, Housing for All and subsidies that reach those who need them the most, when they need them the most. Last year, I had spoken of the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna. Today, I am proud to say that it is the world's most successful financial inclusion programme. Under the programme, out of over twenty one crore accounts opened, fifteen crore accounts are operational with an aggregate deposit of over Rupees thirty two thousand crore. The programme has gone beyond mere opening of bank accounts, to becoming a platform for poverty eradication, by offering basic financial services and security to the poor.

6. To universalise social security, my Government has launched three new insurance and pension schemes; namely, the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the Atal Pension Yojana, which afford insurance cover to hitherto uncovered sections of society.

7. Government is committed to provide Housing for All by 2022. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, launched on June 25, 2015, envisages construction of about 2 crore houses to benefit primarily slum dwellers, urban poor and people from economically weaker sections and lower income groups of society. The Mission intends to cover all 4041 statutory towns in coming 5 years. In its first year alone, 2011 towns/cities in 27 states have been included under this Mission. A total of over four lakh twenty five thousand houses have been sanctioned with a project cost of over rupees twenty four thousand six hundred crore.

8. Targeted subsidies ensure that benefits reach the deserving. Direct Benefit Transfer has so far been extended to 42 schemes funded by my Government. PAHAL has become the largest direct cash transfer program of its kind in the world, with nearly 15 crore beneficiaries. Since June 2014, the food security coverage has more than doubled to cover over 68 crore persons.

9. The Give-It-Up campaign in tandem with the Give Back programme has released subsidized fresh connections to 50 lakh BPL families. More than 62 lakh LPG consumers have voluntarily surrendered their LPG subsidy under the campaign. The highest number of new cooking gas connections to the rural poor were distributed in 2015.

10. Dr. Ambedkar had said and I quote "Political Democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it a social democracy" (unquote). Social justice with inclusion is the first promise of our Constitution and the poor and the backward are the focus of my Government. The Scheduled Castes and The Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been further strengthened by suitable amendments. The 125^th Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is being celebrated across the country to foster the spirit of social inclusion. 26^th of November, the day on which the Constitution was adopted, is now celebrated as Constitution Day to deepen Constitutional values amongst the citizens of the country. My government is working to preserve the Panchatirthas, the five sites of Dr. Ambedkar's legacy.

11. Education empowers people and to serve this end, my Government has allocated more than 50% of the Ministry of Minority Affairs budget to scholarship funds. Two new schemes; Nai Manzil and USTAA Daimed to empower the minorities, have been launched. Currently about 20,000 madarasa children are undergoing skill training under the Nai Manzil scheme. Everlasting Flame, an exhibition to showcase the life, history and the culture of the Parsi community is being organized next month.

Honourable Members,

12. "Kisaano ki Samriddhi”, the well-being of farmers is vital to the nation's prosperity. Acknowledging this fundamental reality, my Government has renamed the 'Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation' as the ‘Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare’ and taken several measures for the same. My Government has recently launched the farmer-friendly Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, with the biggest-ever Government's contribution to crop insurance and with lowest-ever premium rates for farmers. It has many firsts to its credit like national coverage of post-harvest losses due to inundation and unseasonal rains, no capping on Government subsidy, and use of technology for early and accurate settlement of claims. Assistance to farmers afflicted by natural calamity has been increased by 50% and eligibility norms have been relaxed.

13. Soil Health Cards will be distributed to all 14 crore farm-holdings by March, 2017 and will result in judicious application of fertilizers, lowering input costs and bettering soil health. To promote organic farming, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana is being implemented under which 8,000 clusters have been developed so far.

14. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana promises assured irrigation, expanding cultivated areas by improving water use efficiency and enabling drought proofing. My Government is committed to the philosophy of "Per Drop More Crop" and "Jal Sanchay for Jal Sinchan".

15. To provide the best market price to farmers, the unified National Agriculture Market is working towards setting up a common e-market platform to connect 585 regulated wholesale markets, thereby making India One food zone, One Country, One Market. This will immensely benefit our farmers in getting fair and remunerative prices. Targeted policy interventions in the last year have brought down sugarcane arrears from over Rs.21,000 crore to Rs. 720 crore.

16. My Government notified the New Urea Policy-2015 with the objective of maximizing indigenous production and improving energy efficiency. The policy will lead to additional production of 17 Lakh metric tonnes annually in the next three years. Providing 100% neem-coated urea has not only improved efficiency but has also helped in plugging subsidy leakages by preventing illegal diversion of subsidized urea to non-agricultural use. The highest ever urea fertilizer production was achieved in 2015.

17. My Government recognizes the important role of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries sectors in the socio-economic development of the country. India continues to be the biggest milk producing country with an impressive growth rate of 6.3%. Implementation of Poultry Venture Capital Fund and Rural Backyard Poultry Development has led to highest ever egg production. A Blue Revolution is underway to ensure the integrated development and management of fisheries, with a central outlay of Rupees three thousand crore.

18. To fully harness the agricultural potential of eastern States, the government is taking several steps to usher in Second Green Revolution in the region. My Government has taken steps for strengthening agricultural higher education, setting up 109 new KVKs and three new Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes. A 24x7 Kisan Channel has been launched to provide information on policy initiatives, prices and other agriculture related subjects for the benefit of farmers.

19. The food processing sector helps increase farmers’ income. The Food Processing Fund has been operationalized last year to provide affordable credit to designated Food Parks. In the last 19 months, five new Mega Food Parks have been operationalized. Under the Cold Chain Scheme, 33 projects have been made operational during the last 18 months.

20. Rural development is one of our top priorities. The grant of over Rupees two lakh crores by the 14^thFinance Commission over a five year period from 2015-16, exclusively for Gram Panchayats has been received with great enthusiasm by the States. This will move development activity closer to the people and enable them to decide how they want to improve their villages and wards. Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission has also been launched for 300 rural growth clusters for developing skills & local entrepreneurship and providing infrastructure amenities.

