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First time ever, entrepreneurs from skill ecosystem honoured as guests at Republic Day celebration

Jan 27, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #Director General, #Directorate General of Training (DGT), #Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), #National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), #President, #radhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)., #secretary, #Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, #Shri Narendra Modi, #Shri. Atul Kumar Tiwari, #Shri. Nirmaljit Singh Kalsi, #Smt. Trishaljit Sethi

Bengaluru, January 27, 2024– Aligned with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi to make Bharat a nation of job creators, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India interacted with over 100 entrepreneurs who have been trained under various skill development institutions like National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and Skill India’s flagship scheme— Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). “This is the first time ever that entrepreneurs from the skill ecosystem are accorded the honor of being guests at the Republic Day celebrations, a testament to the visionary leadership of Hon’ble PM”, said Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

Shri. Nirmaljit Singh Kalsi, President, National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), Shri. Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Smt. Trishaljit Sethi, Director General, Directorate General of Training (DGT) also graced the occasion with their presence.

During the event, the entrepreneurs shared insights into how skill training under the Skill India Mission has been instrumental in enhancing their capacities, problem-solving abilities, and establishing unique differentiators for marketing their products. They all extended gratitude towards Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship for providing them with on-the-job training and invaluable industry exposure, empowering them to transform their lives and convert their aspirations into tangible realities.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India said “Today, I had the privilege of engaging in insightful conversations with the beneficiaries from our skill ecosystem. Witnessing their journey from entrepreneurship to self-reliance is truly inspiring. These small and micro entrepreneurs are set to contribute a new dimension to the country’s development journey. Under Modi ji’s government, a government dedicated to the poor and deprived, the #ModiGuarantee spans from essentials like food and housing to comprehensive skill development and socio-economic security. Empowering the deprived and weaker sections of society is the cornerstone of this administration, with the common citizen being Modi ji’s unwavering priority.”

A few entrepreneurs were also invited on stage to share their experiences, talk about the challenges and elaborate on how with proper skill training under the Skill India Mission, they were able to convert their trials into opportunities. Champions like Shital Tamang, a visionary female entrepreneur from Upper Gom, South Sikkim, is reshaping the country’s growth trajectory through her venture- Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts. With 20 employees under her leadership, Tamang’s commitment echoes in changing lives—a true testament to her entrepreneurial spirit.

Republic dat celebration

Likewise, the bold steps taken by entrepreneurs such as Indrajit Sadhukhan were applauded, who established a flourishing business by doing a course in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in 2020, serving as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs. Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Sanjeet showcased exceptional resilience and determination, founding Shree Electrical in 2021, attaining success through skill development. An inspiring story is also of Jyotirmayee Sahu, a female entrepreneur hailing from Odisha. A graduate with a proactive approach towards self-empowerment, pursued a transformative course in Mushroom Grower Entrepreneurship and embarked on a remarkable journey into mushroom cultivation. Jyotirmayee’s startup flourished within a span of six months and achieved remarkable success.

Driven by the vision to make entrepreneurial ecosystem more outcome-driven, accessible, and holistic in its approach along with a focus on new-age, industry 4.0 and advanced technologies, several schemes are being introduced to equip entrepreneurs, students and other beneficiaries with relevant knowledge and skills that align with the rapidly evolving needs of the industries. To achieve this, schemes like PM Vishwakarma and a comprehensive digital platform – Skill India Digital (SID) have been launched to bridge the academia and industry gap and develop a range of entrepreneurial skills such as leadership, creative thinking, teamwork and business growth to transition India from 3rd largest to number one start-up ecosystem over the next few years.

The minister also appreciated and encouraged the entrepreneurs for undertaking vocational training, heralding a new dawn in skill development and entrepreneurship ecosystem in India. Entrepreneurs hailing from diverse corners of the nation including states like Odisha, Kerala, Sikkim, Manipur, Delhi, West Bengal, Telangana, and beyond converged the event and are attending the Republic Day Parade today. They all represent several industries like beauty & wellness, handmade, beauty therapist, tailor, sewing machine operator, and computer operator.

