Category: India

MIL-Evening Report: Indo-Fijian ‘listen to us’ plea to NZ over Pacific ethnicity classification

By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says that as far as Fiji is concerned, Fijians of Indian descent are Fijian.

While Fiji is part of the Pacific, Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific peoples in New Zealand; instead, they are listed under Indian and Asian on the Stats NZ website.

“The ‘Fijian Indian’ ethnic group is currently classified under ‘Asian,’ in the subcategory ‘Indian’, along with other diasporic Indian ethnic groups,” Stats NZ told RNZ Pacific.

“This has been the case since 2005 and is in line with an ethnographic profile that includes people with a common language, customs, and traditions.

“Stats NZ is aware of concerns some have about this classification, and it is an ongoing point of discussion with stakeholders.”

The Fijian Indian community in Aotearoa has long opposed this and raised the issue again at a community event Rabuka attended in Auckland’s Māngere ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa last month.

“As far as Fiji is concerned, [Indo-Fijians] are Fijians,” he said.

‘A matter of sovereignty’
When asked what his message to New Zealand on the issue would be, he said: “I cannot; that is a matter of sovereignty, the sovereign decision by the government of New Zealand. What they call people is their sovereign right.

“As far as we are concerned, we hope that they will be treated as Fijians.”

More than 60,000 people were transferred from all parts of British India to work in Fiji between 1879 and 1916 as indentured labourers.

Today, they make up over 32 percent of the total population, according to Fiji Bureau of Statistics’ 2017 Population Census.

Sangam community NZ leader and former Nadi mayor Salesh Mudaliar . . . “If you do a DNA or do a blood test, we are more of Fijian than anything else. We are not Indian.” Image: RNZ Pacific/Lydia Lewis

Now many, like Sangam community NZ leader and former Nadi Mayor Salesh Mudaliar, say they are more Fijian than Indian.

“If you do a DNA or do a blood test, we are more of Fijian than anything else. We are not Indian,” Mudaliar said.

The indentured labourers, who came to be known as the Girmitiyas, as they were bound by a girmit — a Hindi pronunciation of the English word “agreement”.

RNZ Pacific had approached the Viti Council e Aotearoa for their views on the issue. However, they refused to comment, saying that its chair “has opted out of this interview.”

“Topic itself is misleading bordering on disinformation [and] misinformation from an Indigenous Fijian perspective and overly sensitive plus short notice.”

‘Struggling for identity’
“We are Pacific Islanders. If you come from Tonga or Samoa, you are a Pacific Islander,” Mudaliar said.

“When [Indo-Fijians] come from Fiji, we are not. We are not a migrant to Fiji. We have been there for [over 140] years.”

“The community is still struggling for its identity here in New Zealand . . . we are still not [looked after].

He said they had tried to lobby the New Zealand government for their status but without success.

“Now it is the National government, and no one seems to be listening to us in understanding the situation.

“If we can have an open discussion on this, coming to the same table, and knowing what our problem is, then it would be really appreciated.”

Fijians of Indian descent with Prime Minister Rabuka at the community event in Auckland last month. Image: Facebook/Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka

Lifting quality of data
Stats NZ said it was aware of the need to lift the quality of ethnicity data  across the government data system.

“Public consultation in 2019 determined a need for an in-depth review of the Ethnicity Standard,” the data agency said.

In 2021, Stats NZ undertook a large scoping exercise with government agencies, researchers, iwi Māori, and community groups to help establish the scope of the review.

Stats NZ subsequently stood up an expert working group to progress the review.

“This review is still underway, and Stats NZ will be conducting further consultation, so we will have more to say in due course,” it said.

“Classifying ethnicity and ethnic identity is extremely complex, and it is important Stats NZ takes the time to consult extensively and ensure we get this right,” the agency added.

This week, Fijians celebrate the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali. The nation observes a public holiday to mark the day, and Fijians of all backgrounds get involved.

Prime Minister Rabuka’s message is for all Fijians to be kind to each other.

“Act in accordance with the spirit of Diwali and show kindness to those who are going through difficulties,” he told local reporters outside Parliament yesterday.

“It is a good time for us to abstain from using bad language against each other on social media.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Washington man sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for trafficking eagles, hawks killed on the Flathead Indian Reservation and sold on black market

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MISSOULA — A Washington man who conspired to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles and hawks on the Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on the black market was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, and formerly of the Flathead Reservation, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law. The Lacey Act also prohibits any person from making or submitting any false record, account, label for or identification of wildlife that has been or was intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court ordered Branson to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.

“The bald eagle, adopted as America’s national symbol in 1782, represents our country’s core ideals of freedom, strength, and justice. Once on the brink of extinction, eagles recovered only because of conservation efforts by the American people and federal laws protecting them. None of that mattered to Travis Branson. Instead, Branson went on self-described ‘killing sprees’ for thousands of eagles and hawks, butchered them, and sold the parts and feathers for profit on the black market. He knew he was committing felonies and even joked his cost to kill them was the price of a bullet. But his conduct was no laughing matter. With today’s sentence, the cost to Branson was more than a bunch of bullets – he forfeited the very freedom the bald eagle symbolizes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

“The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation’s cherished natural heritage,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Travis Branson’s blatant disregard for the law and the sanctity of these protected species highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement and greater public awareness regarding wildlife trafficking. His actions are particularly egregious, considering the significant number of bald and golden eagles he killed for personal profit, and such behavior will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect America’s wildlife and hold accountable all who are engaged in these illicit activities.”

“We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation’s raptor loss for years to come,” said Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson. “We hope this helps put a stop to illegal poaching on our homelands and gives these birds a chance to recover. Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservation’s ecosystem, but they also have a profound place in CSKT cultural and spiritual practices.”

In court documents, the government alleged that from about January 2015 until about March 2021, Branson and others hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Reservation. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the United States and elsewhere. Brandon traveled from Washington to the Flathead Reservation, where he met co-defendant, Simon Paul. Branson and Paul would then shoot, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Co-defendant Paul remains a fugitive.

The government sought restitution values of $5,000 per eagle and $1,750 per hawk.

The government estimated that from 2009 until 2021, Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 by selling eagles feathers and parts for profit on the black market.

The government’s investigation showed that Branson and others killed approximately 3,600 birds during the conspiracy. At least 118 eagles and 107 hawks killed were directly traceable to Branson and documented through his own text messages. Branson had taken up to nine eagles at a time. The photograph below shows nine sets of feathers, with one set stacked on top of the other in the upper left corner.

Law enforcement also recovered text messages from Branson stating he was specifically looking to shoot a baby eagle.

Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he also butchered them into pieces to sell. On March 13, 2021, Branson shot and killed a golden eagle near Polson. Law enforcement stopped Branson and recovered from Branson’s vehicle the feet and feathers of the golden eagle and later recovered the remainder of the carcass in a field. The claws are identified here:

Branson knew killing and selling eagles was illegal and that he did not have a permit for any of the activities. When negotiating a purchase price for eagle feathers with a potential buyer, Branson said:

“I don’t get em for free though ..out hear committing felonies”

Branson told another potential buyer he would obtain other eagle tails by “[g]oing on a killing spree.”

Further, Branson acknowledged that international shipping was illegal:

“International is still illegal ..I just get em for 99 cents ..price of a bullet..lol”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Fish and Game Department conducted the investigation.

XXX

MIL Security OSI –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Airbus inaugurates India and South Asia headquarters in New Delhi

Source: Airbus

Headline: Airbus inaugurates India and South Asia headquarters in New Delhi

Airbus has inaugurated its new India and South Asia Headquarters located at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The state-of-art facility was inaugurated by Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India, in the presence of Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, and Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus in India and South Asia.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding for UK’s growth-driving creative industries confirmed in the Budget
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has welcomed confirmation in the Budget of the government’s commitment to support the creative industries – as part of the Industrial Strategy – recognising the key role it can play in economic growth.
Budget funding to help thousands of creative businesses grow across the UK

£3m scheme to improve awareness of creative career paths for school children

£25m devolved local growth funding, which the North East plans to use for new Crown Works film studio to be built in Sunderland

Grants to continue for start-up video game studios, grassroots music venues and for regional clusters of creative firms outside of London

New VFX tax credit confirmed, UK’s world-leading film,TV, theatre, orchestra and museums tax reliefs continue

The creative industries are worth £125 billion to the UK economy and were named as one of the government’s eight growth-driving sectors in its Industrial Strategy.

At the Budget yesterday the Chancellor confirmed that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s spending programmes to grow the creative industries will continue, with additional funding to improve access to creative careers for young people across the country.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

This was a Budget to fix the foundations, stabilise our economy and put us on the path to prosperity for years to come.

The Creative Industries will play a critical role in helping us turn the corner and deliver on the national missions of this Government – driving economic growth into our towns and cities; drawing on the wealth of talent that exists everywhere; and flying the flag for British culture and values on the world stage.

The Chancellor’s Budget underscored just how important these sectors are going to be with funding extended for vital programmes and tax reliefs, an expansion of the Creative Careers Programme and a £25 million investment in the CrownWorks Studio in Sunderland that will make the city one of the centres of our TV and film industry for years to come.

This Government recognises that for millions of people, geography has become destiny. That while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. This Budget has put the Creative Industries front and centre of how we write those people back into our national story and drive opportunity, jobs and prosperity into every community, in every region.