Honourable Members,

21. Youth are the future of our country and ensuring Yuvaon ko Rojgaar through massive employment generation is a top goal for my Government. We are driving job creation through an integrated set of initiatives including Make in India, Start up India, Mudra, Skill India, etc.

22. My Government’s innovative initiatives have helped India jump up 12 places in the latest rankings by the World Bank on Ease of Doing Business. Notably, the Make in India initiative has achieved a 39% increase in FDI inflow despite an adverse global investment climate.

23. My Government has fostered competitive cooperation among various States to enhance Ease of Doing Business. State Governments are being encouraged and supported to simplify procedures, introduce e-enabled processes and invest in infrastructure to improve investment climate. Procedures have been simplified to enhance ease of approvals/clearances. Dedicated Commercial Courts and Commercial Division in High Courts have been established. For speedy resolution of commercial disputes, the long overdue amendments to the Arbitration Act have been made.

24. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises provide large-scale employment. Banks have cumulatively disbursed over Rupees one lakh crore to more than 2.6 crore borrowers under the PM’s Mudra Yojana, of which 2.07 crore are women entrepreneurs. Udyog Aadhar Portal has been set up to facilitate online registration of MSMEs. My Government has decided to set up rural livelihood and technology business incubators to boost entrepreneurship in the agriculture and rural sector. The Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme is a new vertical to strengthen the livelihoods of artisans and weavers. In its first phase, about 1.82 lakh village enterprises will be created and strengthened in 125 Blocks across 24 States creating employment for about 3.78 lakh persons.

25. To strengthen the employment intensive segments of textile industry, my Government has launched an Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme with an allocation of about Rupees eighteen thousand crore over a 7 year period.

26. A series of reforms have been initiated to help convert job seekers into job creators. My Government has launched the Start-Up India campaign which would deepen, expand and support the innovation eco system in the country.

27. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has been revamped to ensure the efficient disbursements of wages, increased transparency and creation of productive assets. Mission Antyodaya - an intensive Participatory Planning Exercise has reached 2569 most backward blocks, to identify the kind of assets to be created.

28. My Government’s mission of skilling India has gained momentum and during the last year about 76 lakh people have been trained.

Honourable Members,

29. My Government aims to create a Shikshit Swasth Swachh Bharat, an educated, healthy and clean India. In a reflection of how the spirit of Swachh Bharat has manifested in our primary schools, over four lakh seventeen thousand functional toilets for girls and boys have been constructed.

30. New Institutes of excellence in higher education have been set up. Two Indian Institutes of Technology, six Indian Institutes of Management, one Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and one National Institute of Technology have started functioning. My government has given impetus to research through the launch of IMPRINT India whereby scientific goalposts have been identified in 10 fields of research ranging from Defence to Sustainable Living. To enable increased interaction between foreign faculty and our students, under the aegis of GIAN, my government has in the first cycle invited 400 foreign academicians to 'Teach in India'. National Institutional Ranking Framework has been launched for higher educational institutions. The National Scholarship Portal provides a one-stop platform for applications of all scholarships.

31. Sports is the best way to Swasth India. My Government successfully hosted the 12^th South Asian Games from 5-16 February, 2016 at Guwahati and Shillong, in which more than 3500 sportspersons from all the SAARC countries participated. The games were the biggest ever sporting event in North East India.

32. I am happy to inform that we have successfully eliminated Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus well before the global targeted timeline of December, 2015. The largest number of children ever fully immunized in a single year was in 2015.

33. My Government is leveraging KAYAKALP, an inter-institution ranking system to bring about extensive improvement in cleanliness in our health institutions, reduction of hospital-acquired infections and better service delivery.

34. My Government has placed strong focus on holistic healthcare, strengthening Ayurveda, Yoga &Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy systems of medicine. The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on 21^st June, 2015 world over with immense enthusiasm.

35. To address the problems of malnutrition in a holistic manner, my Government is ensuring convergence of the actions of various Ministries and programmes with a clear focus on measurable outcomes. Infrastructure required for effective implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme is being strengthened in convergence with other programmes. Two lakh Anganwadi buildings are being constructed in 2,534 most backward Blocks under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme over a period of four years.

36. My Government has launched the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyanas a nation-wide campaign for achieving universal accessibility for ensuring that persons with disabilities (divyang) participate in all areas of community life. During the last year, 342 camps were conducted, aids and assistive devices have been distributed to over 1.7 lakh persons with disabilities (divyangs).

37. The Swachh Bharat Mission, with its focus on behavioral change is becoming a community movement to herald an overall change in the quality of life and well-being of the people, particularly the poor. Focusing on generating wealth from waste, my Government has formulated policies on mandatory procurement of power from waste to energy plants, co-marketing of compost by chemicals and fertilizer companies, and use of construction and demolition waste.

38. My Government firmly believes that economic development and environmental protection can co-exist. At the crucial Climate Summit in Paris, India's position for climate justice, sustainable lifestyles and clean development was widely supported. Real time online monitoring of 1487 industries and industrial units in seventeen highly polluting categories and of Ganga Water Quality has started. To reduce air pollution, target for emission standards for motor vehicles have been drastically brought forward to achieve Bharat Stage - VI norm by 2021. The Project Tiger coverage has been expanded and the latest estimation shows an increase of 30% over the last count.

39. My Government has launched Jal Kranti Abhiyan, a people-centric program to spread awareness on water conservation and management involving all stakeholders including Gram Panchayats. As part of the Namami Gange  Programme, my Government is implementing several projects in all 118 cities and complete sanitation solutions for 1,649 gram panchayats, on the banks of the holy Ganga.

Honourable Members

40. My Government has taken several measures to improve the quality of governance. Significant steps have been taken to reform institutions, simplify procedures and repeal obsolete laws. Close to 1800 obsolete legislations are at various stages of repeal. NITI Aayog is actively engaging with States in policy formulation in the true spirit of cooperative federalism. People's participation in policy making through initiatives like MyGov has now taken firm roots. My Government has taken up an initiative for providing 500 e-governance services through Public Private-Partnership in 12 states of the country. My Government has dispensed with interviews for posts at junior levels in Government of India to ensure absolute transparency in recruitment to Government jobs.