In recognizing that skilling India’s youth is instrumental for the startup ecosystem, MSDE’s initiatives are poised to create a conducive environment for growth, fuelling job creation, productivity, and efficiency for the betterment of society.

Shri Jibesh Kumar, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar addressing the media,

Business, Technology

Dept. of IT, Govt. of Bihar and PSU BSEDC Ltd. announced transition of its working from physical file mode to eOffice digital platform

Oct 2, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Department of Information Technology, #DIT Bihar, #Government of Bihar, #Hon’ble Minister, #secretary, #Shri Jibesh Kumar, #Shri Santosh Kumar Mall

Patna / National Bureau: Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar and its PSU BSEDC Ltd. announced transition of its working from physical file mode to eOffice digital platform.

Shri Jibesh Kumar, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar addressed the media on the adoption of eOffice by the department. The Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Govt. of Bihar, Shri Santosh Kumar Mall, Special Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Govt. of Bihar, Shri Arvind Kumar Choudhary and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar and its PSU Bihar State Electronic Development Corporation (BSEDC) have taken a big leap in the field of e-Governance by implementing eOffice and switching over its office working fully to digital platform.

Announcing this achievement of the department, Shri Jibesh Kumar, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar addressed the media on Friday and dubbed this progress as a remarkable development in the field of future-ready and fast paced e-Governance. Adding further he shared “The adoption of eOffice will ensure the fulfilment of Gandhian vision of citizen centric governance and will expedite the inclusive development of the state”.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Santosh Kumar Mall, Secretary, DIT Bihar, highlighted how eOffice fosters paper-less culture and that it will not only save operational costs but also promote the novel idea of go-green work-culture. He also expressed his optimism regarding adoption of the same by other departments.

This faceless and contactless digital platform has resulted in increased efficiency, transparency and reduced turnaround time by replacing the old manual process with an electronic file system that allows the modern outlook.

This is a major achievement of Government of Bihar in the field of e-Governance. It is evident that eOffice has helped in checking the adverse impact of current pandemic on Govt.’s functioning. The State Government is pro-actively maximizing the reach of eOffice to all the Government offices across Bihar.

Dr. Anand Kumar, MD, Indian Immunologicals Ltd(Right) handing over the first batch of COVAXIN drug substance to Dr. Krishna Ella, CMD, Bharat Biotech(Left)

Health, News

IIL Produces Covaxin Drug Substance In Record Time

Aug 14, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #BIRAC, #DBT and Chairperson, #Dr Renu Swarup, #Dr. K. Anand Kumar, #IIL, #MD, #secretary

Hyderabad– In order to augment the Covid 19 vaccine production capacity in our country so that a significant percentage of the population can get vaccinated at the earliest, the Central Government requested that Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) and Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) join hands in Apr 2021. IIL in a short period of time has performed several activities including signing of 4 agreements with BBIL, repurposing its manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, procurement of key raw materials and consumables, procurement of key equipment for the process, technology transfer, trials at R&D scale, training etc. These activities were all done at breakneck speed and production at commenced in July 2021. The batches so produced at IIL’s manufacturing facility have been tested at BBIL and IIL and meets the quality specifications for the drug substance. The yields are more than expected.

In a simple handing over function, Dr. K. Anand Kumar, MD, IIL handed over the first lot of Covaxin Drug Substance to Dr Krishna Ella, CMD, Bharat Biotech on the 13th of August 2021.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, MD, IIL said that “This is TEAM India at work. It could not have been possible without the coming together of several stake holders to achieve a common goal. Our capable and competent team worked tirelessly round the clock to ensure that the committed timelines and product quality are met. It is a proud moment for IIL to have played a vital role in supporting our Nation’s interest during this unprecedented time. This would have not been possible without the constant support provided by Niti-Aayog, BIRAC, DBT, Mission Covid Suraksha Team, Central and State drug control authorities”.

