Curtain Raiser – HADR Exercise TIGER TRIUMPH to Commence at Visakhapatnam
In consonance with the growing partnership between India and the US, the maiden India US joint Tri services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise named ‘TIGER TRIUMPH’ is scheduled on the Eastern seaboard.
Indian Naval ships Jalashwa, Airavat and Sandhayak, Indian Army troops from 19 Madras and 7 Guards, and Indian Air Force MI-17 helicopters and Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) would be participating in the exercise.
The US would be represented by US Navy Ship Germantown with troops from US Third Marine Division. The Exercise is aimed to developing interoperability for conducting HADR operations.
The Harbour Phase is scheduled at Visakhapatnam from 13 to 16 Nov 19. The Opening Ceremony along with a Joint Flag Parade and Media Interaction will be held onboard INS Jalashwa.
Personnel from both navies would also participate in Training Visits, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, Sports Events and social interactions.
On completion of the Harbour Phase, the ships, with troops embarked, would sail for the Sea Phase and undertake Maritime, Amphibious and HADR operations.
On reaching the HADR area at Kakinada, the landing of Relief Forces would be undertaken to the Exercise scenario.
At the HADR Exercise Area, a Joint Command and Control Centre, would be established jointly by the Indian Army and US Marines.
The IAFRAMT and the US Navy Medical Team would establish a Medical Facility Camp for providing medical aid to victims, who would have been previously evacuated by road and air to the Camp. The Exercise would culminate with a Closing Ceremony on board US Naval Ship Germantown.
Department of Rural Development decides to institutionalize social audits in major schemes; To hold National Seminar on Social Audit of RD Programmes to assess current status & develop roll-out plan
The Department of Rural Development has decided to institutionalize the social audits in major schemes of Rural Development, starting with NSAP and PMAY-G as a beginning is made in these two schemes by preparing the Guidelines.
In this backdrop, a two-day ‘National Seminar on Social Audit of Rural Development Programmes’ is being organised at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi 2019 jointly by the Department of Rural Development and National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, with an objective to understand the current status of social audits and Social Audit Units and develop plan for roll out of social audit in other programmes.
The Seminar will take stock of the current status of Social Audits and SAUs in terms of independency, funds, issues identified, actions taken etc. and will provide a platform for SAUs to share their experiences of conducting social audit. Models and best practices in social audit from across States in India and also from other countries will be showcased.
Participants will also develop an action plan for strengthening SAUs and roll out of social audit in other rural development programmes especially National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).
Social Audit is recognized by many, including the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), as a powerful tool to enforce transparency and accountability. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was the first Act to mandate Social Audits by the Gram Sabha of all the projects taken up in the Gram Panchayat. According to Section 17 of the MGNREGA, 2005:
‘The Gram Sabha shall conduct regular social audits of all the projects under the scheme taken up within the Gram Panchayat’. MGNREGA Audit of Schemes Rules was passed by the Central Government, in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) in 2011.
In addition to MGNREGA, few States have taken up social audit of other schemes as well. Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) audits are done in Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and West Bengal.
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) audits are done in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Meghalaya Legislature has enacted ‘The Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017’ which mandates social audit in 26 different schemes in Education, Health, Rural Development and other areas.
Eight States have taken up Social Audit of 11 different schemes including Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meals (MDM).
Indo-Uzbekistan Joint Field Training exercise (FTX)-2019 Exercise Dustlik-2019
The inaugural Indo-Uzbekistan Joint Field Training Exercise (FTX)-2019, Exercise DUSTLIK-2019 culminated on 13 November 2019 after 10 days of joint training with Uzbekistan Army.
In the joint exercise which began on 04 November 2019 training was focused on counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations in urban scenario as well as sharing of expertise on skills at arms, both combat shooting and experiences in counter insurgency and counter terrorism. The exercise also provided an opportunity to armies of all nations for greater cultural understanding, sharing experiences and strengthening mutual trust and cooperation.
After intense military training, the joint exercise concluded with both Armies exhibiting their combat power and dominance over the extremist groups. The closing ceremony showcased the immense talent with unique traditional touch of both nations. It was conducted at Chirchiq Training Area, Uzbekistan. The senior officials expressed great satisfaction with high standards achieved in the exercise.
The bonhomie, spirit de corps and goodwill generated during the exercise will go a long way in future strengthening the bonds between our armed forces enabling us in understanding each other’s organisation and methodology of conducting various operations.
Finance Minister says Farmers’ concerns and rural development is top priority at 6th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance
FM asks NABARD to focus on J&K and Ladakh for optimum farm produce and solar energy utilisation
The Government of India’s top priority is to put the farmers’ concerns and rural development on a larger landscape, said Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, while speaking at the inauguration of the 6th World Congress on Rural and Agriculture Finance jointly organised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Asia – Pacific Rural Agricultural and Credit Association (APRACA).
The Finance Minister said that the Government is looking at acknowledging huge dependence on rural life and agriculture and further emphasised on the immediate need for taking up water management and water-related stress points. Finance Minister said that there is a need for the farmers contributing in solar energy generation, participation in wind energy, installing solar panels in his farms, etc. and also to become an Urjadaata from Annadata.
The Finance Minister also directed NABARD to take up immediate and necessary steps to extend support to the farmers in the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh; so that the next crop of saffron, peaches, walnuts and other agriculture produce in the state is procured at the right time.
The Finance Minister said that the Government was focusing on the priorities of fishermen in the coastal and inland water areas. She encouraged NABARD to focus on marketing of nutrients in the coastal areas.
NABARD can work with the FPOs and SHGs in these areas to help increase nutritional input of the area, which could be well-received in the wellness industry.
Shri Debasish Panda, Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmer Welfare emphasised on the need for financial inclusion for inclusive and sustainable development. He maintained that JAM Trinity will be further leveraged to drive financial inclusion. Digtial on-boarding opportunities such as analytics, artificial Intelligence, mobility and overall Fin-tech solutions will have a huge impact in the area of financial inclusion.
India provides $200 billion agriculture credit every year to small and marginal farmers. This will be enhanced once the formation 10,000 FPOs, as announced in this year’s Budget, will be functional. There will be a huge traction when the farmers will anchor the value chain, which in turn, will augment the value chain funding. These inclusive measures aided by technology interventions would bolster financial inclusion and rural financing efforts.
Dr Bhanwala also announced that NABARD’s largest SHG-Bank Linkage Programme benefiting millions of rural women will soon move to a digital platform. This will revolutionise the lending to women SHGs.