41. While on the one hand, my Government has taken measures to eliminate the scope for corruption, on the other hand, it has been unsparing in punishing those who are found guilty of corruption. Stringent amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act are also on the anvil to address the perceived gaps in anti-corruption law.

Honourable Members

42. Robust infrastructure development unlocks opportunities for all. My Government has initiated the Smart Cities programme, envisaging city development in a challenge mode. In the first phase of the Smart City program, twenty cities have been selected after intense competition among ninety eight cities. Second and third phases of the programme are on the anvil.

43. To enhance the availability of clean energy, my Government has envisaged increasing the renewable energy capacity manifold to 175 GW by 2022 by encouraging various initiatives, including offshore wind energy policy, bundling of thermal power with solar power, setting up solar parks in States, etc. Installed solar capacity has almost doubled in the last 20 months and crossed 5000 MW. Today under my Government, solar power is affordable and accessible to thousands of people.

44. Since the Government assumed office, energy shortages have been reduced from 4 to 2.3%. My Government is committed to providing electricity to all the census villages by May 2018. My Government has launched the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) for financial turnaround of Power Distribution Companies of States/ UTs. Eighty-three per cent of the capacity addition target of 88,537 MW for 12^thPlan period has already been achieved.

45. My Government has focused on commissioning major transmission projects for reducing congestion in transmission. I am happy to share that Available Transfer Capacity for South India has increased by 71% from May, 2014 to December, 2015. This has resulted in cheaper and abundant power in South India, finally moving towards the goal of One Nation, One Grid, One Price. To revive gas based power generation capacity, my Government implemented a new initiative of supply of Refined LNG. This has ensured revival of stranded gas plants with installed capacity of 11,717 MW. In the year 2015 India witnessed the highest ever generation of electricity.

46. My Government has introduced critical amendments in the Tariff Policy for ensuring availability of electricity to consumers at reasonable and competitive rates. Two ambitious National LED Programmes have been launched for cities for Street Lighting and LED bulbs for Domestic Lighting. Over 6 crore LED bulbs have already been distributed. Through a bulk procurement strategy, the cost of LED bulb has been brought down from Rs.310 in January 2014 to Rs.64 in January 2015.

47.My Government has introduced dynamic and comprehensive reforms in the Coal sector and conducted transparent auction/ allocation of over 70 coal blocks. These will immensely benefit the eastern States in the years to come. Strong emphasis on increasing coal production has resulted in a record 9.8% growth in CIL's coal production and highest ever output of coal. This has also led to reduced imports of coal.

Honourable Members,

48.To give a boost to the mining sector and to bring in transparency in the allocation of mineral resources, the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957 was amended and auction of mines has commenced. For systematic exploration in potential mineral bearing areas using state-of-the-art techniques, National Mineral Exploration Trust has been established. Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana will implement developmental and welfare projects in mining affected areas for minimizing adverse impacts and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the affected people.

49.My Government has recently dedicated to the nation the Assam Gas Cracker Project with an estimated cost of more than Rupees nine thousand nine hundred crore. The project is expected to generate employment for about one lakh persons, both direct and indirect.

Honourable Members,

50. My Government has initiated several ambitious measures for improving sanitation standards at Railway Stations and Trains. "Samman” guides us in our endeavor to phase out the open discharge of sewage from trains and combat manual scavenging. All new coaches are now being fitted with bio-toilets. Focus has also been on Doubling, Gauge Conversion and capacity enhancement works in Railways. Commissioning of Broad Gauge and electrification have been at all-time record levels. The highest ever increase in railway capital expenditure was achieved in 2015.

51. A landmark agreement with Government of Japan will make the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor a reality. My Government also awarded two mega projects for setting up diesel and electric locomotive factories at Marhaura and Madhepura, respectively.

Honourable Members,

52. By March 2019, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, one lakh seventy eight thousand rural habitations will be connected with all weather roads. My Government has revived a majority of the 73 stalled road projects, completed construction of 7,200 km of highways and awarded 12,900 km of highway projects which is the highest ever number of new highway kilometers awarded.

53. My Government has formulated an umbrella scheme, Bharatmala at an estimated cost of over Rupees two lakh sixty seven thousand crore for development of national highways. To ensure connectivity to Chardham during all seasons, a project of over rupees twelve thousand crore has been taken up. A special Green Highways Policy 2015 has been launched for making highways green and a pilot policy for conversion of diesel buses into electrical buses has been taken up. The country recorded the highest ever production of motor vehicles in 2015. Guidelines have been issued for protection of Good Samaritans from harassment in road accident cases.

Honourable Members,

54. To rejuvenate the Shipping sector with focus on Make in India, my Government has launched a scheme for financial assistance to domestic shipyards. Several steps for improving the operational efficiency of major ports and for simplifying rules and processes have been initiated. In 2015, India achieved the fastest average turnaround time in ports and the highest ever quantity of cargo handled by major ports. My Government is keen on promoting extensive use of inland waterways and coastal shipping as an alternative mode of transport.

55. My Government is also working on a new Civil Aviation Policy with thrust on connectivity to small cities. Domestic Air Passenger traffic has registered a substantial growth during the year.

Honourable Members,

56. Setting up world-class infrastructure for Electronics manufacturing across the country remains a priority for my Government. Twenty nine Electronic Manufacturing Clusters are under development. The recent interventions and subsequent rationalization of duty structure in mobile handset manufacturing industry has led to near doubling of mobile handset production in the current year. Transparent and efficient auction of spectrum has fetched highest ever price of about Rupees one lakh ten thousand crore. Policies like Spectrum trading and sharing have been finalized for optimum utilization of resources.