The government will continue to broaden and diversify the talent pipeline in the creative industries by expanding the Creative Careers Programme, providing 11-18 year olds with the opportunity to learn more about the full range of jobs in the creative industries and directly engage with the workplace.

The programme has helped 25,000 students meet industry professionals in 2023, trained over 200 careers professionals on roles in the sector and registered over 500 employers to take part in the annual Discover! Creative Careers Week.

Funding for the Creative Careers Programme will be increased to £3 million, meaning it can boost its awareness-raising efforts and provide even more schoolchildren with information, advice and guidance on creative career routes.

The £25 million funding for the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) has been confirmed. NEMCA plans to use the funding to remediate the Crown Works Studio site.

The North East is already a backdrop for major blockbusters – with Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and Transformers all filmed in the region. Crown Works is set to be one of the largest film studios in Europe and is expected to lead to around 8,000 new jobs in the region.

The DCMS will also continue to fund the following creative industries programmes:

The Create Growth Programme, which supports thousands of businesses, enabling them to convert their creative potential into creative growth, boosting their access to private finance and helping turn today’s creative entrepreneurs into tomorrow’s CEOs.

The BFI’s Global Screen Fund helps innovative independent filmmakers showcase the best of Britain’s screen sectors on the global stage by boosting international development and distribution opportunities.

The Dundee-based UK Games Fund, which develops talent and awards grants to high-potential, early-stage video game studios, helping them turn their drawing board ideas into working prototype games and unlock private investment.

The Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, which enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for millions of gig-goers across the UK.

More details will be set out in due course by DCMS on the specific funding for its programmes going forward.

Elsewhere the Creative Industries Clusters programme, supported with at least £50 million and delivered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council on behalf of UKRI, will continue to fund creative clusters in new sub-sectors and regions over the next six years. The first round of the scheme supports nine regional hubs of business specialising in creative subsectors, such as film and high end TV in Cardiff’s Clwstwr and fashion in the Future Fashion Factory in Leeds, helping entrepreneurs and businesses in these areas innovate with new technologies, secure investment, and access global markets, with further clusters to be announced.

DCMS will also continue to contribute funding towards the hosting of the London Film Festival and London Fashion Week, as well as providing continued funding for the British Film Commission, National Film and Television School and the BFI’s Certification Unit.

The Budget has confirmed that the government remains committed to the UK’s regime of highly-competitive tax reliefs for film, high-end TV and video games, including the recently-announced Independent Film Tax Credit, as well as reliefs for animation and children’s TV production.

Yesterday the government also confirmed that a new VFX relief will go ahead in April 2025, with costs incurred by VFX firms from 1 January 2025 eligible. It will incentivise more film projects to draw on the UK’s post-production expertise – potentially generating hundreds of millions of pounds in additional revenues and creating thousands of jobs.

The UK’s visual effects industry has grown substantially in recent years and it is now home to six of the world’s biggest visual effects studios. British firms have created CGI and visual effects for global box office hits such as Barbie and Wonka.

In addition, the Chancellor has increased support for the national museums and galleries by raising their Grant-in-Aid to help support their long-term sustainability. A package of cultural infrastructure funding will also support cultural organisations across the country.

The Chancellor also announced yesterday that the government will continue to provide generous tax reliefs to museums, galleries, theatres and orchestras, which will support cultural sectors and help to ensure they can share their world-class productions and collections with more audiences up and down the country.

From 1 April 2025, theatres, orchestras and museums and galleries will benefit from higher tax relief rates of 40 percent for non-touring productions, and 45 percent for orchestral and touring productions.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Creative Careers Programme

The Creative Careers Programme (CCP), launched in 2018, tackles information and coordination barriers to providing specialist information, advice and guidance about creative careers to young people, targeting 11-18 year olds, as well as their parents, carers, teachers and careers advisors.

The programme delivers Discover! Creative Careers Week annually in November, alongside a website with lesson plans and resources, monthly online insight Q&A panels, and training for careers advisors.

The programme operates UK-wide, with current priority focus given to areas in England where young people face particular challenges in accessing information about the Creative Industries

It is delivered by ScreenSkills, with co-delivery partners Creative UK and Speakers for Schools. Further partners include: National Careers Service, Careers and Enterprise Company, Design Council, Into Film, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Advertising Association, the Publishers Association, UK Fashion and Textiles Association, YouTube, UK Music and UK Theatre/Society of London Theatre.

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Published 1 November 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Press Release on Special Campaign 4.0

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 4:14PM by PIB Delhi

Under the guidance of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the Department of Justice implemented the Special Campaign 4.0 for clearing pendency and focusing on Swachhata of the Office premises. As in previous years, this year too, this campaign spanned over two phases, with Phase-I (from 16/09/2024 to 30/09/2024) being the identification phase, wherein various pending matters, like reference from Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Assurances, References from the State Governments, Inter Ministerial references, Public Grievances and also, sites requiring sprucing, cleaning and beautification were to be identified. Phase-II from 02/10/2024 to 31/10/2024 was to be devoted to the clearance of the identified pendency, cleaning/sprucing up and beautification of identified sites/areas.

During the first Phase of the campaign from 16/09/2024 to 30/09/2024, 03- References from MPs and 281 Public Grievances were identified for disposal, 272 physical files were earmarked for review and subsequently for weeding out, 138 e-files were also selected for review /closure. Besides, 06 Parliamentary Assurances, 01 Reference from the State Government, 01 Inter Ministerial reference, were also identified for disposal. Apart from this, 4 sites requiring sprucing, cleaning and beatification were also earmarked within the office premises of the Department. Department of Justice actively participated in the identification drive and the pendency was also uploaded on the SCDPM portal, on a daily basis.

In the second Phase-II of the Special campaign, from 2^nd October, 2024 to 31^st October, 2024, efforts were made by the Department to clear the pendency identified in the first phase of Campaign. A Special drive was also launched to clean the premises, corridors, lawn, as well as the respective branches of the Department. The Department of Justice successfully cleared all the identified pending matters within the stipulated time. Besides, 69 items which were identified as scrap which was ripe for disposal, were disposed off through auction. A sum of Rs.1,36,000/- was received from the auction of these redundant items and duly deposited into the government treasury. This exercise also led to freeing up of some space in the department. Daily Report of Phase-II from 02/10/2024 to 31/10/2024 was also uploaded on the SCDPM portal regularly. To give wide publicity to this campaign, tweets and PIB releases, including before and after photographs of various events/best practices were also issued/uploaded from time to time.

On the concluding day of the Special Campaign 4.0 i.e. on 31.10.2024, Shramdaan was organized in a befitting manner by cleaning the front lawn/premises of Jaisalmer House. This was led by Secretary (Justice) and Officers/staff of the Department actively participated in this to successfully mark the end of the campaign.

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SB/DP/ARJ

(Release ID: 2070150) Visitor Counter : 43

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Novel experiment to explore the limits of quantum theory for arbitrarily massive objects

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 3:43PM by PIB Delhi

Scientists have devised an experiment for testing the domain of validity of quantum theory for objects much more massive than the usual microphysical objects (atoms, molecules etc), beyond which the classical theory has to be necessarily used. This study can also help in developing high precision quantum sensors which are important tools in the cutting- edge quantum technologies.

The principles of Quantum Mechanics replacing that of Newtonian classical mechanics were developed nearly 100 years back. Yet, a number of quantum foundational issues remain problematic. For example, the boundary between the quantum mechanical microworld and the large scale macroscopic classical world of everyday objects obeying Newtonian Laws remains unspecified. The question–up to what level the quantum mechanical principles be valid for macroscopic objects– continues to be one of the most fundamental open questions in contemporary physics.

This question is also intimately related to another hotly pursued fundamental issue– testing whether gravity is quantum mechanical or not.

All the proposed laboratory-based schemes seeking to demonstrate the quantum mechanical nature of gravity crucially rest on assuming applicability of fundamental quantum principles for sufficiently massive objects.

However, the state –of- the- art demonstrations of quantum features have so far reached only up to macromolecules of masses ten thousand times the hydrogen atom. Hence, breakthrough ideas, feasible to be implemented experimentally in the near future, are the need of the hour in order to scale up the tests of macroscopic quantumness to ever more massive objects.

Prof. Dipankar Home from Bose Institute, Kolkata, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with D. Das, S. Bose (University College London) and H. Ulbricht (University of Southampton, UK) have addressed this challenge by formulating a novel procedure for demonstrating an observable signature of quantum behaviour for an oscillating object like pendulum having any large mass.

These scientists have found a novel way for detecting measurement induced disturbance for an arbitrarily massive quantum mechanical pendulum. They have formulated an implementable scheme based on using lasers to suspend a single nanocrystal of silica (a microscopic glass bead) as it oscillates around the focal point of a small parabolic mirror carved out of a block of aluminum housed in a vacuum chamber.

In a typical classical pendulum, the bead would move regularly from point A to point B and back again, unaffected by any observation. However, a quantum pendulum should behave very differently. Its position will change depending on whether or not someone is watching. If we were to detect at any instant where the pendulum bob was, there would be an immediate change of its future behavior. Such a disturbance is an unavoidable consequence of any measurement process involving quantum mechanical system. The scheme proposed by these scientists would enable detecting such measurement induced quantum disturbance for objects much more massive than usual microphysical objects.

Given the present state- of- the -art technology, this envisaged experiment could be realizable in the coming years for systems ranging from oscillating nano-objects (like that of a grain of dust, about trillion times heavier than hydrogen atom) to oscillating mirrors having effective mass of about 10 kg used for gravitational wave detection.

