The NITI Aayog, in collaboration with National Centre of Excellence and Advanced Research on Diets (NCEAR-D), Lady Irwin College and UNICEF India, is organizing a two-day national workshop to seek a common understanding of diet diversity problems in selected districts under POSHAN Abhiyan across India.
The workshop seeks to arrive at potential region-wise action plan between State Government and Nutrition/Agriculture Colleges to systematically work together to promote healthy diets as part of POSHAN Abhiyaan - Jan Andolan.
The workshop will include exhibition of more than 250 best practices, innovations and local food products developed by pan-India Agriculture and food technology institutions.
Envisaging a convergence between the Aspirational Districts Programme and POSHAN Abhiyaan, the workshop seeks to design institutional collaborations between academia and State Governments across these districts.
The inaugural session of the workshop will be addressed by Dr Vinod Paul, Member, NITI Aayog. Mr Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, (DARE) & DG, ICAR, Rakesh Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Dr Amarjeet Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development will also deliver the address on the occasion.
Both the energy and environment sectors today are at a critical juncture. The rapid expansions of both these sectors are necessary for inclusive growth of the world. At the same time the effects of these growth on the environment, landmass, forest inhabitants, etc. need to be simultaneously addressed.
In this milieu, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad is organizing an International Conference and Exhibition on Energy and Environment - Challenges and Opportunities (ENCO-2019), from 20th to 22nd February 2019 in New Delhi. The 3 day conference aims to deliberate and identify the R&D needs to innovate new techniques, technologies and applications for clean, safe, symbiotic sustenance of society, environment, energy and industries in post-2020 era.
The conference will be inaugurated by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind and will have keynote addresses by Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Member, NITI Aayog Dr. V. K. Saraswat and DG, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR Dr Shekhar C Mande.
Around 1000 delegates from India and abroad will participate in the conference representing policy makers, regulators, thought leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, administrators, practicing engineers, Environmentalist, geo-environmentalists, researchers, academicians and technocrats. The startups, young researchers and students will also attend the conference.
About 200 papers will be deliberated in the Conference which will includes 9 keynote papers and 150 oral presentations and 50 poster presentations.Delegates from countries like, UK, Australia, China, Republic of Korea, Czech Republic, Germany, USA, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Nigeria etc. are expected to participate in the event.
The keynote papers will be presented by eminent personalities who have made significant contributions in their respective areas. The list include Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member (S&T), NITI Aayog on Energy Security and Environmental Challenges; Dr. Anil Kakodkar, President, NASI on Nuclear Power: India's Development Imperative; Prof. Y. P. Chugh, University of Illinois, USA on The Evolving Role of Coal in Global Energy Needs: An Overview; Prof. Joan Esterle, University of Queensland, Australia on A supermodel approach to targeting CBM resources; Dr. S.C. Chetal, Mission Director, AUSC Project on Indian Advanced Ultra Supercritical Programme; Prof. Collin Hills, University of Greenwich, UK on Low-carbon Options for the Valorisation of Indian Steel Slag.
During the Conference, an industrial exhibition is also organized in the Vigyan Bhawan lawns and which will run in parallel with the technical sessions from February 20-22, 2019. Various PSUs and multinationals have booked fifty (50) stalls to showcase their Company’s profile and to network with global participants from the Industry, for its suppliers and its customers. The list includes, National Thermal Power Corporation, Coal India Limited, Insmart Systems, National Mineral Development Corporation, AIMIL Pvt. Ltd., Hindustan Zinc Ltd. Etc.
*Ajit Kumar
SOME TIMES, WE FEEL THAT WE ARE SO POWERFUL, HAPPY AND IN CONTROL. BUT ARE WE REALLY IN CONTROL? / CAN WE LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AS WE SHOULD OR WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO?
IS ANYONE ELSE DECIDING / DETERMINING HOW WE SHOULD LIVE?
There is a fallacy under which we all live today across the world, more so in our part. We feel that we are an independent, democratic nation with equal opportunities. There are wonderful tenets in the Constitution of most of the nations including ours.