57. The country recorded the highest ever software exports during 2015. Under BharatNet, the architecture and design of the National Optical Fiber Network is being revamped to rapidly take broadband connectivity to our villages. By spreading the network of Common Service Centers and setting up BPOs in small towns and linking land record modernization with the use of space technology, my Government is taking the benefits of Digital India to common citizens. The Digital India Programme will give a big boost to citizen empowerment and knowledge economy.

58. The IT Modernization Project involving computerization and networking of 1,55,000 Post Offices in the country, will be completed by 2017. The proposed Postal Payment Bank of India will further boost financial inclusion.

Honourable Members,

59. My Government has embarked on several significant projects such as National Supercomputing Mission, Improving Fuel Efficiency and Controlling Emissions. My Government has launched Science & Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM) initiative to explore the modern scientific roots of our traditional wisdom.

60. Building upon the success over the past year, my Government's endeavour is to scale new heights in Space. Focus will be on completing the constellation of the Indian navigational satellites in 2016 to cater to indigenous navigation and location-based services.

Honourable Members,

61. Varanasi and Jaipur have been declared as the first two Indian cities to be part of the UNESCO Creative Cities network. Thirteen Circuits and thirteen pilgrimage sites have been identified for development under Swadesh Darshan Scheme and PRASAD Scheme respectively.

62. Radio has once again emerged as the people’s medium. Establishment of new radio stations has received a fresh impetus. The good response to the successful and transparent bidding for the first batch of private FM Radio for phase III comprising 135 channels in 69 cities augurs well for the medium.

Honourable members,

63. India is a haven of stability in an increasingly turbulent global economy. GDP growth has increased making India the world’s fastest growing economy among large economies. Inflation, fiscal deficit and current account deficit have all decreased. India recorded the highest ever foreign exchange reserves in 2015.

64. The Indradhanush programme has been launched to revitalize public sector banks and ensure credit flow in the economy, with committed minimum recapitalization of Rupees seventy thousand crore. In addition, we have undertaken major governance reforms, brought in private sector talent and moved to a fully transparent and meritocratic recruiting process. We have also issued 23 banking licenses after a long hiatus of ten years.

65. The Government's concerted efforts to tackle the menace of black money have started yielding results. With the enactment of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, a stringent legislative framework has been put in place to combat the menace.

66. The Government has launched the Gold Monetization Scheme and Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in November 2015 to ensure productive utilization of idle assets.

67. The Government has taken a number of measures to put in place a simplified, progressive and non-adversarial tax regime by incorporating internationally prevalent best practices in tax administration. A gamut of taxpayer facilities, viz., e-filing of returns and various forms, electronic processing and retrieval of documents and online grievance redressal are now available to the citizen.

Honourable Members,

68.My Government is fully committed to firmly deal with all challenges concerning the security of the country. Terrorism is a global threat and strong counter-terrorism measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely. Let me congratulate the security forces in successfully foiling the recent attack at the Pathankot air base by terrorists. Firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism.

69.There has been significant improvement in the overall security situation in the North-Eastern States and Left Wing Extremism affected States. This has been made possible through sustained efforts and measures taken by the intelligence agencies and security forces in collaboration with the State Governments.

70. The country had to face severe drought and floods in some States. The unprecedented floods that submerged Chennai in December last year brought untold human suffering and economic loss. My Government stands with the people who have faced natural calamities and has immediately forwarded physical and financial resources to the States to handle such disasters. An amount of more than Rupees thirteen thousand crore has been released under State and National Disaster Response Fund.

Honourable Members,

71. Defence procurement procedure has been streamlined with a focus on indigenously designed, developed and manufactured weapon systems. We are working to ensure that our Armed Forces will be equipped with the most capable and sophisticated armaments in the world.

72. In our country "Shakti’, which means power, is the manifestation of female energy. This Shakti defines our strength. My Government has approved the induction of women as Short Service Commission officers and as fighter pilots in the IAF. In the future, my Government will induct women in all the fighter streams of our Armed Forces. My Government has initiated several measures to ensure safety and security of women which include nationwide Emergency Response Systems, a Central Victim Compensation Fund, Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children, and Organized Crime Investigative Agency and an Integrated Emergency Response Management System for women's safety on the railways.

73. We are indebted to those who inspire by their selfless service and their supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Acknowledgement must not hinge on ceremony or noble gestures of gratitude alone. In spite of huge financial implication of more than Rupees seven thousand crore per annum, my Government has fulfilled its commitment to implement four decades old demand of One Rank One Pension.

Honourable Members,

74. My Government has continued to pursue a bold and proactive foreign policy. The primary objective has been to accelerate national development with emphasis on improving India's access to capital, technology, resources, energy and skills. States have been made partners in our diplomatic efforts.

75. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: the world is one family. My Government is committed to this principle and its expression is most resonant in the steps we have taken in reaching out to our neighbours. Last year, my Government adopted the historic Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, leading to the peaceful exchange of disputed territories between our two countries. The signing of the Motor Vehicles Agreement between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, will provide seamless connectivity and further strengthen ties. We have been a friend in need to Nepal during the devastating earthquake of April 2015. We opened our skies, became a key transit hub and essential enabler so that assistance from other countries could reach Nepal in its hour of need. My Government is committed to forging a mutually respectful relationship with Pakistan and in creating an environment of co-operation in combating cross border terrorism. My Government believes in a secure and prosperous future for our neighbourhood. India remains committed to providing support to the people of Afghanistan in realising their dream of building a stable, inclusive and democratic nation. Dedication of the Afghanistan Parliament to its people by Prime Minister Modi was our contribution to Afghanistan's pursuit of peace and prosperity.

76. We reached out to the world, both on land and sea. Of 54 participating nations, the India-Africa Summit, attended by Heads of States and Governments from 41 countries, has rejuvenated India's relations with the continent, ushering in a new era of engagement and fraternity. My Government will not let oceans separate us, and has activated engagement with the 14 Pacific Island countries and revitalized civilizational links with our vibrant Act East Policy. India's second International Fleet Review, attended by 50 foreign navies, reinforced our cultural, commercial and strategic connect with our immediate and extended maritime neighbourhood.