Speaking on this achievement Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT and Chairperson, BIRAC said, ‘’The government has worked relentlessly to provide all possible support for ramping up Covaxin production in the country and speed up Covaxin inoculation drive. The loan license agreement by CDSCO for Indian Immunologicals Ltd to produce Covaxin Drug Substance is a major milestone, achieved in a very short span of time. The DBT-BIRAC support under Mission Covid Suraksha aims to meet the Covid-19 vaccine requirement of our country. I congratulate the team for the efforts put in for this achievement”.

“IIL is also working on another COVID -19 vaccine and the animal trials are underway currently and is expected to come out by next year for human vaccination,” said Dr K Anand Kumar, MD, IIL.

Under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 Mission COVID Suraksha was announced by the Government of India, to accelerate the development and production of Indigenous COVID Vaccines. This is being implemented by Department of Biotechnology. The Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad has been sanctioned grant of Rs. 60 crore towards enhancing production capabilities

Business World, News

Chandigarh Startup Policy to be launched soon – Secretary, Chandigarh Administration

Feb 23, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Chair, #Chandigarh Administration, #Chandigarh Chapter, #Head, #IAS, #Invest India, #Mr Madhu Sudan Vij, #Mr Param Kalra, #Mr Yashpal Garg, #Ms Aastha Grover, #Regional Chair, #secretary, #Startup Committee, #Startup Hub

Chandigarh will get its own Startup Policy with special focus on women entrepreneurship soon, informed Mr Yashpal Garg, IAS, Secretary, Chandigarh Administration. He was addressing a video conference on Startups organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry in collaboration with Chandigarh Administration and startup Punjab.

He further shared that Incubation Center at Chandigarh for IT sector is operating since 2001. The new policy will focus on accommodating non IT Startups and expand the scope of incentivizing to private and institutional incubators, co-working spaces and startups.

Ms Aastha Grover, Head, Startup Hub, Invest India conducted a workshop on startup schemes, registration process, recognition schemes, seed funds and special agreements with ministries and corporates to promote products and services of Startups.

During her workshop she informed the participants regarding various modes created by the Government of India to provide market access to startups including access to 30 States / UTs through their policies, International tie ups with 11 countries to open access to their investors and market, tie ups with corporates to promote the products and services by startups, pro bono service with listed companies and government engagement for social startups. She added that exclusive patent application route created for DPIIT registered startups increased the patent registration three times in past 4 years.

She informed the participants about the funding schemes and the application process under various government schemes launched by different departments.

Mr Madhu Sudan Vij, Chair, Chandigarh Chapter informed the participants regarding services provided to startups through PHD – MSME Mentoring & Guidance Center and further encouraged them to take the membership.

While moderating the session Mr Param Kalra, Regional Chair, Startup Committee addressed and tried to get the solutions for the pain points of the startups including the cost of incorporation of a company, higher cost of power and internet supply, need to enhance the exposure and reach for the tier 2 and tier 3 cities based startups, availing the government schemes, access to the funds to incubators and startups.

The Session was attended by over 75 entrepreneurs from the region.

Business World, News

Ministry of Tribal Affairs bags Award of Appreciation in the 18th CSI SIG eGovernance Awards 2020

Feb 15, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Honorable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, #Honourable Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, #Ministry of Tribal Affairs, #secretary, #Shri Arjun Munda, #Shri R Subrahmanyam, #Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji

New Delhi: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs bags the prestigious Award of Appreciation in the Project Category-Central Government Entity – in the 18th CSI SIG eGov Awards 2020 for their ‘Performance Dashboard Empowering Tribals Transforming India through various ICT initiatives.

The award was received by the joint secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Dr. Navaljit Kapoor from the honorable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji in Lucknow today.

Shri Arjun Munda, Honourable Union Minister for Tribal Affairs stated that the ministry has been taking several steps to harness the intended gains of digital technology. “The Ministry of Tribal Affairs aims to nurture, develop and promote existing and budding talent among the tribal community through the help of Information and digital technology. The award is the recognition for the efforts taken by the entire ministry in this direction,” Shri Munda said.

The honorable minister explained the ministry has also been taking steps to ensure that the benefits of digitization reach the most remote corners of the country and that the lives of the tribal community are transformed through these initiatives.

Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji, Honorable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh while handing over the awards stated that the central government has realized the importance of digital technology and has been coming out with several programs all based on technology. “The importance of all the measures was realized during the challenging times of the COVID lockdown when the relief measures announced by the government could easily be provided to the marginalized sections with the help of technology,” He said.

Giving the example of Uttar Pradesh, the honorable Chief Minister explained that with the help of technology their government was able to eliminate the loopholes in the public distribution system and ensure rations to lakhs of poor people in the state. “The government was able to save around Rs 2500 crore annually and also ensure that 80,000 ration shops were providing ration to the deserving poor people,” he said.

Shri R Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs stated that the award is the endorsement of the work done by the ministry in the area of information technology and indeed a big honor.

“The Ministry also received the prestigious SKOCH awards in the month of January. This is the second award received by the ministry. These awards confirm the efforts put by the entire ministry in achieving a common goal,” he said.

The Computer Society of India (CSI) has instituted a series of awards for recognizing the contributions made in the field of e-Governance in the country. These awards have been conducted by CSI-SIGegov. The awards are given for recognizing the efforts made in the e-Governance area at the State, Department, District and Project level.

The prestigious awards are contested through a laborious and strict selection process. The entire nomination process is online. Prospective nominees have to first register their particulars on the Awards web site. There is active participation for these awards from State and Central Government establishments, Departments, District authorities, and many Undertakings, research establishments. Participation by many of these Central and State level organizations have made these Awards an awaited event.

In round one of the selection process online applications were invited from across the board. In the second round, the departments or nominees were shortlisted on the basis of various parameters like applicability and best practices. The shortlisted nominees were then asked to give a detailed almost three-hour presentation to the selection committee. Then finally the best in the category were chosen for the awards.

In the month of January 2021, The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) received the prestigious SKOCH Challenger Award for its “Best Performance in eGovernance” as the Ministry has topped in implementation of policy initiatives through government programs.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been at the forefront of eGovernance practices. The Performance Dashboard is an interactive and dynamic online platform that showcases updated & real-time details of 11 schemes/initiatives of the Ministry for achieving these SDGs. The Dashboard captures the performance of 5 Scholarship Schemes of Ministry wherein every year about 30 lakh underprivileged ST beneficiaries reap the benefit to the tune of Rs 2500 crores.

Also, the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was also recognized as a best practice by KPMG in e-governance which has brought about greater transparency, accountability, and radical improvement in service delivery to Scheduled Tribe students. Dynamic Dashboard captures details of tribal students from one State to different states and to different countries.

News

Tribal Affairs Ministry bags prestigious SKOCH Challenger Award for “Best Performance in eGovernance”

Jan 18, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Chairman, #MoTA, #Mr Deepak Khandekar, #secretary, #Shri Sameer Kochhar, #SKOCH CHALLENGER AWARD, #SKOCH Group, #The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA)

New Delhi: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has received the much-coveted SKOCH Challenger Award for the “Best Performance in eGovernance” due to implementation of policy initiatives through government programs. The award was received by the honorable Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda, at the Virtual 70th SKOCH Summit 2020 titled ‘Public Policy for Tribal and Marginalized,”

The ministry has digitized all the processes leading to a paperless office, monitoring is data-driven, communication to states is online, the report system is analytics-based and a performance dashboard is updated on a real-time basis. There is transparency with data available in the public domain across the following: Performance Dashboard, Prayas– PMO Dashboard, NITI Aayog and DBT Mission.

This is the second time that the ministry has bagged such an honour. Earlier, in July 2020, the Scholarship Division of the Ministry received a SKOCH Gold Award for its project called “Empowerment of Tribals through IT-enabled Scholarship Schemes”.

Speaking about the award the honorable Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda explained that the award is the validation of the good work the ministry has been doing for the community. “The award gains prominence as it is considered to be India’s highest independent award and is bestowed after exhaustive research and expert evaluations,” said Mr. Munda.

Highlighting the other successful projects for Tribal and Marginalized implemented by the ministry Shri Munda said that MoTA is fully committed to the smooth and effective implementation of the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) that aims to bring transparency, eliminate misuse of funds and enable enhanced monitoring of the Schemes implemented by the Government of India. “In DBT, benefit or subsidy is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Public Finance Management System (PFMS) acts as the common Platform for DBT,” he said.