An experimental study has already been launched by one of the co-authors of this paper, Prof. H.Ulbricht and his group at University of Southampton, UK using optically levitated nano-diamonds about billion times heavier than hydrogen atom.

Thus, this work would pave the way for experiments providing the most emphatic demonstration of large scale quantumness and would open up the possibility for leveraging such macroscopic quantumness for practical applications, such as by developing high precision quantum sensors which are key ingredients in the emerging quantum technologies.

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NKR/KS/AG

(Release ID: 2070133) Visitor Counter : 38

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Science and Technology (DST) successfully completes Special Campaign 4.0 on Swachhata and minimizes pendency

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 3:39PM by PIB Delhi

Drawing inspiration from Honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision and mission to institutionalize Swachahta and minimize pendency in Government, Department of Science and Technology launched the Special Campaign 4.0 (implementation phase) from 2nd October to 31st October 2024. The Special Campaign aimed at improving overall cleanliness of Government offices and enhancing public experience of the common public with Government offices. Therefore, special attention was given to field / outstation offices (attached / subordinate offices).

The glimpses of the cleaning activities carried out by Organisations of the DST are as follows: –

Before

After

The Department of Science and Technology has successfully completed Special Campaign 4.0 underlining Swachhata, which was conducted within the Department and across various Autonomous Bodies/Subordinate Offices located in different parts of the country.

During the campaign, special focus was given to space management and enhancement of workplace experience in offices. Since the beginning of the Preparatory Phase of the Special Campaign, the Department along with its Autonomous Bodies/Subordinate Offices identified various sites to be cleaned across the country. Around 257 sites were identified for cleaning, more than 26,000 physical files and around 383 e-files were identified for review. Daily progress was monitored by a dedicated team and information was uploaded regularly on the SCPDM portal hosted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

Nodal Officer of Special Campaign 4.0 & Joint Secretary (Admin), Smt. A. Dhanalakshmi regularly reviewed the campaign progress and visited many sites inside the office premises as a part of ongoing Special Campaign 4.0. She appreciated the efforts of the officials and encouraged them to channel their best efforts to maintain cleanliness at the workplace.

The Implementation phase ended with achievements surpassing the targets on many fronts. The Department along with its Sections/Divisions/Autonomous Bodies/Subordinate Offices enthusiastically participated in the Special Campaign 4.0 and celebrated it as a cleanliness festival at more than 894 sites. This year a remarkable area of 4 lakhs 76 thousand sq. ft. has been freed and revenue of Rs. 4.84 lakhs have been generated by disposing scraps identified during the campaign. Further, as part of record management exercise, 30731 physical files have been reviewed and out of which 14090 files have been weeded out. Moreover, 575 e-files have been reviewed and out of which 321 e-files have been closed.

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NKR/KS/AG

(Release ID: 2070132) Visitor Counter : 44

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Sports: Successful Completion of Special Campaign 4.0

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 3:11PM by PIB Delhi

The Department of Sports, in collaboration with organizations under it – including the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), National Sports University (NSU), National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), and the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL)—made a significant contribution to Special Campaign 4.0 organized by Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG). This campaign, was conducted during October 2024 and was aimed at embedding Swachhata (cleanliness) principles within the Department’s ethos and addressing long-standing pendencies. The Department of Sports commenced this effort with the spirited launch of the Fit India Swachhata Freedom Run 5.0 on October 2, 2024, at Major Dhyanchand Stadium, intertwining the themes of fitness and cleanliness.

Over the course of the campaign, the Department replied 15 pending Member of Parliament references, resolved 30 public grievances, and fulfilled 2 Parliamentary Assurances under active supervision of senior officers of Department. This dedicated oversight ensured that objectives were met with both efficiency and impact.

The campaign also focused on physical and digital file management. Accordingly, 210 physical files were thoroughly reviewed and subsequently 120 were weeded out. Moreover, the campaign saw the completion of the review of 220 e-files, marking a substantial stride in digital records management. On the ground, cleanliness drives were carried out across 44 identified sites spanning field offices and headquarters of the organizations under this Department. This concerted effort resulted in the reclamation of 12,000 square feet of space, with many newly available areas repurposed into valuable utility spaces. In addition, scrap disposal during the campaign generated Rs.1,76,000 in revenue, underscoring a commitment to sustainability and resourcefulness in the pursuit of cleanliness. 24 Tweets were made by this Department and organizations under it across various social media platforms, leveraging hashtags #SpecialCampaign4.0 and #SwachhBharat to amplify the campaign’s reach and visibility.

Through above initiatives, the Department of Sports has not only reinforced the values of Swachhata but also set an example of practical, efficient governance. Some of the pictures of cleaning of office premises/ campus at organizations under this Department are shown below.

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Himanshu Pathak

(Release ID: 2070114) Visitor Counter : 40

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: As part of Special Campaign 4.0, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances organized the National Workshop on e-Office and e-Office Analytics Dashboard on 29th October, 2024 at CSOI Vinay Marg

Source: Government of India (2)

As part of Special Campaign 4.0, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances organized the National Workshop on e-Office and e-Office Analytics Dashboard on 29th October, 2024 at CSOI Vinay Marg

172 officials from 84 Ministries/Departments of the Central Government attended the workshop.

The workshop generated awareness on the future roadmap for e-Office in the Central Secretariat, cyber security vigilance and resilience measures

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 3:08PM by PIB Delhi

As part of Special Campaign 4.0, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances organized National Workshop on e-Office and e-Office Analytics Dashboard on 29^th October, 2024 at CSOI Vinay Marg. 172 officials from 84 Ministries/Departments of the Central Government attended the workshop.

Presentations were made during the workshop on (i) e-Office 7.0 and implementation of e-Office in attached/ Subordinate Offices and Autonomous bodies; (ii) Initiative of Government for Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making and e-Office Analytics dashboard; (iii) Cyber security protocols and key steps for consolidation of Roll-out of e-Office; and (iv) Sharing of user experience and feedback.

The e-Office is a Mission Mode project under Digital India program of Government of India. DARPG as the Nodal Department for implementation of e-Office in the Central Government Ministries/ Departments, plays a pivotal role in the successful implementation of digitization of file work in central government. At present e-Office adoption is about 95% in the Central Government Ministries/ Departments.

Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary DARPG vigorously pursued Ministries/Departments to adopt e-Office through amendments in the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure, as a result of which, adoption of e-Office has risen to 95%. The e-Office was instrumental in uninterrupted functioning of the central secretariat during the pandemic. e-Office platform generated savings for the exchequer by saving paper/stationery and lesser pollution because of less use of paper. DARPG launched e-office analytics system which has been very effective.

Shri Navin Kumar Singh, DG, NCIIPC said the workshop was a platform to generate largescale awareness and education among central government employees on cyber security. He advocated cyber vigilance and resilience by using simple measures that can have incremental changes in securing the e-office cyber space, securing VPN credentials especially admin credentials and other small doable measures which ensures cyber security in e-office digital space as well as inculcate a culture of cyber hygiene.

Smt. Rachana Shrivastava, Deputy Director General, NIC, said as part of the 100 days agenda, Government has targeted implementing e-Office in all subordinate organizations, autonomous and statutory bodies. 92 attached/ subordinate offices and autonomous bodies have onboarded the e-office system in 100 days making a total of 393 such organizations onboard e-Office. NIC is working on a new version of e-Office with divyangjan (visually-impaired) access, Bhashini translation (including voice) and encryption facility.

Smt. Jaya Dubey, Joint Secretary, DARPG presented the initiative of the Government for Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making (IEDM) and how e-office analytics helps in monitoring and evaluating the efforts of the Government towards Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making.

DoPT; Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Department of School Education & Literacy shared their experiences to be used as feedback for improvisation in e-office system. Suggestions of other Ministries/ Departments were also taken in the open house.

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NKR/AG/KS

(Release ID: 2070112) Visitor Counter : 42

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Expresses Condolences on the Passing of Shri Narayan

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 3:04PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the passing of Shri Narayan, a distinguished figure in Indian politics and social service.

In a heartfelt message on X, the Prime Minister tweeted:

“The demise of Narayan ji, who made an invaluable contribution to politics and social service, is an irreparable loss. He has been among the oldest and hardworking workers of BJP, whom we also know as Bhulai Bhai. His works related to public welfare will always be remembered. In this hour of grief, I express my condolences to his admirers and family members. Om Shanti!”

राजनीति और समाज सेवा में अमूल्य योगदान देने वाले नारायण जी का देहावसान एक अपूरणीय क्षति है। वे भाजपा के सबसे पुराने और कर्मठ कार्यकर्ताओं में शामिल रहे हैं, जिन्हें हम भुलई भाई के नाम से भी जानते हैं। जन कल्याण से जुड़े उनके कार्यों को सदैव याद किया जाएगा। शोक की इस घड़ी में मैं… pic.twitter.com/4dqZuc7xV9

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2024

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MJPS/SR/SKS

(Release ID: 2070111) Visitor Counter : 69

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Overall Coal Production in October 2024 Touches 84.45 Million Tonne

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 2:59PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Coal has achieved a notable upswing in overall coal production during October 2024, reaching 84.45 million tonnes (MT) and surpassing the 78.57 MT of the corresponding month last year, registering an increase of 7.48%. Coal production from captive and other entities also showed substantial growth, rising to 16.59 MT in October 2024 compared to 11.70 MT in the same period last year, reflecting a remarkable growth rate of 41.75%. The Cumulative coal production for the fiscal year up to October 2024 reached 537.45 MT, an increase from 506.56 MT during the same period in FY 2023-24, representing growth of 6.10%.