77. My Government has played a proactive role in addressing climate change by launching an International Solar Alliance that has been universally acknowledged. We remain at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism. Sustained Indian efforts have led to concrete action for reforming the UN Security Council. India has also provided strong leadership and new vision to regional and international groupings like BRICS, G-20, WTO, East Asia Summit, ASEAN and the SCO.

78. My Government has enhanced NRI and PIO engagement by making it easier for them to get passports and offered Visa on Arrival by extending Electronic Travel Authorization facility to a large number of countries. Today, our citizens living and working abroad know that the Government is committed to protecting their interests and helping them in distress. This was manifested in Operation Rahat, in which we successfully evacuated 4,748 Indians from Yemen. We also extended our assistance to other nationalities. We evacuated 1,962 Foreigners belonging to 48 countries.

Honourable Members,

79. My Government is focused on Sabka Vikas, beyond just the economic advancements that dominate headlines. To realise Sabka Vikas, we must ensure that the poor and deprived are truly empowered to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives. Sabka Vikasmeans that backward sections of society are equally valued and are genuine stakeholders in the country’s progress. Sabka Vikas implies that we tackle the pollution, traffic, and garbage problems that plague our cities. And, lastly, Sabka Vikas is Development for the entire world, which is why we have to be a responsible member of the global comity of nations helping all humanity solve major challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and financial instability.

Honourable Members

80. Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption or obstruction. Aa No Bhadra Kratvo Yantu Viswataha - let noble thoughts come from all directions, should be the spirit behind debate in this temple of democracy. Being a member of this great institution bestows great honour as well as important responsibilities. My Government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business. I urge all Members of the Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India.

81. We owe a great debt to our freedom fighters. It is time to repay that debt, by building the country that they envisioned and fought for. In the words of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, "Nationalism is inspired by the highest ideals of the human race, Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram”, let us embrace those ideals as we stake our claim on the future.

Jai Hind

ISRO upbeat as indigenous cryo engine passes test

Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) bid to acquire the capability to launch heavier satellites into orbit received a boost on Friday with the successful hotbed test of the cryogenic engine for the upper stage of the GSLV Mark 3 rocket.

The long-duration test at the ISRO Propulsion Research Centre at Mahendragiri lasted 640 seconds.

Using Liquid Hydrogen at -253 degrees C and Liquid Oxygen at -193 degrees C as propellants, the high-thrust cryogenic engine (CE20) generates power of approximately 2 MW. Developed at the Liquid Propulsion System centre (LPSC) here, the engine had already undergone two short-duration tests for engine ignition and steady state performance.

Last year, the first developmental engine completed different hot tests in various operating regimes. The third engine identified for flight use will be vacuum tested in the high altitude test facility as part of the flight acceptance test.

ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar termed the test as a phenomenal achievement in the shortest time.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Kumar said preparations were under way for the first developmental flight of the GSLV Mark 3 in December 2016. He was talking to the media on the sidelines of a workshop organised by the VSSC and the Society for Aerospace Quality and Reliability (SAQR).

The biggest rocket made in India, the Mk3 will be capable of launching four-tonne satellites into geosynchronous orbit.

Make in India and renewable energy

Renewable energy’s job-creation potential is significant. But it brings with it the urgent, unmet need for skilling 

The renewable energy seminar held during the Make in India Week on 15 February was one of the best attended sessions. It served as a platform to discuss and reiterate several initiatives, both domestic and international, that the government is spearheading. These range from the flagship Make in India programme to the establishment of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). However, it is the synergies between these programmes that offer the greatest opportunity, but also need the most attention.

India’s mammoth renewable energy target of installing 175 gigawatts (GW) capacity by 2022 was officially announced in the 2015 budget speech. As we approach the next budget announcement, India’s total installed renewable energy capacity stands at close to 28GW, nearly 22% of the colossal target. As the country prepares to scale up its renewable energy capacity, it is important to recognize the need for a skilled workforce.

Given the population growth rate, India needs to create 10 million new jobs every year. Analysis carried out by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that more than 1 million full-time equivalent jobs would be created by the solar deployment industry alone, between now and 2022. These would include over 210,000 skilled plant design and site engineering jobs, 18,000 highly skilled jobs in business development and over 80,000 annual jobs for performance data monitoring.

Similarly, the wind sector would create 183,500 jobs by 2022, as wind capacity increases to 60GW. While the job creation potential of the renewable energy sector is significant, it also brings with it the urgent, and currently unmet need for skilling.

Analysis based on survey responses from 40 solar companies in India highlights the current unavailability of appropriately skilled manpower for construction and commissioning of solar units as a significant challenge to the solar industry. Similarly, wind sector respondents suggested that the current skilling programmes needed to be made more relevant and accessible, such that companies are assured of the high quality of training. This is where the ambitious renewable energy target of the country interlinks with the Skill India initiative, which aims to skill 400 million people by 2022. It will be crucial to develop standardized training programmes that can be implemented through institutes around the country, with training institutes being set up in areas with the most renewable energy potential and upcoming capacity.

As India hosted the first Make in India Week, focusing on increasing domestic manufacturing in India, the minister for power, coal, and new and renewable energy, Piyush Goyal, spoke of the need to have end-to-end solar manufacturing in the country. Recognizing the importance of strengthening domestic manufacturing in order to realize the national renewable energy targets, he promised that solar manufacturing in India was likely to get significantly cheaper in the next 18 months. The current annual solar manufacturing capacity in India stands at a meagre 4GW, cells and modules combined, whereas the annual wind manufacturing capacity stood close to 10GW. Strengthening domestic manufacturing of solar panels and wind turbines, at competitive prices, would further the objectives of the Make in India initiative, while also providing an impetus to the solar and wind industry.