Actually it is a life that you have to live.
Some of the people with maximum money who turn wise enough at some part of their lives can call themselves independent to a large extent and those who abdicate the modern worldly lives as they can choose mostly to do what they want. But it is not so for the common (over 95%) people.
Let’s take the case of a modern urban citizen. From morning till night, he / she consumes numerous products and services, all 365 days in the year and none of them are absolutely natural though advertising or product label may list claim. The day starts with toothpaste, toothbrush, breakfast with unhealthy processed chemically grown food. And we use coated utensils that reduce nutrition or induce toxicity from whatever food we have. Rarely anyone has time to think or for mediation, yoga – for body or mind.
Then they travel to their office, far off using various modes of transport, breathing poisonous air, fighting stress in public transport or managing road rage while driving. We mostly use fuel that pollutes air and leads to slow death or reduction in healthspan of hundred thousands every year directly or indirectly. We use vehicles that are made of materials that pollutes air and water during its manufacturing / production. And above all, we waste (spend) a lot of our precious and limited time (out of 24 hours we have) while traveling which we could have spent with family or friends.
And to add, when friends get together, they need alcohol / liquor to relax and enjoy adding fire to fuel before and slowly they burn under the fire of diseases.
24x7, 365 days, we are under stress or a drive for earning more money to address needs and beyond. A pertinent question is looking deeper into reasons: For an instance addressing child’s education? Children are becoming physically and mentally weaker, unable to cope with the pollution and social challenges.
What could be better options?
For vegetables and food which we could have grown or sourced from community organic farms! For housing, which we could have built! Why should we have multiple houses -- one in the village, one in the native city and another in the 3rd city where we live and so on? More houses and less of feeling being at home! Why should we not have holistic education and livelihoods closer to our homes? We had all these earlier.
Where are the Gurukuls that produced best performers in education, wellness, technology, arts ,sports etc?
The real professional work we do is for mostly increasing revenues of some individual / company. Many wrong means are adopted. We might be selling chemical fertilisers luring poor farmers or bribing governments, selling poisonous products getting licence by hook or crook, going or sending people for every small ailment to the doctor who prescribes medicines or tests rampantly.
What damage they do to your body can be understood in simple words – they open a can of worms and you are now more susceptible to diseases. It is unfortunate that neither he / she, nor you can understand your ailment. So devices are implanted , medicines sold, injections pierced in the precious body gifted by nature .
By the time we find time to understand and realise the well networked business lobbies and their functioning the damage has been done.
The body is itself turned into a proxy skeleton and utilised well for experiments to the diagnostics, pharma, medical devices, implants by keepers of health business. With 95% commercial healthcare providers, we are having precious little, may be 5% odd healthcare providers who still stand by honest medical practices and holistic healing process without greed or vested interests.
All playgrounds have vanished. Where will children play? How will they be physically and mentally fit? How and where will then learn and build understanding, relationships, cooperation and living together. So they end up becoming individuals, not part of a society / community.
So mobile games and cartoons came to take care of children, so that they are unable to play or spend time thinking or experimenting. They have be trapped early to be their slaves and work for them for 40 odd years or so if they survive. Then junk food came in to increase in weight, sedentary lifestyle and it suits entire food industry, hospitals, pharma, medical device industry greed. Children don’t want to eat good food that is healthy as it is time taking, boring and needs effort whereas junk food looks sweet, sleek and stylish. And we don’t have time in cities to sit with children and cook and eat diverse food provided by Mother Nature which is necessary for healthspan and disease free life.
IN SHORT, IT IS BIG INDUSTRIES THAT DICTATE WHAT WE DO THROUGH AGGRESSIVE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING AND THEIR MONEY POWER. AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO LEAVE THAT AS WE ARE HABITUATED TO THE COMFORTS OF AC/ COOLER, VEHICLES, PRESSURE COOKERS, MALLS AND CONCRETE ALL AROUND.
There is much to write and much remaining.