It should be noted that to assimilate with the larger vision of ‘Digital India’ and to realize the cherished goal of e-governance, MoTA has integrated all 5 Scholarship Schemes with DBT Portal under the guidance of DBT Mission. Beneficiary data is available online and 19 states/UTs send data using web services and 12 on National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

“All 5 scholarship schemes have been digitized as per DBT Mission mandate. 13 schemes are on the ministry dashboard; 6 initiatives are on Prayas PMO dashboard” informed Mr. Munda.

He also emphasized on the importance of understanding the people and culture of the tribal areas to help them utilize rich natural resources and manpower for their benefit and empowerment and also help them protect the environment in the process. “Therefore, we have implemented the Forest Rights Act (FRA) to maintain the balance,” he added.

Mr Deepak Khandekar, Secretary, MoTA who also graced the occasion is of the opinion that the technology has changed the definition of remote areas as the ministry receives correct data at a faster rate from remote areas like Mizoram for any project implemented by the ministry. “Earlier we would define remote areas with the distance from the main road, now technology has erased that definition as it has brought those areas nearer to us,” he said.

He also added that the tribal knowledge that exists for ages with the tribal needs to be explored. “We need to change our attitude towards the tribal people. The best example is ‘Giloy’ medicine that proved to be effective in keeping the virus at bay during COVID pandemic. The knowledge of which was with the tribal community for centuries, such vast knowledge of our environment and its resources needs to be explored for betterment of the society and also of the people from the areas,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sameer Kochhar, Chairman, SKOCH Group stated Technology is very essential for growth and generally no one would associate Tribal Affairs Ministry with eGovernance, but the ministry has surprised everyone with their excellence in eGovernance . “The Ministry has taken several initiatives that have benefitted the tribal and marginalised community at large. Making the entire scholarship release process online has enabled 64- lakh beneficiaries to receive scholarships directly into their accounts through DBT. The availability of data on PM Dashboard, MoTA, and DBT dashboard adds to the transparency,” said Mr. Kochhar.

SKOCH Challenger Award is SKOCH Group’s topmost honor. It is considered India’s Highest Independent Honour and is bestowed after exhaustive research and expert evaluations.

Education, News

Disrupt, Accelerate and Innovate Key Focus Points of Health Next 2021 – Global Health and Innovation Conference conducted by IIHMR University

The Health Next 2021- Global Health and Innovation Conference is spread across two days conducted by IIHMR University, Jaipur on 11th and 12th January 2021. The conference concluded its first day with the key focus points on innovations in the health care sector, sustainability and integration of these healthcare systems, managing public perceptions, key points on public-private partnerships from the point of view of the state of Rajasthan and their improvisations for apt delivery. The conference had a participation of over 40+ stalwart panellists from iKure, StanPlus/ Red Ambulances, Pharmeasy, NISHTHA/ Jhpiego, Medicover Hospitals, India, Viveo Health, Ai Highway Inc, myresqr.life, TiE Global, Amity Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Startup Oasis. The conference over these two days shall witness the participation of 1000 participants, panellists from 8 plus countries such as Germany, USA, Canada, UK, India etc. The GHIC offered a platform for healthcare start-ups students, alumni or people at large who have a business idea in healthcare, health tech space and want to get it nurtured at the IIHMR University’s Innovation and Incubation Center.

Keynote addressee Shri Naveen Jain, Ex-MD NHM & Former Secretary Skills & Entrepreneurship, Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, Govt. of Rajasthan, “The subject of the conclave is very exciting as it focused on encouraging the young generation to initiate startups in Public Health to offer solutions along with promoting innovations in this area. Innovations by start-ups must be encouraged not just in the private healthcare sector but must also be encouraged in the public healthcare sector. Young entrepreneurs must understand the existing gaps and offer solutions for the quick delivery to the end customer in the existing environment.”