CEEW–NRDC analysis, in the recently released report Filling the Skill Gap in India’s Clean Energy Market, suggests that skilling for research and product development would be essential for scaling up the manufacture of photovoltaic (PV) panels and wind turbines. Similarly, as several new entrepreneurs enter the market, both to manufacture and deploy renewable energy capacity, it will become interesting to view the synergies between the Start-up India initiative and the country’s renewable energy targets.

Cooperation could extend beyond just national missions. India’s recent pioneering effort to initiate the formation of ISA brings together 121 solar-rich countries on a common platform for cooperation to significantly augment the development, deployment and generation of solar technologies and power. While ISA will be an international organization, it has several shared focus areas with current domestic initiatives. One of the key pillars of the ISA work-plan is to facilitate capacity building for promotion and absorption of solar technologies and R&D among member countries. This resonates with the objectives of the Skill India initiative, as well as India’s domestic solar target. While the focus of ISA is going to be global, India’s domestic solar sector could benefit significantly from its recommendations and capacity building initiatives.

The time for transitioning to an energy future that has a significant component of renewable energy has come. The political support being extended to this sector is unprecedented. It is now that synergies that have been identified between the various ongoing initiatives offer the opportunity to support the scaling up of renewable energy, with access to high-quality and relevant training programmes, as well as support to the domestic solar and wind manufacturing market, both of which will play an important role in determining the pace of the renewable energy scale-up in India.

India’s failed diplomacy at the WTO

It has repeatedly failed to protect the domestic food security agenda 

The cabinet’s approval of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) on Wednesday is, on the face of it, a relatively innocuous development. As WTO deals go, this is low-hanging fruit. The agreement is to reduce administrative barriers at ports and customs, reducing transactional costs of international trade and consequently—according to various studies—increasing global gross domestic product by $1 trillion. This has found greater consensus between developed and developing economies than most WTO issues manage. But India has played spoiler—until now. The link between the TFA and India’s food security that led to New Delhi using the former as a bargaining chip may have been broken, but the underlying issue remains.

India’s stance across the previous and current administrations has been incoherent. The core issue is India’s public stockholding programme for food security. The price support mechanism this entails falls into the WTO’s so-called ‘amber’ box of agriculture subsidies—those that are considered to have a trade-distorting effect. These are barred beyond a minimum, calculated on the basis of a fixed reference price dating back three decades.

The fundamentally flawed nature of the system—particularly when the US’ massive agricultural subsidies, implemented via direct payments to farmers, fall into the WTO’s permissible green box—places India’s domestic and international commitments at odds. The previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) administration’s implementation of the populist and economically unsound National Food Security Act in 2013 exacerbated the problem as we had written in these pages. Remarkably, the same administration signed off on the Bali Package at the WTO’s Ninth Ministerial Conference later that year in exchange for a time-limited peace clause—a wholly inadequate four-year amnesty from punitive action for violations on the subsidy front. It thereby approved the TFA and gave up on using it as a bargaining chip to play hardball.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stalled on the UPA’s TFA commitment in 2014—rightfully so. For all that, it found itself internationally isolated and branded the villain of the piece. It managed to win an indefinite extension of the peace clause; however, that is not a long-term option. The conditions attached to the clause have not been dropped and it bars the expansion of the food security programme to new areas.

New Delhi’s push for a permanent solution ran aground at the WTO’s Tenth Ministerial last December with member nations failing to reaffirm the Doha mandate—launched in 2001, and with a focus on development issues. Little wonder New Delhi has finally acceded to the TFA; the cost-benefit analysis no longer favours holding out.

The administration’s implementation of a pilot scheme in Chandigarh and Puducherry to shift to direct cash transfers for food subsidies is a silver lining here. It is a contentious issue with considerable ideological opposition. And it is no magic bullet. There are bound to be missteps and teething problems—inevitable given the scale of the enterprise and of the prerequisite financial inclusion push.

The resources sunk into the public distribution system to date and the lack of commensurate returns by and large, however, mean the administration must push through political opposition. From Devesh Kapur, Partha Mukhopadhyay and Arvind Subramanian’s comprehensive examination of the issue in 2008 in the Economic & Political Weekly to a Reserve Bank of India committee on financial inclusion last year, the benefits of switching to cash transfers such as reducing corruption and leakages in the system and better targeting are apparent. So are the opportunity costs of not doing so.

That said, the incipient move towards reforming the PDS—direct cash transfers as a form of food subsidy would not fall afoul of WTO regulations—don’t mitigate the failure of Indian diplomacy. The reform process is bound to be a lengthy, gradual affair. The timeline of such an essential public policy issue must be decided by domestic, not international, compulsions.

The development agenda has taken a beating of late in Nairobi and then again in Paris. And with the day of the BRICS grouping all but done as their economies tread divergent paths, a splintering of consensus among the leaders of the developing world has already begun to show. WTO negotiations will not get any easier from here on. New Delhi must do better than it has done so far.