I will try to follow up with area wise (thematic articles). I was unable to find time to write my views due to 16-18 hour work schedule which I am personally trying to reduce and improve my lifestyle also.
WHAT I DO?
Trying to get up before the Sunrise and have dinner before Sunset, do yoga and meditation in morning. Have no water with food. Have pure A2 milk, ghee, turmeric , and natural vegetables / cereals, pulses, oil and spices. And above all always caring thinking good for other and trying to spot my mistakes, be practical and improve.
And to end on an optimistic note, I myself took the last allopathic medicine in 26 years back for fever and despite having 105 fever, huge mental stress and depression, frozen soldier and many other diseases, I have successfully cured myself including viral infections in the time period shorter than what modern science suggests. Let me also thank our friend for offering us an opportunity to spend a day at his farmhouse leading a life closer to the natural way. That one day gives energy for over a week or so. Others who have been us on those occasions endorse and feel the same.
So I am happy to make wise everyday choices despite all worldly challenges.
* THE AUTHOR IS FOUNDER KHUSHIGRAM, (www.khushigram.in) TRYING TO CREATE HAPPY AND NATURAL LIVING FOR ALL. THE VISION IS TO RECREATE & REVIVE HAPPY VILLAGES AND DO MORE THAT ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS -- IN SHORT, SDGs BEFORE 2030)
*THESE GOALS WERE CONCEPTUALISED IN 2011, DISCUSSED IN THOUSANDS OF MEETINGS, USING PAST KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM OF OVER 5000 YEARS AND FINALLY 7 YEAR SERIES (2007-14) ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH INDIA HABITAT CENTRE FOR WHICH WE ARE HUGELY INDEBTED TO THEM AND THE WISE PERSONS WHO CAME FOR 22 SEMINARS THERE AND 1 CONFERENCE WITH IIT PATNA AND FAVE INPUTS TO THE MISSION, VISION AND GOAL.
The 3rd Indo-German Working Group for cooperation on (i) water and (ii) waste management concluded in New Delhi today. Delegations from both the ministries – The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India and The Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany – have met and discussed potential cooperation areas in the field of water and waste management.
Though, India-Germany bilateral economic cooperation has been robust and India’s priorities in most areas match with German expertise, but bilateral co-operation in the field of Environment got further strengthened when both the environment ministries organized Second Indo-German Environment Forum during January 2015 wherein these two working groups were constituted, which concluded its third meeting today.
The Indian delegation was headed by Anil Kumar Jain (Additional Secretary, MoEFCC) and experts/officials from CPCB, line ministries, GIZ-India contributed to the discussion. Mr. Jain reiterated that as Indo-German Climate and Renewables Alliance, cooperation in field of Environment needs to be strengthened. The outcomes will be taken up to higher level of collaboration during the Third Indo-German Environment Forum which is scheduled in New Delhi on February 13, 2019 wherein both the Environment Ministers will meet to come up with some major announcements.
The German Delegation was headed by Dr. Regina Dube, Director-General for Water Management and Resource Conservation, BMU-Germany and she stated that Indian side have been very supportive in taking the work ahead.
Both sides concluded today to take work further on – developing reference documents for Textile Sector, Air, Water Governance, Marine Litter, Waste to Energy (Incineration), Bio-methanation, Landfill Sites, Water quality management, training and capacity building of local bodies and Circular Economy.
The fourth Conference of AYUSH/Health Ministers of States/UTs was inaugurated by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) Shripad Yesso Naik in New Delhi today. The day long conference was organized by the Ministry of AYUSH to provide an opportunity to States/UT to interact with each other for the development of AYUSH sector. The conference was attended by AYUSH/Health Ministers/Secretaries and officials from 29 States/UTs; senior officials of AYUSH Ministry and representatives of AYUSH organizations.
In his inaugural address, the AYUSH Minister said that States and Union Territories are important partners in the journey of Ministry of AYUSH for promotion of Traditional systems of medicine to all mankind.