Additionally, coal dispatches witnessed a significant boost in October 2024, reaching an impressive 82.89 MT, showcasing a 4.60% increase over the 79.25 MT recorded in October 2023. Coal dispatch from captive and other entities also grew to 16.18 MT in October 2024, compared to 11.83 MT in October 2023, representing growth of 36.83%. Cumulative coal dispatch (up to October 2024) has risen to 571.39 MT in FY 2024-25 as compared to 541.51 MT during the corresponding period in FY 2023-24, reflecting growth of 5.52%.

The Ministry of Coal remains committed to ensuring a reliable coal supply to meet India’s energy demands, with continued focus on boosting production, streamlining logistics, and supporting the nation’s energy goals.

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ST

(Release ID: 2070108) Visitor Counter : 45

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR INDIA- US JOINT SPECIAL FORCES EXERCISE ‘VAJRA PRAHAR’

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 2:40PM by PIB Delhi

The Indian Army contingent departed today for the 15^th edition of India- US joint Special Forces Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 2^nd to 22^nd November 2024 at Orchard Combat Training Centre in Idaho, USA. Last edition of the same exercise was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya in December 2023. This will be second exercise of the year between Indian and the US Army, the previous being Exercise YUDH ABHYAS 2024, conducted at Rajasthan in September 2024.

Contingents of both the countries taking part in the joint exercise will comprise 45 personnel each. The Indian Army contingent will be represented by Special Forces units and the US Army contingent will be represented by Green Berets of US.

Aim of Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR is to promote military cooperation between India and the US through enhancement of interoperability, jointness and mutual exchange of special operations tactics. The exercise will enhance combined capabilities in executing joint Special Forces Operations in desert/ semi desert environment. The exercise will focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.

Drills/ aspects to be rehearsed during the exercise will include planning a Joint Team Mission, Reconnaissance Mission, employment of Unmanned Aerial Systems, execution of Special Operations, actions of Joint Terminal Attack Controller and Psychological Warfare in Special Operations.

Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR will enable the two sides to share their best practices and experiences for conduct of joint Special Forces Operations. The exercise will facilitate developing inter-operability, bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers of both the countries.

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SC

(Release ID: 2070099) Visitor Counter : 57

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January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Food and Public Distribution successfully completes Special Campaign 4.0 for ensuring cleanliness and reducing pendency in Government offices

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 2:24PM by PIB Delhi

Department of Food and Public Distribution under the guidance of Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Smt. Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya has completed the Special Campaign 4.0 for ensuring cleanliness and reducing pendency in Government offices.

Shri Joshi and Smt. Bambhaniya led the Special Campaign 4.0 preparations and provided leadership on the strategies to be adopted to make the Special Campaign a huge success.

The campaign started with the preparatory phase on September 15^th, 2023 to identify targets for cleaning, recording and space management during the implementation phase. During the campaign, special focus was given to space management and enhancement of workplace experience in offices including disposal of pending work.

Shri Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary (F&PD) took Review Meetings with the Sr. Officers of DFPD and its attached Offices to sensitize about the progress of activities undertaken during the Special Campaign 4.0.

Shri Rajender Kumar, JS (Admn) also took a number of Review Meetings with the officers of the Department as well as its PSUs/ Attached offices. During the campaign period, he paid many surprise visits to various sections/ Record Room of DFPD and appreciated the efforts of the officials. He also inspected the toilets and common areas and directed the concerned staff to make their best efforts to maintain the utmost cleanliness in the office premises.

During the period of Special Campaign 4.0, floor-wise Nodal Officers were appointed to review the progress and achievement of section/unit/desk/offices situated under the DFPD.

Not only the Department but all its attached Offices i.e. FCI, CWC, WDRA, IGMRI & NSI Kanpur enthusiastically participated in the campaign and celebrated it as a cleanliness festival at 1325 campaign sites. This year 78940 Sq.ft. space has been freed after the disposal of scrap and other redundant materials. 116982 physical files were identified, and reviewed and 36372 physical files have been weeded out during the campaign. 5818 Electronic files have also been closed. The total revenue generated from the disposal of scrap is more than Rs. 13.83 lakh. Also 9 MPs references, 25 State Govt. references, 964 Public Grievances and 242 Public Grievance Appeals has been disposed. During the Special Campaign 4.0 period, this Department and its Attached Offices on various social media platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram etc, have released 13 PIB Notes/press release and about 1000 Tweets. Daily progress was monitored by a dedicated team and uploaded on the SCPDM portal hosted by DARPG.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution and its attached Offices successfully achieved the target set for Special Campaign 4.0 on Swachhta and minimize pendency in Government, which was conducted within the Department and across its attached Offices i.e. FCI, CWC, WDRA, IGMRI and NSI, Kanpur located in various parts of the country.

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AD/AM

(Release ID: 2070094) Visitor Counter : 49

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Urges Youth to Apply for National Youth Award (2022-23)

Source: Government of India

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Urges Youth to Apply for National Youth Award (2022-23)

Applications for National Youth Award (2022-23) Open from November 1 to 15, 2024

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 1:46PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has called upon young Indians to apply for the prestigious National Youth Awards (NYA) 2022-23, recognizing their exceptional contributions to India’s development and social progress.

Highlighting the unmatched spirit of India’s youth across sectors—be it sports, social service, science, or research—Dr. Mandaviya emphasized that the awards are not merely an accolade but a celebration of youth leadership in fostering a progressive and inclusive India.

नमस्कार मेरे युवा साथियों,

राष्ट्र निर्माण में आपके अनमोल योगदान को सम्मानित करने के लिए ‘राष्ट्रीय युवा पुरस्कार – 2022-23’ हेतु आवेदन की तारीख 1 नवंबर से 15 नवंबर जारी हो चुकी है।

आप सभी से आग्रह है कि इस अवसर का लाभ उठाएं और अपने योगदान को राष्ट्र के सामने प्रस्तुत करें।… pic.twitter.com/sVIUzxrtdn

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) November 1, 2024

Department of Youth Affairs, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, confers the National Youth Awards (NYA) on individuals (aged between 15-29 years) and organizations for excellent work and contribution in different fields of development and social service such as health, promotion of human rights, active citizenship, community service etc.

The objective of the awards is to motivate young persons to achieve excellence in the field of national development and social service, to encourage young people to develop a sense of responsibility to the community and thus to improve their own personal potential as good citizens and to give recognition to the outstanding work done by voluntary organizations working with the youth for national development including social service.

Application for National Youth Award (2022-23) is being invited through common award portal of Ministry of Home Affairs from 1^st November to 15^th November, 2024. The link of the award portal is https://awards.gov.in/.

The award comprises of a medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000/- to individual and a cash prize of Rs. 3,00,000/- to organization respectively.

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Himanshu Pathak

(Release ID: 2070077) Visitor Counter : 44

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Defence successfully completes Special Campaign 4.0, achieving a 100% disposal rate of all identified targets through multiple initiatives
Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 1:02PM by PIB Delhi

The Department of Defence (DOD) achieved a 100% disposal rate of all identified targets which focused on productivity, environmental responsibility, and efficient space utilisation under the Special Campaign 4.0. The Campaign, unfolded over two phases—the preparation phase (September 15–30) and the implementation phase (October 02–31) targeted both cleanliness and efficiency in order to enhance workplace productivity.

DOD took the following steps during the campaign:
- Addressed Grievances and Streamlined Processes: 45 references from MPs/VIPs and 169 public grievances via CPGRAMS were resolved. Additionally, 10 processes were simplified.
- File Review and Disposal: Out of 45,870 reviewed files, 12,186 were successfully weeded out.
- Revenue Generation and Space Optimisation: The Department generated Rs 25.68 lakh through the disposal of obsolete equipment. This exercise also freed up 2.66 lakh square feet of space.
The Campaign included extensive people-centric engagement across 3,832 locations, involving various organisations under the DOD, such as: Controller General of Defence Accounts, Border Roads Organisation, Military Hospitals, Directorate General of National Cadet Corps, Indian Coast Guard, Sainik Schools, Canteen Stores Department, the Cantonments along with the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling.

DOD implemented several innovative practices in line with environmental responsibility with efforts to eradicate mosquito-breeding areas and set-up awareness workshops for waste segregation. Additionally, Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) were transformed into plantation sites, and composting facilities for dry leaves were set up in parks.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling spearheaded multiple projects, including:
- Sewage Treatment Plant – ‘Swachhata Se Samriddhi’: The plant, with a capacity to treat 1,000 litres of wastewater daily, recycles this water for flush systems within the institute, representing a yearly impact of 365,000 litres.
- Rainwater Harvesting Facility: With a capacity of 1.8 lakh litres, the rainwater facility reduces dependency on external water sources, supporting water conservation in stressed areas.
- Creative Waste Repurposing: HMI transformed damaged mountaineering gear into decorative pieces, blending sustainability with artistic expression.
In Sainik School Amaravatinagar, recycling bins made from repurposed barrels were re-painted with colourful designs and placed in prominent locations around the campus. This initiative led to significant reduction in litter around the school grounds.

In future, DOD plans to showcase these sustainable practices during the Good Governance Week 2024 to promote a message of environmental stewardship and innovation.

