New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated new Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said that India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror so that both countries can ensure the well being and prosperity of their people.

In a tweet, the PM said: “Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people.”
Following the ouster of Imran Khan from the post of Pakistan Prime Minister, the Opposition’s joint candidate Shehbaz Sharif was on Monday elected as the country’s 23rd prime minister

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief received 174 votes.

Modi-Biden virtual meet

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the India-US 2+2 talks are taking place at a time when the situation in Ukraine is very worrying, even as he said that India’s friendship with America “will be an integral part of India’s development journey over the next 25 years”. In his remarks during the virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden ahead of the meeting between their foreign and defence ministers in Washington, PM Modi recalled the US President’s remarks during their in-person meeting in September last year. “When I was in Washington in September, you had said at the time that the India-US partnership can contribute to solving a lot of global problems,” Modi remarked. His remarks came as US President Biden said that the US and India “are going to continue our close consultations on how to manage in stabilising the effects of this Russian war”. Biden said that as two vibrant democracies the two countries share the same concerns about the global challenges, including Covid 19, advancing health security, tracking the climate crisis. “We share a strong and growing defence partnership,” he remarked. “At the root of our partnership is the deep connection between our people, ties of family of friendship and our shared values,” Biden said and welcomed India’s humanitarian support to Ukraine. “I want to welcome India’s humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine,” Biden said, and referred to the “tragic shelling” on the Kramatorsk train station last week that killed dozens of people in Ukraine. Biden said the continued consultations and dialogue between the two sides “are key to ensuring the US-India relationship continues to grow deeper and stronger, delivering to our people and for global good that we are seeking to manage, particularly in your part of the world.” PM Modi said their deliberations would provide direction to the 2+2 discussions between their foreign and defence ministers. “As two democracies that are the world’s largest and oldest, we are natural partners, and the progress that has taken place in our relations in the last few years, the new momentum that has been created would have been hard to even imagine a few decades ago,” PM Modi said. Referring to the Ukraine situation and the evacuation of Indians, he said: ”A few weeks ago 20,000 Indians were stuck in Ukraine, and most were young students. After a lot of hard work we were successful in getting them all out safely. One student however, lost his life.” “During this entire process I spoke several times on the phone to the presidents of both Ukraine and Russia, I not only appealed for peace but also suggested that there be direct between President Putin and the President of Ukraine,” he said. Modi also said that the Indian parliament had held extensive discussions on Ukraine. He referred to the killings in Bucha in Ukraine, and said India had instantly condemned the killings and has called for an independent enquiry. He hoped that the ongoing discussions between Russia and Ukraine will lead to peace. “We have also emphasised the importance of the security of civilians in Ukraine and the unhindered supply of humanitarian assistance to them. You mentioned this in fact. “On our part we have sent medicines and other relief material to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries. And on Ukraine’s request we will be sending them another consignment of medicines very soon,” he added. He referred to a slogan of President Biden that “democracies can deliver” and said that the “success of the India-America partnership is the best means to make this slogan meaningful.” Modi also said that while India is celebrating 75 years of its independence the two countries are also marking the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. “I am confident that our friendship with America will be an integral part of India’s development journey over the next 25 years.”

The initiative aims to provide more than 10,000 job opportunities in 2022

  J&K Administration has taken many steps to create infrastructure, schemes and policies to expedite economic development

Precious Kashmir News
JAMMU, APRIL 11: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today launched a dedicated portal of Mission Youth in collaboration with Vision India, to connect the youth of J&K with the industry.
The initiative aims to provide more than 10,000 job opportunities to the youth in 2022.

The dedicated portal – AVSAR-‘Connect to Opportunities Initiative’– has been provisioned to facilitate our youth with real-time information flow notifying students about pre-placement activities & job opportunities. All ITIs & other technical institutions in the UT will be on-boarded in the program for achieving the best outcomes for our enterprising youths.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor said J&K Administration has taken many steps to create infrastructure, schemes and policies to speed up economic development, and to meet the aspirations of youth so they can contribute to society and achieve self-growth.

The easily accessible online platform would act as an interface between trained & skilled workforce and Industry requirement in J&K, he added.