Should the government push ahead with direct cash transfers

LIGO India could be operational by 2023: US scientist

With the Indian government giving in-principle approval for establishing a state-of- the-art LIGO interferometer in the country, a top US scientist has said it is “technically feasible” for the project to be operational by the end of 2023.
“It is technically feasible for LIGO-India to go online by the end of 2023,” said Fred Raab, head of the LIGO Hanford Observatory and LIGO Laboratory liaison for LIGO-India.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) scientists have made dozens of trips to India to work with Indian colleagues, especially with the three nodal institutes that would have primary responsibility for construction and operation of LIGO India — Institute of Plasma Research (IPR) Gandhinagar, Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore.
“Together, we have identified an excellent site for the facilities and have transferred detailed LIGO drawings of the facilities and vacuum system to IPR, after adapting them for conditions in India,” he said.
The Union cabinet on 17 February, gave its approval in the wake of the announcement of LIGO’s detection of gravitational waves earlier this month.
“This is the step that we’ve been waiting for. It will allow funding for the LIGO-India project to begin, and commence a number of critical path activities toward getting a detector built in India,” said LIGO laboratory executive director David Reitze.
“Coming on the heels of the Discovery announcement, this has truly been an historic week for LIGO and for the field of gravitational wave astronomy,” he said.
The project will build an Advanced LIGO Observatory in India, a move that will significantly improve the ability of scientists to pinpoint the sources of gravitational waves and analyze the signals, a statement said.
Gravitational waves—ripples in the fabric of space and time, produced by dramatic events in the universe such as merging black holes and predicted as a consequence of Albert Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity, carry information about their origins and about the nature of gravity that cannot otherwise be obtained.
With their first direct detection, announced on 11 February, scientists opened a new window onto the cosmos.
The twin LIGO Observatories at Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana, are funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), and were conceived, built, and are operated by Caltech and MIT.
Advanced LIGO — a major upgrade to the sensitivity of the instruments compared to the first generation LIGO detectors — began scientific operations in September 2015. Funded in large part by the NSF, Advanced LIGO enabled a large increase in the volume of the universe probed, leading to the discovery of gravitational waves during its first observation run.
At each observatory, the 4-km-long L-shaped interferometer uses laser light split into two beams that travel back and forth down the arms (four-foot diameter tubes kept under a near-perfect vacuum). The beams are used to monitor the distance between mirrors precisely positioned at the ends of the arms.
According to Einstein’s theory, the distance between the mirrors will change by an infinitesimal amount when a gravitational wave passes by the detector. A change in the lengths of the arms smaller than one-ten- thousandth the diameter of a proton (10-19 metre) can be detected.
According to Reitze, the executive director of LIGO and a Caltech research professor, the degree of precision achieved by Advanced LIGO is analogous to being able to measure the distance between our solar system and the sun’s nearest neighbour Alpha Centauri -- about 4.4 light-years away, accurately to within a few microns, a tiny fraction of the diametre of a human hair.
“We have built an exact copy of that instrument that can be used in the LIGO-India Observatory,” said David Shoemaker, leader of the Advanced LIGO Project and director of the MIT LIGO Lab, “ensuring that the new detector can both quickly come up to speed and match the US detector performance”.
LIGO will provide Indian researchers with the components and training to build and run the new Advanced LIGO detector, which will then be operated by the Indian team, the statement said.
LIGO-India will also bring considerable opportunities in cutting edge technology for the Indian industry which will be engaged in the construction of the new observatory’s 4-kilometer-long beam tubes.
As per the US statement, Indian scientists at RRCAT have designed a special testing/prototype facility for receiving Advanced LIGO parts, have been training the teams that will install and commission the detector and are currently cross-checking the IPR vacuum system drawings against the Advanced LIGO detector drawings to ensure a good fit and rapid installation for the third Advanced LIGO detector.
In addition to leading the site-selection process, IUCAA scientists have been setting up a computing centre for current and future data. This preparation should make it possible for India to carry the project forward rapidly, it noted.
“LIGO-India will further expand the international network that started with the partnership between LIGO and Virgo, which operates a detector near Pisa, Italy,” said Stanley Whitcomb, LIGO chief scientist. “With LIGO-India added to the network, we will not only detect more sources, we will dramatically increase the number of sources that can be pinpointed so that they can be studied using other types of telescopes,”

Special Purpose Vehicles formed for implementation of Smart City Plans ; MP, Rajasthan take lead

Special Purpose Vehicles formed for implementation of Smart City Plans ; MP, Rajasthan take lead

23 Losers of Smart City Competition to meet 20 winners for peer learning

Shri Venkaiah Naidu to address the cities on challenges ahead

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have taken the lead in setting up Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) for the implementation of Smart City Plans of the cities who have won in the first round of competition for selection of cities. Ministry of Urban Development has been informed that SPVs have been set up for Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan. These cities have been among the first batch of 20 winners of Smart City Challenge Competition announced on January 29,2016.

Ministry has also been informed that SPVs for the remaining 15 cities will be formed in the next two weeks. Ministry of Urban Development will release Rs.200 cr for each of the 20 selected cities only after SPVs are set up.

SPVs to be registered under the Companies Act,2013 will have 50:50 equity by the states and respective urban local bodies. Private equity is also allowed but the management control will rest with the Governments only.

SPVs are required to be set up under Smart City Mission Guidelines to ensure timely and efficient execution of plans with operational freedom. They approve, sanction and execute the projects besides mobilizing resources from various sources.

Madhya Pradesh has set up a 12 member SPV for each of the three cities. Respective District Collector will be the Chairman of the Board and respective Municipal Commissioner as Executive Director. Other members include representatives of central and state governments, nominee of the Mayor, 2 Independent Directors, representatives of DISCOMs, Public Health Engineering Department etc.

Rajasthan has set up a 11 Member SPV for Jaipur and a 13 Member body for Udaipur. Principle Secretary (Local Self Government) is the Chairman in both the cases. Mayor will be the Vice-Chairman and Municipal Commissioner will the Chief Executive Officer till a regular CEO is appointed. Representatives of central and state governments, 2 Independent Directors will also be on the Board.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Urban Development is organizing a day long workshop on Monday i.e February 22, 2016 where in 23 cities participating in the ‘Fast Track Competition’ will interact with first batch of 20 smart city winners for ‘peer learning’ about making winning proposals. One top ranked city from each of the 23 States and UTs that could not win in the first round are participating in this accelerated round of competition, under which these 23 cities have to submit revised proposals to the Ministry of Urban Development by April 15 this year.

These 23 cities will be advised on how to bridge the identified gaps in their Smart City Plans earlier submitted and evaluated in the first round of competition. Areas required to be improved include-financing plans, convergence of different schemes of central and stage governments, smart solutions and frugal solutions, consistency of area development plans etc.

Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu will address the representatives of 43 cities.

The 20 winners will discuss next steps regarding operationalisation of SPVs project formulation and resource mobilization.

Experts and representatives of mentoring institutions like Centre for Science and Environment, Institute of Spatial Planning and Environment Research, Indian Institute of Human Settlements, All India Institute of Local Self Government, Administrative Staff College of India and hand holding institutions like world Bank, AFD, DFID, GIZ and Asian Development Bank will guide the winners and losers on the next steps.