Shri Naveen Jain said, “We must focus on key public perceptions which include- Availability of huge data not being utilized, lack of implementation of innovations due to less accessibility and acceptability due to lengthy government processes, financial crunch in the state of Rajasthan as compared to its peers such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and even Punjab. He even pointed out that there must be integration in systems for smooth delivery of the end product or service. We must focus to Re-engineer, Re-Build and Re-Design where we utilise the existing resources to offer the best in class services in the public health sector and I would humbly request our entrepreneurs to do the same.”

Dr. SD Gupta, Chairperson, IIHMR University said, “COVID-19 has brought in an urgency to innovate. We face tremendous challenges in the systems as of today, however, what is more, important is to integrate these services for the best in class services to be offered to the end customer. I feel the utilization of IoT and AI in healthcare which include telecommunication and telemedicine have played an important role during the time of the pandemic. We see a huge potential for the upcoming start-up to explore a lot of gaps in the healthcare sector and innovate products that would be fruitful for the benefit of the patient and the entire healthcare fraternity on the whole.”

Dr. PR Sodani, President (Officiating), Dean IIHMR University said, “The Health Next 2021 – Global Health and Innovation Conference is a global conference that will witness strong business leader representation across provider, payer, pharmaceutical and academic organizations attracted industry suppliers, media and venture capital. We are excited to witness key trends driving the health industry, virtual networking with peers, and newfound business opportunities. We hope to see the participation of many healthcare enthusiasts during this two-day Global Healthcare Conclave.”

Dr. Sheenu Jain, Chair, CIIE, & Convener GHIC Conference, IIHMR University Jaipur moderated this conference. She deliberated that the most important focus of the Health Next 2021- Global Health and Innovations Conference would be Disrupt, Accelerate and Innovate.

Nitin Chugh, VP-Customer Retention and Loyalty, Pharmeasy said, “The conference is a great platform for all healthcare start-ups. It highlights innovations which will be fruitful for the healthcare industry and would prove to be beneficial for the outcome during the tyrannous time of COVID-19.” Likewise Sahil Kapoor, Lead Digital Health and Program Manager Partnerships NISHTHA/ Jhpiego shared similar views and said, “IIHMR University’s initiative of the Health Next 2021 platform is one of a kind which not only highlighted the trends in the healthcare sector but also highlighted that innovations pertaining to technology and otherwise would be beneficial for the industry. We look forward to many such conclaves that uplift the spirits of the young talent in India who would love to make a change in the health sector especially at the bottom of the pyramid.”

The GHIC demonstrated the need for an all-in, must-attend health ecosystem conference where all major stakeholders shared new solutions and strategies, where networking was curated and key business-to-business exchanges took place. GHIC was unique in facilitating serious conversations among leaders about our healthcare system and innovation. Health Next 2021- Global Health and Innovation Conference. The conference focused on 5 thrust areas, Driving Innovation in New Healthcare Landscape- Post COVID-19, IoT in Health Ecosystem.

The second day shall see topics such as Building a Sustainable healthcare model, Creating Personalized healthcare experience for every patient and Health Beyond Hospitals.The Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) at IIHMR University contributes to health eco system of start- upsproviding mentoring and incubation support to the budding start-ups at our centre.

News

Blind too can dream: Chokka Rao

Jan 12, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #All India Confederation for the blind, #Chokka Rao, #DWAB, #NGO, #secretary

Nalgonda, Telangana…..Nalgonda School for the blind run by DWAB —Development and Welfare of the Blind completes 25 years and celebrates Silver Jubilee. The Schools also observed 212^th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille Script.

The school is well known for its role and in producing results. Recognising its efforts, several Governors, Chief Ministers, President of India Mr Abdul Kalam; Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, State Human Rights Commission Chairman and members either visited the school or appreciated their efforts.

Chokka Rao, who himself is a visually challenged is a retired teacher and founder giving details in a press note issued in Hyderabad today said DWAB is an NGO found by the Blind for the development of the Blind in 1986. It was founded on 4^th January 1996.

DWAB is running a secondary School called Nalgonda School for the Blind with residential facilities for the Visually Impaired students providing free education and boarding in a spacious four stories building of 15000sqf area. It runs classes from 1 to 10th class.