SR/KB

(Release ID: 2070065) Visitor Counter : 19

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Digital transformation of rural India for inclusive growth

Source: Government of India (2)

Digital transformation of rural India for inclusive growth

Empowering Rural India: 4,740 Digital India Common Service Centers to be set up for driving digital access and economic growth

DICSCs being established across India; Pilibhit and Gorakhpur leading the way as DICSC Project is set to be rolled out with nearly 2000 centers there

E-governance, financial, education and telemedicine services to be brought closer to villages by equipping them with High-Speed Internet and essential services

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 12:59PM by PIB Delhi

In a significant move to bridge the digital divide in rural India and ensure that digital services reach every citizen, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is launching the Digital India Common Service Center (DICSC) project, starting with Pilibhit and Gorakhpur. This initiative will establish one model DICSC center in nearly all gram panchayats across 10 districts, totaling 4,740 centers nationwide.

DICSC across India

Specifically, Pilibhit will see the establishment of 720 DICSC centers, while Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) will have 1,273 centers. Additional locations include Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (old Aurangabad, Maharashtra) with 870 centers, Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) with 309, Khammam (Telangana) with 589, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) with 288, Mamit (Mizoram) with 100, Jodhpur (Rajasthan) with 415, Leh (Ladakh) with 95, and Puducherry state with 81 DICSC centers. The implementation and centralized technical monitoring of these centers will be managed by CSC e-Governance Services India Limited.

With a budget of ₹3,160.88 lakh, the project is set to run initially for six months, with the possibility of extending it to nine months. The primary goal is to create an integrated platform that provides essential e-governance services along with financial and commercial services to rural citizens. The CSC centers in Pilibhit will offer a variety of services including Aadhaar registration, banking, financial planning, tele-law, telemedicine, education, and e-commerce support.

High speed internet to drive growth

Each CSC will be equipped with high-speed broadband connectivity and modern infrastructure to function as a multi-functional service center. This project aims to empower Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), fostering local economic growth and creating job opportunities. The initiative will also ensure transparent and sustainable service delivery through centralized technical monitoring.

Additionally, GPS-enabled mobile vans will be deployed to promote government schemes and deliver essential services directly to remote areas. This comprehensive approach is expected to significantly enhance digital literacy and improve access to services in both Pilibhit and Gorakhpur.

The DICSC project is set to transform these regions by providing critical digital services that empower local entrepreneurs and promote inclusive growth. By addressing the digital divide and enhancing access to essential services, this initiative aims to uplift the economic conditions of Pilibhit and Gorakhpur, integrating them into the broader digital economy.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Kshitij Singha

(Release ID: 2070062) Visitor Counter : 28

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh assumes the office of Defence Secretary

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 11:25AM by PIB Delhi

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh took over as Defence Secretary at South Block in New Delhi on November 01, 2024. He is a 1989-batch IAS officer from Kerala cadre, who had assumed the charge of the Officer on Special Duty (Defence Secretary-designate) on August 20, 2024.

Before taking charge, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh laid a wreath and paid homage to the fallen heroes at the National War Memorial, New Delhi. “The nation will remain forever indebted to our brave soldiers who make the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. Their extraordinary bravery and sacrifice is a source of strength & inspiration for us to make India a safe and prosperous nation,” he said.

Earlier, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh was holding the charge of Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry from April 24, 2023 to August 20, 2024. Prior to that, he held the post of Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.

The officer has held many other important positions in the Union Government as Director, Works and Urban Transport in the Ministry of Urban Development, Commissioner (Lands) – DDA, Joint Secretary – Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Joint Secretary – Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and Chief Vigilance Officer – Food Corporation of India. He has also held important positions in the State Government as Secretary, Urban Development and lately as Finance Secretary, Government of Kerala.

Shri RK Singh succeeds Shri Giridhar Aramane, a 1988-batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, who superannuated from service on October 31, 2024.

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SR/Savvy

(Release ID: 2069996) Visitor Counter : 76

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January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has released the Operational Guidelines of Central Sector Scheme “NAMO DRONE DIDI”

Source: Government of India (2)

Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has released the Operational Guidelines of Central Sector Scheme “NAMO DRONE DIDI”

Government has approved the Central Sector Scheme ‘Namo Drone Didi’ for providing Drones to the Women Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM, with an outlay of Rs. 1261 Crores

The scheme aims to provide drones to 14500 selected Women SHGs during the period from 2024-25 to 2025-2026 for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purpose

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 12:04PM by PIB Delhi

The Government has approved the Central Sector Scheme ‘Namo Drone Didi’ for providing Drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM, with an outlay of Rs. 1261 Crores. The scheme aims to provide drones to 14500 selected Women SHGs during the period from 2024-25 to 2025-2026 for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purpose (application of liquid fertilizers and pesticides for the present). The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has released the Operational Guidelines this scheme and all the stakeholders have been requested to make meaningful use of these operational guidelines to ensure prompt roll out and implementation of the ‘Namo Drone Didi’ Scheme. The major components of the operational guidelines are as under:

The Scheme will be governed at the Central level by the Empowered Committee of the Secretaries of Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Department of Rural Development, Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The Implementation and Monitoring Committee headed by the Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Development and having representation from all other stakeholders will be responsible for effective planning, implementation and monitoring of the scheme and it will provide overall advice and guidance to all technical matters related to the implementation of the scheme.

Under the scheme, a Central Financial Assistance @ 80% of the cost of drone and accessories/ancillary charges up to a maximum of ₹ 8.0 lakhs will be provided to the women SHGs for purchase of drones as a package.

The Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) of SHGs/SHGs may raise the balance amount (total cost of procurement minus subsidy) as loan under National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility (AIF). Interest subvention @ 3% on the AIF loan will be provided to the CLFs/SHGs.

The CLFs/SHGs shall also have the option to access loans from other sources/programmes/schemes of Ministry of Rural Development.

Under the scheme, not only the drones but, drones as a package will be supplied. The package will consists of basic drone with spray assembly for spraying liquid fertilizers and pesticides, Drone carrying box, standard battery set, downward facing camera, dualchannel fast battery charger, battery charger hub, anemometer, pH meter and 1 year onsite warranty on all items.

The package also includes 04 spare battery sets, one spare propeller set (each set contains 6 propellers), nozzle set, dual channel fast battery charger, battery charger hub, 15 days training for drone pilot and drone assistant, one year comprehensive insurance, 2 years annual maintenance contract and applicable GST. The additional sets of batteries will ensure continuous drone flying which can easily cover 20 acres in a day.

One of the members of the women SHGs will be selected for 15 day training comprising of mandatory drone pilot training and additional training for agriculture purpose for nutrient and pesticide application. The other member/ family member of the SHG with inclination to take up repairs of electrical goods, fitting and mechanical works will be trained as drone assistant. The drone manufacturers shall provide these trainings as a package along with the supply of drones as per the training schedule indicated in the Operational Guidelines.

The Lead Fertilizer Companies (LFCs) responsible for the States will be the implementing agencies of the scheme at the State level and they will establish necessary coordination with the State Departments, Drone manufacturers, Cluster Level Federations of SHGs/SHGs and the farmers/beneficiaries etc. The drones will be procured by the LFCs through a fair and transparent process and the ownership of drones will be placed with the CLF of SHGs or SHGs.

Implementation of the scheme hinges on rightful selection of the area/cluster and SHG group where there is demand for drone to provide agriculture services. As the introduction of drones in agriculture is at nascent stage, the States will closely monitor the interventions, provide handholding support to the women SHGs and help them in getting the business to cover an area of at least 2000 to 2500 acres in a year. The State Departments of Agriculture & State Mission Directors of DAYNRLM will have a very strong convergence and they will take the ownership of the scheme for its successful implementation at the ground level with the help of State Level Committee.

Effective monitoring of the scheme will be through an IT based Management Information System (MIS) i.e. Drone Portal which will act as endto-end software for service delivery and monitoring, funds flow and disbursement of funds. The portal will also track operations of each drone and provide live information on drone usage.

It is envisaged that the initiatives under the scheme will provide sustainable business and livelihood support to SHGs and they would be able to earn additional income for them. The scheme will help in infusing advance technology in agriculture for improved efficiency, enhanced crop yield and reduced cost of operation for the benefit of farmers.

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SS

(Release ID: 2070029) Visitor Counter : 5

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Robust Growth in Production of Key Minerals and non-ferrous Metals in the First Half of FY 2024-25

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 11:32AM by PIB Delhi

Production of some key minerals in the country has continued to witness strong growth during FY 2024-25, after reaching record production levels in FY 2023-24. Iron ore account for about 70% of the total MCDR mineral production by value. Production of iron ore was 274 million metric tonne (MMT) in FY 2023-24.

As per provisional data, production of iron ore has increased from 128 MMT in FY 2023-24 (April-September) to 135 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-September), showing a healthy 5.5% growth. Production of manganese ore has risen by 6.2% to 1.7 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-September) from 1.6 MMT during the corresponding period of previous year.

In the non-ferrous metal sector, primary aluminium production in FY 2024-25 (April-September) posted a growth of 1.2% over the corresponding period last year, increasing to 20.90 lakh ton (LT) in FY 2024-25 (April-September) from 20.66 LT in FY 2023-24 (April-September). During the same comparative period, refined copper production has grown by 4.6% from 2.39 LT to 2.50 LT.