The 23 cities participating in the ‘Fast Track Competition’ are : Warangal (Telangana) ranked 23 in the first round of competition, Chandigarh(24), Lucknow(29), New Town Kolkata (30), Panaji (32), Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh(39), Dharamshala, HP(59), Raipur(62), Bhagalpur, Bihar(65), Karnal, Haryana(66), Shillong(70), Namchi, Sikkim(71), Port Blair(72), Diu (74), Oulgaret, Puducherry (75), Silvassa (78), Imphal (83), Ranchi (84), Agartala (85), Kohima (90), Aizawl (93), Kavaratti (95) and Dehradun (97).

Among the first batch of winners, Bhopal which was ranked 20 scored 55.47% marks in the first round of competition. Warangal scored 54.79 marks to lose in the competition by just 0.68 marks while Dehradun which was ranked at the bottom of 97 scored 38.13% losing in the competition by a margin of 17.34 marks.

At the workshop on Monday, these 23 cities will be assisted to bridge the gap so as to come to the level of marks scored by Bhopal and beyond.

Systems for Detection of Adulteration and Analysis of Milk

Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan Dedicates Systems for Detection of Adulteration and Analysis of Milk

The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and Vice President, CSIR Dr. Harsh Vardhan today dedicated Systems for Detection of Adulteration and analysis of Milk. He complimented the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani of CSIR for developing this platform technology to tackle a national level health hazard due to adulteration in milk.

The Minister said that he will soon be reaching out to the Union Health Minister and the Health Ministers of all state governments to adopt and deploy this technology platform to address the problem of milk adulteration in the country. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will also be asked to bring in the required regulatory intervention so as to ensure the delivery of quality milk, he added.

Dr. Harsha Vardhan pointed that our country ranks number one across the world for milk production, contributing to about 18% of the world's total milk. By volume, milk production is to the tune of about 146 million tonnes in the country. But it is feared that over 60% of the milk is contaminated due to malpractices in milk supply chain which includes dilution with unsafe water. The milk is otherwise said to be adulterated with contaminants such as urea, salt, detergent, liquid soap, boric acid, caustic soda, soda and hydrogen peroxide which have hazardous health effects.

The gravity of the situation had been such that NITI Aayog identified the problem of detecting adulteration in the milk within three minutes at Rs. 4 or less, as one of the Grand Challenge Areas being considered under the Atal Innovation Mission.

In this backdrop, the Minister appreciated the initiative of CSIR for developing and deploying this technology solution, ‘Ksheer-Scanner’, which instantaneously detects the above-identified adulterants in milk. It is a low- cost portable system with user-friendly features. It enables detection of contaminants in just 40-45 seconds at the per sample cost of less than 50 paise. The minimum detection levels of major contaminants are: Urea: 1 gm/l; salt: 2 gm/l; detergent: 2 gm/l; soap: 1%; and soda: 1 gm/l.

DG, CSIR Dr. Girish Sahni, stated that among the many benefits of ‘Ksheer Scanner’, the system offers automated scanning of raw milk samples at milk collection points. He remarked that it is safe to use and ideal for installation at milk collection centres of milk societies at village and tehsil levels. The system can also be useful for on-the-spot milk testing by food inspectors. The system has been successfully tested at various dairies located in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, he added.

Prof. R.K Sinha, Director of the CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani said that the technology, ‘Ksheer-Scanner’ has been transferred to Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd. (REIL) and Alpine Technologies, Surat, Gujarat, for commercialization. He said that some of the field trials were conducted jointly with REIL and they sold about 40 systems which have been deployed at dairies in Gujarat, Goa, Kerala Punjab and Rajasthan,. Currently the system from REIL costs about Rs.1,00,000/- but the price may come down with volumes. Scientists from the Institutes gave a demonstration of the equipment

CSIR is also in the process of building a portfolio of technologies for detecting milk adulteration and analysis of milk quality, namely, ultrasonic-based milk contents analyser (KSHEER ANALYSER) for fats, solid non-fats, protein, lactose, density and water addition; Infra-red Radiation based Fat Analyser (IRFAN); Rapid Milk Analyser (KSHEER ANALYSER+); Milk Adulteration and Content Analysis (KSHEER SCANNER PLUS); and Handheld Milk Adulteration Tester for domestic usage (KSHEER-TESTER).

The ‘Ksheer-Analyser’ is a portable instrument with user-friendly operation that allows for measurement of milk constituents in less than 45 seconds, with accuracy of ± 0.1% of fats and accuracy of ± 0.2% of SNF. This system is targeted at a low cost of less than Rs. 10000.

The ‘Ksheer-Tester’ is a handheld device with a single button operation that allows for detection of adulterants in less than 60 seconds. It allows for measuring contaminants such as Urea: 1gm/l; Salt: 2gm/l; detergent: 2gm/l; soap: 1%; soda: 1gm/l; boric acid and hydrogen peroxide in ppm.

The ‘Ksheer-Scanner Plus’ is planned to be an integrated system aimed at detecting adulteration in milk as well as analysing the quality of milk. Efforts are being made to deploy this technology in the next few months.

Besides, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI) located in Mysuru has developed a nanosensor kit for rapid detection and quantification of Vitamin A (beta-carotene) in milk. Using the kit, farmers can easily identify the presence and quantity of beta-carotene, an indicator of the micro-nutrient quality of milk. Based on the results, farmers can alter the feed to cattle to increase beta-carotene in milk and can also sell the value added milk (with higher beta-carotene) for a higher price. CSIR aims to make the technology reach farmers at an affordable price. This technology is expected to lead to production of larger quantities of Vitamin A (beta-carotene) rich milk in future to help children to get sufficiency of vitamin A, of which most of them are deprived of now.

These various milk adulteration kits and milk safety testing protocols developed by CSIR will provide effective technology interventions necessary for “Swastha Bharat”, the Minister concluded.