It’s journey began with just three students. It currently has 97 blind students. Recently, the School also started English medium from Class 1 to 7.

The organization could construct its own building for school and hostel which can accommodate 300 Blind children [Boys & Girls] with all basic amenities.

It is purely run on the basis of donations. 24 batches of 10th class students passed out with 100% results. Well over 100 visually challenged from this school secured government jobs. About 600 students have gone for higher studies. Lot of its students have got jobs in very good organizations and settled.

Nearly 20 people work to run the school.

Chokka Rao, who is a Secretary of 40 plus years old national body, All India Confederation for the blind says, it is better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.

Blind do not need sympathy. We want a level playing field. We need opportunities. Blind are dreamers like any other ordinary people. Blind are on par with the normal human beings on many fronts, Chokka Rao says.

Blind can smile even though they have never seen anybody else smile.

Thanks to modern technology, we the vision loss can do numerous things such as write documents, browse the internet and send and receive emails. The visually impaired are able to navigate the world unassisted informed Chokka Rao.

Be my eyes, free app connects visually impaired individuals with a sighted volunteers via video chat for assistance with everyday tasks. Dot Smartwatch can tell the date and time and share notifications Apple has enhanced its VoiceOver features, increasing accessibility for the visually impaired. The Read Read is an educational device that teaches Braille – without a teacher. BrainPort uses electro-tactile technology to help blind users with orientation, mobility, and object recognition. Eye See is a helmet prototype designed to help the visually impaired “see” the world around them.

The blind is only in the state of mind. We too can do many things like anyone. Eric Alexander, a mountaineer being blind climbed Mount Everest. Mohd Asif Iqbal, a visually challenged participated in 21 kms Marathon. There are many blind bureaucrats, says Chokka Rao. The lacking of visual perception due to physiological and/or neurological factors never stopped any visually challenged from achieving anything he added

The school gets very little support from the Government. Nearly 4 lakh per month expenditure is required to run the school. It is purely run on donations and the donations are not received to the extent needed. There is always struggle to run the home. If philanthropic minded people and organizations do not come forward, we will have dark days ahead states Chokka Rao. We want donors who can donate money on recurring basis. We need material. But the money is most important he stated.

Chokka Rao wants government to solve their long pending problems. Make disabled person Commissioner as he or she best understands our problems. We want government to issue a Government Order(GO) making it mandatory to distribute pensions to the school age blind children only after producing 90% attendance certificates from the schools.

He also urges TS Govt to implement Persons with Disability Act 2016. They requested to implement the Persons with Disability Act 2016 immediately, duly insisting to appoint a disabled person as the Commissioner for Disabled welfare in Government of Telangana. According to the Act, the disabled person must be made its Commissioner. But, that never happened. He also want grant in aid file to Government of India for the current year from the government released immediately.

News

Atal Achievement Awards conducted at Constitutional Club of India.

Jan 7, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #and Bollywood actor Naseer Abdullah, #CEO of Topgallant Media, #Mr. Karun Singh, #Mr. Santanu Ganguly, #Padma Shri Prathibha Prahlad, #Padma Shri Shovana Narayan, #secretary, #Topgallant Media

Topgallant Media organized The Atal Achievement Awards at the Constitutional Club of India to honor the winner of Business and Education awardees . The chief guest in the award ceremony, Padma Shri Shovana Narayan, Padma Shri Prathibha Prahlad, and Bollywood actor Naseer Abdullah gave their presence.

The award presented to various educational institutes and professionals such as Admission Lelo (Best Admission Counselor Portal In India),Satya Microcapital Ltd (Most Trusted Microfinance Institution In India) , Bal Bhavan Public School ( The Most Trusted School For Academics Excellence of the year) , Trine Education Ventures Private Limited (Best Education Service Provider Company in India), Keral Varma Subharti College of Pharmacy (Pharmacy Education Leadership Award) Modern Public School (The Best Public School in Delhi,) Jagannath University Jaipur (The Best Private University In Rajasthan with Excellence in Innovative Education) and Hellow Construction (Most Promising Construction & Consultancy Company of The Year)

The award ceremony facilitated to reward the exceptional work and the results gained by the trailblazers of the institutional domain, in the face of an ever-increasing educational world. The awards were given solely on merit to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.