“Jammu and Kashmir administration is determined to provide quality education, skill training and better employment to the youth”, the Lt Governor said on the launch of online portal dedicated to connect youth with job opportunities.

The Lt Governor asked the CEO, Mission Youth to organize Job fairs in Jammu and Srinagar to facilitate Youth.

The Lt Governor said that keeping in view the industries to be set up in J&K under the New Industrial Scheme, special focus should be given on training of local youth to fulfill the needs of skilled workforce.

He further directed for conducting a survey and preparing a database of all the people who are to be connected with job opportunities.

Pertinently, acting as a bridge to connect youngsters with industry, Mission Youth under its AVSAR (Connect to Opportunities Initiative) has signed an MOU with Vision India for providing job opportunities to the youth of J&K. The program aims to connect various corporate, national and multi-national companies, with youth of J&K having skill and employability.

Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, while speaking on the occasion termed the AVSAR initiative as historic and unprecedented. He complimented the team of Mission Youth led by Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, CEO Mission Youth, and impressed upon him to explore the possibility of connecting every employable youth with job opportunities.

Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary briefed the chair about the aims and targets set up under the AVSAR initiative of Mission Youth. He informed that placement cells would be established to facilitate the youth.

B K Singh, Principal Secretary School Education; Vivek Kumar, CEO, Vision India, besides officers of Mission Youth were present on the occasion, in person and through video conferencing.

Singh reiterates Modi’s commitment towards making JKs’ grassroots democracy vibrant, thriving

Samba: A high level central team led by Union Minister of State PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Monday visited Palli panchayat in Samba district to review preparations ahead of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s rally there on April 24 on the eve of Panchayati Raj Divas.

Pertinently, this year’s ‘Panchayti Raj Diwas’ is being organized at Palli by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with Union Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Prominent among those who accompanied the Union Minister included Chetan Prakash Jain, CMD, Central Electronics Limited and Industrial Research, Union Ministry of Science and Technology, which is in the process of setting up a solar plant in Palli Panchayat in a record time of 20 days.

The 500 KV solar plant is being installed on a total area of 6,408 square meter which will electrify 340 houses in the Panchayat thus making it the first carbon neutral panchayat under the Government of India’s “Gram Urja Swaraj Programme”.

A team of senior J&K officers led by Additional Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, also interacted with the central team at Palli Panchayat.

Speaking to media after the visit, Dr Jitendra Singh said the selection of Palli Panchayat as the venue for national level Panchayati Raj Diwas celebration indicates the high priority being given by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to Jammu and Kashmir. It also reflects Modi government’s focus towards strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the Union Territory, he added while reiterating PM’s commitment towards making JK’s grassroots democracy vibrant and thriving. He said Prime Minister will be undertaking this visit for the first time after the first-ever election to the District Development Councils held in the UT after 70 years of independence.

“Prime Minister has been over the past 8 years working earnestly towards establishing a strong grassroots democracy in Jammu & Kashmir with focus on development and equitable distribution of resources among all sections of society”, Singh added.

Conveying Narendra Modi’s concern for rural uplift, Dr Jitendra Singh said the Union Ministry of Science & Technology will be showcasing some of the latest scientific innovations applicable for rural development and upgraded agricultural farming during the Panchayati Raj Diwas. There will also be exhibition of Drone Technology in Agricultural farming, Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution Floriculture mission, modern uses of Bamboo, wastewater management etcetera.

Other senior Central government functionaries who accompanied Dr Jitendra Singh included Sunil Kumar, Surveyor General of India, Dr Purnima Rupal, Senior Scientist from CSIR, Dr Dev Priya Dutta, Senior Scientist from Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr Sreenivas Reddy, Director IIIM-CSIR Jammu, Dr Vaishali Punjabi and Dr Richi Senior Scientists from Department of Biotechnology, Dr Vipin Kumar, Director, National Innovation Foundation, Gandhinagar Gujarat, Dr Bharat Bhushan, Dr Gaurav Jain and Dr B K Tyagi, from Vigyan Prasar, Union Ministry of Science & Technology.(KNT)