India is the 2^nd largest aluminium producer, among top-10 producer in refined copper and 4^th largest iron ore producer in the world. Continued growth in production of iron ore in the current financial year reflects the robust demand conditions in the user industry viz. steel. Coupled with growth in aluminium and copper, these growth trends point towards continued strong economic activity in user sectors such as energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive and machinery.

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ST

(Release ID: 2069999) Visitor Counter : 22

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January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister condoles passing away of Indian Economist and Chairman of Economic Advisory Council Dr. Bibek Debroy

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 11:09AM by PIB Delhi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the passing away of Indian Economist and Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Dr. Bibek Debroy.

The Prime Minister posted on X:

“Dr. Bibek Debroy Ji was a towering scholar, well-versed in diverse domains like economics, history, culture, politics, spirituality and more. Through his works, he left an indelible mark on India’s intellectual landscape. Beyond his contributions to public policy, he enjoyed working on our ancient texts, making them accessible to the youth.”

Dr. Bibek Debroy Ji was a towering scholar, well-versed in diverse domains like economics, history, culture, politics, spirituality and more. Through his works, he left an indelible mark on India’s intellectual landscape. Beyond his contributions to public policy, he enjoyed… pic.twitter.com/E3DETgajLr

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2024

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MJPS/TS

(Release ID: 2069978) Visitor Counter : 72

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Shri Piyush Goyal concludes successful visit to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, strengthening India-Saudi Arabia economic ties at the 8th Edition of Future Investment Initiative

Source: Government of India (2)

Shri Piyush Goyal concludes successful visit to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, strengthening India-Saudi Arabia economic ties at the 8th Edition of Future Investment Initiative

Shri Piyush Goyal co-chaired the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the Economy and Investment Committee under the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) along with Minister of Energy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 11:07AM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, successfully concluded his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the visit, Shri Piyush Goyal participated in the Plenary Session of the 8th Edition of Future Investment Initiative (FII), with representatives from global Governments and the industry. He highlighted the critical role of international partnerships and economic diplomacy in fostering global cooperation, innovation, technological advancement, and investment. He urged global investors to seize emerging opportunities in India, particularly in high-growth sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.

Shri Piyush Goyal also co-chaired the 2^nd Ministerial Meeting of the Economy and Investment Committee under the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) along with Minister of Energy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud on 30^th October 2024 in Riyadh. The Strategic Partnership Council was established in 2019, following the visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in October 2019.

The Committee reviewed the progress achieved by the four Joint Working Groups: Agriculture and Food Security; Energy; Technology and Information Technology; and Industry and Infrastructure. They noted the deepening of bilateral economic partnership between India and Saudi Arabia and deliberated on ways to enhance trade and investment.

The Minister held fruitful ministerial engagements in Riyadh, including with the Minister of Energy, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Minister of Investment. These engagements focused on collaborative initiatives in trade, energy, and technology. These discussions culminated in a series of actionable agreements, aimed at enhancing trade volumes and facilitating a smooth flow of investments between the two countries. The agreements emphasise cooperation in energy transition, digital transformation, and the exchange of expertise to accelerate economic growth.

Shri Piyush Goyal also met with Mr. Peter Herweck, CEO of Schneider Electric and Mr. William E. Ford, Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic, to discuss India’s economic landscape and investment opportunities across sectors.

In recent years, many bilateral agreements have been formalised between India and Saudi Arabia, covering sectors such as food exports, pharmaceuticals, electrical interconnectivity, energy, small and medium enterprises, digitization and electronic manufacturing. Both countries are also exploring collaboration in emerging fields like fintech, new technologies, energy efficiency, clean hydrogen, textiles, mining, etc. The Committee Meeting reviewed these developments and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation across various areas of shared interest.

Later in the day, Minister Shri Piyush Goyal interacted with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) chapter in Saudi Arabia and emphasized the role of chartered accountants in supporting India’s expanding global trade network. Discussions highlighted ICAI’s efforts to promote Indian standards globally, including initiatives to upskill professionals and bolster India’s position in global financial services.

The Minister launched the Lulu Wali Diwali Festival at the Lulu Hypermarket by lighting a Big Diya made with LED, furthering India-Saudi cultural and economic ties. The Diwali Utsav, organised in partnership with Lulu Hypermarket, brings the festive spirit of India’s Festival of Lights to Saudi Arabia, showcasing an array of Indian products, from festive decor and traditional foods to handicrafts. The launch was followed by unveiling of a giant product wall comprising 10,000+ Indian products including Ghee from Uttarakhand, Ladakh Apple, Indian Cavendish banana, Dragon Fruit from Maharashtra, new range of Millets based breakfast cereals, and Qaadu Organic beauty products.

At the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, the Minister unveiled the One District, One Product (ODOP) Wall, featuring unique products from various districts across India. The ODOP initiative, part of the Government of India’s “Vocal for Local” campaign, aims to promote regional craftsmanship by showcasing the rich cultural heritage of India through distinctive, high-quality products.

This visit marks a significant milestone in strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It underscores both nations’ commitment to deepening economic ties and addressing global challenges through collaborative efforts. The outcomes of the discussions are expected to unlock new avenues for investment and trade, driving economic growth and innovation in both countries.

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AD/CNAN

(Release ID: 2069975) Visitor Counter : 81

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January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN ARMY SPECIAL FORCES CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR INDONESIA FOR JOINT EXERCISE ‘GARUD SHAKTI’

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 10:47AM by PIB Delhi

The Indian Army contingent comprising 25 personnel departed for Cijantung, Jakarta, Indonesia to take part in the 9^thedition of India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise GARUD SHAKTI 24. The Exercise will be conducted from 1^stto 12^thof November 2024.

The Indian contingent is being represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and Indonesian contingent comprising 40 personnel is being represented by Indonesian Special Forces Kopassus.

The aim of Exercise GARUD SHAKTI 24 is to acquaint both the sides with each other’s operating procedures, enhance mutual understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the Special Forces of both armies. The Exercise is designed to develop bilateral military cooperation and strengthen bond between two armies through conduct of discussions and rehearsal of tactical military drills.

The Exercise will involve planning and execution of special operations, orientation to advance special forces skills, sharing of information on weapon, equipment, innovations, tactics, techniques & procedures. Joint Exercise GARUD SHAKTI 24 will also involve jointly practicing Special Forces Operations in Jungle terrain, strikes on terrorist camps and a Validation Exercise integrating basic and advance special forces skills apart from gaining an insight into the lifestyle and culture of both countries to foster military cooperation.

The Exercise will provide an opportunity to both the contingents to strengthen their bond and share best practices. It will also act as a platform to achieve shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations between two friendly nations.

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(Release ID: 2069969) Visitor Counter : 17

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister condoles passing away of Jammu & Kashmir MLA, Shri Devender Singh Rana

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 9:14AM by PIB Delhi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the passing away of Jammu & Kashmir MLA, Shri Devender Singh Rana.

The Prime Minister posted on X:

“Shri Devender Singh Rana Ji’s untimely demise is shocking. He was a veteran leader, who worked diligently towards Jammu and Kashmir’s progress. He had just won the Assembly polls and had also played a noteworthy role in making the BJP stronger in J&K. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with his family and supporters. Om Shanti.”

Shri Devender Singh Rana Ji’s untimely demise is shocking. He was a veteran leader, who worked diligently towards Jammu and Kashmir’s progress. He had just won the Assembly polls and had also played a noteworthy role in making the BJP stronger in J&K. In this hour of grief, my… pic.twitter.com/ohmAFJ8UJl

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2024

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MJPS/TS

(Release ID: 2069954) Visitor Counter : 54

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister meets President to convey Diwali greetings

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 31 OCT 2024 10:46PM by PIB Delhi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has met President Smt Droupadi Murmu and conveyed Diwali greetings.

The Prime Minister’s Office posted on X:

“PM Narendra Modi met President Droupadi Murmu and conveyed Diwali greetings.”

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MJPS/TS

(Release ID: 2069938) Visitor Counter : 42

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister meets Vice President to convey Diwali greetings

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 31 OCT 2024 10:45PM by PIB Delhi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has met Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankar and conveyed Diwali greetings.

The Prime Minister’s Office posted on X:

“PM Narendra Modi met Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji and conveyed wishes on Diwali.

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MJPS/TS

(Release ID: 2069937) Visitor Counter : 9

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity This Native American Heritage Month

Source: USAID

Ada Deer was just four years old when she attended the first general council meetings for her tribe, the Menominee Nation, which has been rooted in the Great Lakes region for more than 10,000 years. She was committed from her earliest years to advocating for her people, but when she was a young woman, in 1961, the Federal Government terminated the Menominee Nation’s recognition, halting all federal services to the tribe and placing all tribal property and assets in the hands of a private corporation. This resulted in a drastic decline in employment and the decimation of basic services, including health care, for the Menominee people, as the reservation hospital closed due to lack of funding.

Inspired by the civil rights movements happening around the country, Deer helped to form a new group demanding that the U.S. government recognize the rights of her tribe. The group mobilized in opposition to federal policies, especially those related to land sales, and argued for restoring the Menominee Nation’s legal right to exist. Their efforts ultimately resulted in President Nixon signing legislation in 1973, restoring federal recognition to the Menominee Tribe. That year, when asked about her advocacy in an interview, Deer said, “Mainly, I want to show people who say nothing can be done in this society that it just isn’t so. You don’t have to collapse just because there’s federal law in your way. Change it!”