Mr. Karun Singh, CEO of Topgallant Media, said, “As one of the foremost provider of high-end Market Research to the world’s largest leading industry, with sustainable competitive advantage arising from our strong brand, unmatched credibility, market leadership across businesses, and large customer base, we deliver analysis, opinions, and solutions that make markets function better.”

Mr. Santanu Ganguly, Secretary, Topgallant Media said, “After the great success of the earlier events, the Iconic Business – Education – Health Summit & Award, it is a great challenge to maintain this award ceremony, also a class apart celebration for the education sector of India.”

Education

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Signs MoU with Esri India to Set up Centre of Geospatial Excellence

Jan 5, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Agendra Kumar, #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, #Dean of International Programs and UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Innovation, #Director, #Dr. M. Rajeevan, #Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, #Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, #Earth Commission, #Esri India, #ESSO-INCOIS; and Chairman, #Government of India, #Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), #Ministry of Earth Sciences, #Ministry of Earth Sciences; Chairman, #President, #secretary

Hyderabad: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, ranked the 4th Best Overall University in India in NIRF 2020, has inked an MoU with Esri India, the market leader in Geospatial Information Systems, to establish a Centre of Geospatial Excellence on Spatial Analysis and Modeling with dedicated facilities for research, development and testing.

The Centre would promote development of specific skills and technical knowhow among academicians, students and the industry around geospatial technologies and latest toolkits like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and geospatial Big Data Analytics. It would conduct certificate and diploma courses, training programs and workshops, particularly around geospatial technology application areas to strengthen multi-hazard risk reduction and community resilience.

Talking about the MoU, Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, Dean of International Programs and UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Innovation, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, said: “This partnership aims to enhance research and capacity development in Geoinformatics, Spatial Analytics, and Modelling. The collaborative initiatives will work towards sustainable development to address quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), sustainable communities (SDG 11), and climate action (SDG 13) by engaging faculty, bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. students. They will help enhance the existing curriculum and educational material, as well as develop new educational approaches for effective teaching and learning of sustainability initiatives using spatial geoinformatics.”

Added Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India: “Empowering the academic community with necessary tools and technologies needed for future-ready students and capacity building is one of our key priorities. Geospatial infrastructure is the core foundation of disaster-risk reduction, sustainability and resilience initiatives. Our collaboration with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham will support various research initiatives and flagship programs such as Amrita Live-in-Labs for better sustainability and development.”

The MoU was inked during the International Symposium on Disaster Risk Reduction & Community Resilience that was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (ESSO-INCOIS), Govt. of India, Esri India and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. The event commemorated the 16th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The participants discussed the challenges faced and lessons learnt since that catastrophic event, and analysed India’s current preparedness in community resilience, governance and technological solutions to mitigate any future impact of tsunamis in India.

Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences; Chairman, ESSO-INCOIS; and Chairman, Earth Commission, Government of India, said: “Even though we have advanced tsunami-warning systems today, there are many grey areas where we need to improve. We have to engage scientists and technology experts to improve decision support systems and last-mile connection with people.”

Added Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India: “With the state-of-the-art Tsunami Early Warning Centre at MoES-INCOIS, India is today much safer against the threat of tsunamis compared to 2004. However, challenges remain with respect to early warning and community response, especially for tsunamis triggered by non-seismic and near-source events. Strengthening SOPs of all constituent agencies and end-to-end tsunami early warning chains is also an important task.”

Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, Dean of International Programs and UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Innovation, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, said, “The symposium served as a platform to integrate the last 16 years of advancements in science and technology to improve the rehabilitation and resilience of coastal communities. It stressed on scientific social responsibility to reduce risk and vulnerability factors by understanding the impact of tsunamis on coastal communities, using latest advances in monitoring and modeling of tsunamis, and coming up with a strategic framework to further advance India’s disaster preparedness and build sustainable and resilient communities.”

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