Naik said that public health delivery system has been of highest priority. We look forward to an effective integration in the National progress related to health. The AYUSH Minister further said that financial support is being extended to all States and Union Territories under National AYUSH Mission (NAM) Scheme for upgradation of infrastructure and manpower in the AYUSH institutions.
Addressing the all the representatives from State Government, Naik said that 12500 health and wellness centres need to be identified across the country for rendering AYUSH services to the people at grass-root level with special reference to preventive health care. The AYUSH Minister further said that Research Councils under Ministry of AYUSH are conducting National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (NPCDCS) in states.
CCRAS is conducting NPCDCS programme in three states, namely Surendra nagar Distt., Gujarat; Bhilwara Distt., Rajasthan and in Gaya, Bihar.
Similarly, CCRH is implementing the programme in Darjeeling District in West Bengal and Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh. The results are encouraging and would be scaled up.
On this occasion Rajiv Kumar Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog said that AYUSH deserves equal recognition and patronage as is enjoyed by the modern system of medicine. He said that the holistic nature of AYUSH systems need to be recognized nurtured and proliferated in the interest of the health of the mankind.
Kumar emphasised that role of regulatory bodies is critical in maintaining the quality and standards of AYUSH systems and we need to have a robust regulatory system for AYUSH drugs and education. He suggested that Indian Embassies can also play a role in spreading the message of AYUSH systems and converting it into a universal ‘Jan Andolan’.
State health authorities pointed out their problems in implementation of various programmes and schemes of AYUSH and concerned officers of Ministry of AYUSH addressed their issues.
The theme of the conference was to share the views, opinions, difficulties and experiences by the States / UTs in respect of AYUSH and to move forward progressively in promotion of these medical systems. The conference also took stock of where the States and UTs presently stand and how to mainstream AYUSH and also the required actions in this regard.
The conference also reviewed the progress made by the States and UTs in the implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the National AYUSH Mission (NAM).
An overview regarding the AYUSHMAN Bharat, a flagship initiative of the Government of India to extend healthcare facilities to the people at the grass root level was shared in the conference. It was also apprised that recently the Ministry of AYUSH has been given the responsibility to run 12,500 health and wellness centres across the country and contribute the preventive health aspects by virtue of AYUSH philosophy in all the health and wellness centres.
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu released the compendium on “The Cement Industry – India 2018” in New Delhi today.
The compendium has been prepared by National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM), in association with cement section of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It contains key information about technology development, challenges and opportunities for Indian cement industry along with an exhaustive directory of cement plants in India.
The Indian cement industry is the second largest in the world with an installed capacity of 509 million tonnes per annum in 2018 and cement production of 298 million tonnes in 2018 with 143 integrated cement plants, 102 grinding units, 5 clinkerisation units and 62 mini cement plants in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Suresh Prabhu emphasized on improving energy efficiency, environmental excellence and quality standards in the Indian cement industry. He observed that cement consumption in India is still around 235 kg per capita against global average of 520 kg per capita, which shows significant potential for the growth of industry.The Commerce Minister highlighted that Government’s focus on Housing for all by 2022, Make in India, World Class Cement Concrete Highways, Creation of 100 Smart cities, Dedicated Freight Corridors, Clean India Mission, Ultra Mega Power Projects, Connectivity improvement including Water Transport will bring required boost in infrastructure and housing sectors.
The Minister also urged the cement industry to think of recycling of material used in production of cement.
The event was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, office bearers of National Council for Cement and Building Materials, cement industry and representatives of Cement Manufacturers’ Association.
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20/02/19
NITI Aayog to organise National Workshop to Promote Healthy Diets from Local Food Systems
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19/02/19
3 Day International Conference and Exhibition on Energy and Environment to be inaugurated by President of India tomorrow
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19/02/19
Who controls your lives?
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06/02/19
India-Germany join hands for cooperation on Water & Waste Management
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06/02/19
AYUSH/Health Ministers’ Conference: Shripad Naik says 12500 health and wellness centres to be identified for AYUSH services
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05/02/19
Commerce & Industry Minister releases Compendium of Cement Industry
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