Ada Deer went on to become the first woman to chair the Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin, and then the first woman to serve as the Assistant Secretary For Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. During her confirmation hearing before Congress, Deer recounted, “At Menominee, we collectively discovered the kind of determination that human beings only find in times of impending destruction… Against all odds, we invented a new policy, restoration.” While in office, she helped set federal policy for more than 550 federally recognized tribes, guided by this policy of restoration.

Each November at USAID, we recognize Native American Heritage Month. This month is a time to celebrate the rich culture and the vast contributions of Native American and Indigenous persons like Deer, who have helped push to make our nation’s core values of liberty and justice for all a lived reality, for their own communities, and for others in the United States and beyond.

These values are core to what we do at USAID as well. We are working across our teams to create more pathways for people from Indigenous communities, at home and abroad, to work with USAID. The Office of Civil Rights is continuing its work to break down barriers to employment for Indigenous Peoples. And USAID’s Policy on Promoting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (PRO-IP) promotes thoughtful and direct engagement with Indigenous Peoples throughout our programming.

This Native American Heritage Month, USAID proudly celebrates the remarkable resilience, courage, and contributions of Native cultures, present and past, in this country.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Department of Labor completed impact inspections at 8 mines in 7 states with histories of repeated health, safety violations in September 2024
Source: US Department of Labor

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections in September 2024 at eight mines in Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin and issued 112 violations.

The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries and illnesses; and other compliance concerns. Of the 112 violations MSHA identified in September 2024, 24 were evaluated by inspectors as significant and substantial. The agency began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 miners.

Since 2023, MSHA’s impact inspections have identified 4,679 violations, including 1,285 significant and substantial and 87 unwarrantable failure findings. An S&S violation is one that is reasonably likely to cause a reasonably serious injury or illness. Violations designated as unwarrantable failures occur when an inspector finds aggravated conduct that constitutes more than ordinary negligence.

“September 2024 impact inspections identified hazards such as lack of personal protective equipment and inadequate machine guarding. These important protections keep miners safe and prevent serious accidents,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “The Biden-Harris administration continues to demonstrate that impact inspections remain an important tool to hold operators accountable and eliminate hazards that put miners’ safety and health at risk.”

North Indianapolis Quarry & Mill, a crushed and broken limestone mine in Hamilton County, Indiana, operated by Martin Marietta Materials Inc., was one of the eight mines selected for an impact inspection given previous safety concerns and its history of violations. On Sept. 12, 2024, MSHA personnel identified 42 violations of mandatory safety and health standards, 14 of which were designated S&S, and one 107(a) imminent danger order at the mine. Inspectors issue imminent danger orders to remove miners immediately when hazards present the imminent likelihood of a serious accident.

Specifically, inspectors found the following conditions:
- MSHA issued an imminent danger order after finding a miner standing on an elevated deck without fall protection, a condition that exposed the miner to the danger of a fall of about 23 feet to the ground below. Falls from heights are the cause of many serious and fatal mining accidents.
- Serious housekeeping issues found throughout the mine. Accumulations of materials in work areas contributed to unsafe conditions that could lead to slips, trips and falls – the most common issue found during the inspection – that accounted for 13 violations.
- Violations for not ensuring safe access to work areas, including one S&S finding. The mine operator failed to maintain safe travel ways, exposing miners to slip and trip hazards in several locations. Inadequate maintenance of access routes increases the potential for accidents during routine operations.
- Three citations for improper examinations of working places. Inadequate examinations prevented hazardous conditions from being identified, corrected and recorded, which exposed miners to hazards. MSHA’s examination standard requires the mine operator to notify miners promptly of any violation not promptly corrected. Adequate examinations are essential for preventing accidents and ensuring safe working environments.
- Three citations for inadequate guarding, including two evaluated as S&S. Inspectors observed guards failing to protect miners from contact with the tail pulley of one belt conveyor and a head pulley of another belt conveyor. MSHA issued one non-S&S violation for an opening in the guard of a tail pulley on a third belt conveyor. These violations exposed miners to entanglement with moving machine parts.
These findings indicate a range of systemic safety failures that exposed miners to unnecessary safety hazards. The high rate of S&S violations, combined with repeated failures to comply with safety standards, underscores the need for the mine operator to improve its safety culture and compliance with MSHA standards.

View September 2024 MSHA monthly impact inspections results and previous impact inspections.

Learn more about MSHA.

MIL OSI USA News –
January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDIA – Resignation and succession of metropolitan archbishop of Bombay

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Saturday, 25 January 2025

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Bombay, India, presented by His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracias.He is succeeded by Archbishop John Rodrigues, until now coadjutor archbishop of the same See.His Exc. Msgr. John Rodrigues was born on 21 August 1967 in Mumbai. He obtained a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome (2000-2002). He was ordained a priest on 18 April 1998 for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bombay.He has held the following positions: Deputy Parish Priest of St. Michael in Mahim (1998-1999); Secretary to the Cardinal Metropolitan Archbishop of Bombay (1999-2000); Professor of Dogmatic Theology (2002-2013) and Dean of Studies (2011-2013) at St. Pius X College in Goregaon.Appointed Titular Bishop of Deulto and Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay on 15 May 2013, he received episcopal consecration on 29 June. He was transferred to the Diocese of Poona on 25 March 2023. (Agenzia Fides 25/1/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Tariffs are back in the spotlight, but skepticism of free trade has deep roots in American history

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Erik Guzik, Assistant Clinical Professor of Management, University of Montana

Noted economic nationalist Alexander Hamilton. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

One of the more surprising developments in recent American politics has been the backlash against free trade.

As recently as a decade ago, Democrats and Republicans alike generally favored free trade. But with the 2024 presidential election just days away, both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are leaning hard on protectionism. The Trump campaign in particular is promoting tariffs that would be difficult to imagine coming from a Republican presidential candidate just a decade ago.

This new post-neoliberal moment might seem confounding. But it hearkens back to economic policies – and political parties – from around the time of the nation’s founding, and it offers clues to our divided present.

Back in the late 18th century, the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton helped put in place a set of policies designed to encourage U.S. industry and to promote economic development and innovation.

That arrangement, which laid the groundwork for what became known as the “American System,” emerged in part as a counterbalance to British conceptions of free trade. And the American System quickly grew as accepted economic policy as a young America developed its industrial strength.

Hamilton’s economic nationalism

In the early years of the republic, the U.S. didn’t have much of a trade policy at all.

When the U.S. officially achieved independence in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the Articles of Confederation – the nation’s first constitution – greatly limited the federal government’s powers, including its ability to regulate foreign trade.

These restrictions reflected the reality of 13 very different states that had been more united against the British – and their trade controls – than in support of a common vision of economic development.

The economic conditions within this loosely connected nation quickly worsened. A deepening economic crisis, rising debt, inflation, cheap British manufactured goods and rising bankruptcy soon emerged. Such changing conditions gave rise to calls for a new national economic policy.

This economic strain was an important factor leading to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1789. The Constitution gave the federal government the capacity to regulate trade with foreign countries and, for the first time, to collect taxes. Both were privileges once held exclusively by sovereign American states.

The ‘second American revolution’

A strengthened American Congress made passing a national Tariff Act one of its first tasks. When it was ratified in 1789, a national import tax replaced customs previously enacted by the states. Perhaps indicating the magnitude of this change, supporters called it “the Second American Revolution,” passed as it was on July 4, 1789. In effect, it helped create a new conception of the American political and economic system, with a much stronger role for the state in economic matters.

Duties were levied on 30 commodities, including hemp and textiles. Perhaps foreshadowing trade policy of a future era, the Tariff Act also placed duties of 12.5% on goods imported from China and India.

The main architect of this new industrial policy was Hamilton, who released his seminal work on economic policy, Report on Manufactures, in 1791. Hamilton’s ideas were based on transforming a predominantly agricultural nation into one defined, at least in part, by growing and diversified industry.

Though often overlooked, Hamilton’s Report on Manufactures also contained a grander vision – it sought to encourage the development of American invention and ingenuity as a form of economic policy and argued for unlocking “the genius of the people” so that “the wealth of a nation may be promoted.”

To promote this spirit of national enterprise, Hamilton encouraged promoting technological progress, subsidizing research, attracting migrants, supporting a new financial system and implementing a patent system to promote invention. Such policies were in many ways an extension of previous policy enshrined in Section 8 of the Constitution.

Tariffs and their discontents

As the use of tariffs continued in the decades following Hamilton’s plan, policymakers turned increasingly protective in an attempt to more directly promote American industry. They enacted tariffs to insulate growing American industries from foreign competition, primarily from the U.K.

By the early 19th century, this growing protectionist movement coalesced around the powerful Kentucky legislator Henry Clay and his Whig Party. Clay, who first referred to the American System by name, and his allies were instrumental in raising average national tariff rates to 20% in 1816.

Those sweetmeats will cost you.
Library of Congress

When crisis appeared during the Panic of 1819, a collapse in cotton prices, a tightening of credit, widespread foreclosures and rising unemployment followed. In response, Clay and his allies raised tariff rates again, to 50% in 1828.

The increasing use of tariffs provoked a fierce response from some in the nation’s agricultural and slave-owning class, who objected to perceived Northern dominance and a strong federal government. One prominent Southern critic at the time referred to the 1828 tariff as the “tariff of abominations.”

Indeed, opposition to elements of the American System was one of the chief policy goals of early Democratic politicians such as Andrew Jackson, and fights over the system presaged later sectional fights leading up to the Civil War.

As an industrial revolution took root in American society in the decades that followed, tariffs remained a cornerstone of U.S. economic policy. By the late 1850s, tariffs had become integrated into the policy of the newly formed Republican Party and an important plank of Abraham Lincoln’s economic platform.

Toward the end of the 19th century, a changing Democratic Party, supported increasingly by a strong agricultural populist movement, continued to largely oppose the tariff system, arguing it benefited powerful industrialists at the expense of the working class while offering little to counter economic crisis.

The breakup of the American System − and why it matters today

Between 1861 and 1933, tariffs were a standard tool of U.S. economic policy. During this period, tariffs on dutiable goods often averaged 40% to 50%, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. U.S. policymakers didn’t seriously question tariffs as a form of industrial policy until the deepening of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Following World War II, the U.S. decisively shifted away from tariffs. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act was widely blamed for deepening the Great Depression and contributing to the international conflicts of the 1930s and 1940s, effectively ending the protectionist era of U.S. industrial history.

The establishment of the Federal Reserve in 1913 provided policymakers with a novel tool – monetary policy – to deal with economic downturns. The Keynesian revolution provided still another policy response for governments to consider during periods of economic crisis: spending as fiscal stimulus to create jobs and income.

Finally, as postwar American policy embraced open global trade, American economic policy pursued more direct mechanisms to foster national innovation and entrepreneurship – effectively breaking up policy once dependent on activist trade intervention. With the elimination of tariffs, one of the great periods of American economic growth and innovation followed.

In 2024, the Republican platform has, in many ways, returned to its origins by offering tariffs as a key economic strategy. Likewise, the Democratic platform, with its skepticism of concentrated corporate power, coupled with a renewed focus on financial support for small businesses and entrepreneurship, echoes its own earlier generation.

As Americans head to the polls, it’s worth asking how current economic proposals with deep roots in the American System of old might help shape economic policy in the future.

Erik Guzik does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Tariffs are back in the spotlight, but skepticism of free trade has deep roots in American history – https://theconversation.com/tariffs-are-back-in-the-spotlight-but-skepticism-of-free-trade-has-deep-roots-in-american-history-241311

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Rust Belt voters aren’t all white, but election coverage of the region often ignores the concerns of people of color there

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christabel Devadoss, Assistant Professor in Global Studies and Human Geography, Middle Tennessee State University

Wisconsin voters lining up to cast their ballots in the 2022 midterm election, Oct. 25, 2022, in Milwaukee. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Every four years, national media turn their attention to the Rust Belt, a term that describes Midwestern industrial and manufacturing states whose economies were decimated by the decline of those industries in the 1970s. This region contains the coveted states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Many rural parts of these states have a majority of white residents. The broader Rust Belt, however, also has long and important Black and Indigenous histories and contains some of the nation’s fastest-growing minority populations – in particular Latino, Arab and Asian communities.

Yet when reporters descend on the rural Rust Belt to understand voters, the people they talk to are almost exclusively white.

I am a geographer who studies the experiences of communities of color in the rural Rust Belt. Rural is a relative term, but when it comes to policy research, it usually refers to nonmetropolitan areas. From 2021 to 2023, I interviewed 35 people who live or lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana and identified as Black, Indigenous or people of color.

I found that these Rust Belt residents have pressing concerns of political importance. Some of these issues are shared by white residents – and, as such, are well documented. But Rust Belt residents of color have additional problems that politicians and the media have long overlooked.

Local impacts

My interviewees described typical rural Rust Belt struggles.

They complained of limited internet access, few or no grocery stores, declining roads and other infrastructure-related challenges. Jobs and opportunities for career advancement were scarce in their communities, while death and suicide rates were high.

These difficulties are faced by white Rust Belt residents as well. But other struggles they mentioned are less often considered part of the rural experience.

They described feeling socially isolated and discriminated against at work and school. Many had experienced racial or ethnic profiling by potential employers and police and been verbally harassed.

One man, Miguel, who worked in carpentry, said his colleagues openly used racial slurs against him.

“I was putting away some boxes, and they said, ‘Oh that’s because you w–backs are good at packing things in trucks,’” he told me.

All names used here are pseudonyms; research ethics require me to protect the identity of my subjects.

“A lot gets brushed under the rug,” said Bao, a Vietnamese American woman whose father also works in a hostile environment. “All the management folks are white,” so “if you speak up, you lose your job or are ignored.”

These comments conveyed an overall sense of not “belonging.”

As one woman from rural Pennsylvania explained, people regularly ask her, “No, really, where you from?”

“They want to hear ‘Asian’ or ‘Korean,’” she said. “It’s very uncomfortable for me.”

These racial tensions worsen during election periods. Some people I interviewed reported having been turned away or threatened at voting stations – harassment they attributed to their religious, cultural and political backgrounds, or the way they looked.

Many Rust Belt voters of color already lack political power because they live in racially gerrymandered districts. When news coverage of the region ignores their voices, too, it compounds that feeling of not belonging.

In 2017, The Washington Post visited the small town of Jefferson, Ohio, in Ashtabula County, to interview voters described as “rural Americans who fear they’re being forgotten” after Donald Trump’s election. Their coverage focused almost exclusively on white residents.

“How did you go to Ashtabula County and not see Black people?” asked Belle, a resident who identified as African American.

Not always Republican

In the past three presidential elections, Ashtabula County has followed state trends: It backed Obama in 2008 and 2012, then voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Trump won Ashtabula with 60% of the vote in 2020. That’s 26,890 votes, which means that 16,497 people still voted for Democrat Joe Biden. In the years since, Ashtabula County residents have also voted with the state in two Democratic-backed initiatives: to protect abortion rights and legalize marijuana.

In other words, just because a state or district backs a Republican for president doesn’t mean everyone is Republican, or that Republican voters always vote the party line. They can split their votes, and have.

Even Ohio’s largely Republican delegation in the House of Representatives is misleading about the state’s political makeup. Ohio is a heavily gerrymandered state where voting districts have been drawn to benefit Republican candidates.

U.S. Senate elections show more diversity in Ohio’s voting base.

In 2018, Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown won 53% of all votes in Ohio, including 51% of those cast in Ashtabula County. Four years later, both the state and Ashtabula County picked Republican JD Vance over Democrat Tim Ryan to replace the outgoing Republican Sen. Rob Portman.

Why it matters

In September 2024, Vance – now Trump’s vice presidential running mate – claimed that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were kidnapping and eating cats and dogs. After Trump echoed that false claim on the debate stage, the city got 30-plus bomb threats and other threats of violence, and had to close multiple schools.

During the pandemic, Trump’s derogatory branding of COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and “Kung Flu” led to increased hate crimes against immigrants and people of color.

In my interviews, several participants mentioned how local restaurants and stores owned by Asian Americans had been vandalized. One woman, Lanh, who lived outside Springfield, said her favorite restaurant had to close.

“They started vandalizing the restaurant, writing graffiti and set the restaurant on fire,” she said.

The owners were from Thailand, but, Lanh said, the vandals “thought they were Chinese. Folks around the local community like my parents didn’t feel safe,” she added. “I didn’t feel safe.”

Hateful political rhetoric is known to increase hate crimes against immigrants and people of color.

When the Rust Belt is stereotyped as red and white, such experiences go unheard.

So do some good news stories.

The emergence of Black-owned bee farms in northeast Ohio, for instance, is one small example in a host of businesses started by people of color. Together, they are helping to boost the region’s beleaguered economy, much as Haitian immigrants have been fueling Springfield’s growth.

Rural America is nuanced

Nationwide, 24% of rural Americans identified as people of color in the 2020 census.

That figure is probably low because the census tends to undercount nonwhite respondents – a problem that was particularly evident in 2020. Even so, that’s a quarter of rural residents who don’t fit the national stereotype of rural America.

Rural America is white and Republican. It’s also trans, queer, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, South Asian, Democratic and much more. Even if some are Republican, they still aren’t the rural Rust Belt Republicans portrayed in the national media.

Ignoring these nuances reinforces stereotypes that the rural Rust Belt is the exclusive domain of white conservativism. But this region isn’t now, and never has been, simply red and white.

Christabel Devadoss received funding from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS).

– ref. Rust Belt voters aren’t all white, but election coverage of the region often ignores the concerns of people of color there – https://theconversation.com/rust-belt-voters-arent-all-white-but-election-coverage-of-the-region-often-ignores-the-concerns-of-people-of-color-there-224466

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025

Before	After

Category: India

ENDS

Notes to Editors

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Updates to this page

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Urges Youth to Apply for National Youth Award (2022-23)Applications for National Youth Award (2022-23) Open from November 1 to 15, 2024

Digital transformation of rural India for inclusive growthEmpowering Rural India: 4,740 Digital India Common Service Centers to be set up for driving digital access and economic growth

Hamilton’s economic nationalism

The ‘second American revolution’

Tariffs and their discontents

The breakup of the American System − and why it matters today

Local impacts

Not always Republican

Why it matters

Rural America is nuanced

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Urges Youth to Apply for National Youth Award (2022-23)

Applications for National Youth Award (2022-23) Open from November 1 to 15, 2024

Digital transformation of rural India for inclusive growth

Empowering Rural India: 4,740 Digital India Common Service Centers to be set up for driving digital access and economic growth