Armed Forces Flag Day is being observed across the country today. It is observed on the 7th of December every year since 1949 to honour the martyrs as well as men and women in uniform, who who valiantly fought and continue to fight to safeguard the country’s honour. The day is dedicated towards collection of funds from people for the welfare of the Armed Forces personnel. The fund collected on the Flag Day is  used for the welfare of serving personnel and ex-servicemen.

Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh has said the third phase of the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana will be completed by the year 2025, with focus on providing easy access to markets, hospitals and schools. During Question Hour in the Lok Sabha today, he said the first phase of the central scheme focused on connectivity and the next phase on upgradation of rural roads.

To another question, Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said in the ongoing phase-three of the scheme, even road-length of less than the previously mandated 5-kilometers can be considered for development.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur today informed the Lok Sabha that Prasar Bharati is not closing any Akashvani radio stations in the country. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Mr Thakur said Prasar Bharati is having 500 All India Radio Broadcasting centres across the country.

The minister informed that obsolete analog transmitters are phased out from time to time with the availability of alternate transmission technologies such as FM, satellite radio through DTH and internet streaming. The minister also informed the House that Prasar Bharati has not closed AIR FM Radio channel in Bengaluru.  Mr Thakur said multiple Akashvani stations including AIR Bengaluru contribute several hours of classical music content daily to Raagam 24x7 thus providing opportunities to artists from respective cities.

The Centre has said, organic farming is being promoted by the Centre using a host of programmes to help the farmers. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said organic farming is being taken up in over 38.09 lakh hectares in the country. He said the farmers are being provided a financial assistance of 31-thousand rupees per hectare for three years under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana - PKVY. The ‘Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North east Region’ scheme provides for 32-thousand and five hundred rupees per hectare for three years. The financial assistance is meant for organic inputs like seeds, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, organic manure and botanical extracts.

In response to another question, the minister said 650-crore rupees has been approved for promotion of organic farming for the current financial year, including 450 crore under the PKVK and 200-crore rupees under the scheme meant for the North Eastern region.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have mandated contactless self-declaration at Air Suvidha Portal. The Air Suvidha portal which was launched in August last year  has now been strengthened to accommodate travel guidelines issued on the 30th  November. Air Suvidha is first of its kind digital portal for easing international passenger arrival in India.  

This portal aids passengers in providing their details of travel and final stay along with RTPCR, Vaccination status etc. This also helps state officials in contact tracing. It provides hassle-free, queue free, and convenient air travel to all international passengers arriving in India.  To ensure the necessary prevention of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, the exemption forms from the Air Suvidha portal have been discontinued, and filling of the details have been made compulsory for all international passengers arriving in India. 

All international passengers arriving in India are mandated to declare their current health status prior to boarding on the Air Suvidha Portal along with the required documents like  Copy of Passport, PCR Negative Certificate from a Test conducted within 72 hours of departure and the Vaccination Certificate. For immigration, the copy received in e-mail is essential on arrival in India and has to be verified at the APHO counter.Air Suvidha portal has already assisted over 2.5 lakh  passengers with first five days of this month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed regional and global developments, including the post-pandemic global economic recovery, and the situation in Afghanistan at the India - Russia Annual Summit held in Delhi yesterday. In his opening remarks at the Summit, Prime Minister Modi said the pace of relations between India and Russia has not changed despite the challenges posed by Covid and the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership has been continuously strengthening. He added that the fight against Covid has also seen excellent cooperation between the two countries, whether it be vaccine trials and production, humanitarian assistance, or repatriation of citizens.

Mr Modi said there have been many fundamental changes at the global level in the last several decades and a lot of geo-political equations have emerged. He asserted that India-Russia friendship has been a constant among all these variables. He said both the countries have not only cooperated with each other without any hesitation but have also taken special care of each other's sensitivities. He called it a unique and reliable model of inter-state friendship.

The Prime Minister said the first 2 plus 2 dialogue between defence and foreign ministers which took place earlier yesterday starts a new mechanism to improve behavioural cooperation. India and Russia have been in regular touch on Afghanistan and other regional issues as well. Mr Modi said the regional partnership that began with the Eastern Economic Forum and the Vladivostok summit is today turning into a real cooperation between the Russian Far-East and the Indian states.

On Armed Forces Flag Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acknowledged the exemplary contributions of the armed forces. Mr. Modi said their perseverance and courage are outstanding.

He urged everyone to contribute towards the forces’ welfare.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation three major development projects in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh today. The three major development projects worth around ten thousand crore rupees. These projects will generate employment. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Fertiliser Plant is being reopened after it was shut down 30 years ago. The opening of the plant will yield daily production of 3850 metric tonne neem coated urea and 2200 metric tonnes liquid ammonia. This will ensure uninterrupted supply of neem coated urea to farmers. It will also benefit farmers of nearby states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

Prime Minister will also  inaugurate All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Gorakhpur to be spread over 112 acres  at a cost of 1011 crore rupees. A 300 bed hospital has excellent healthcare services to patients of Purvanchal along with Nepal. This will ensure decrease in dependency on big cities for treatment and healthcare. Mr. Modi will also  inaugurate new building of the Regional  Medical Research Centre. The Centre has played a key role in curing people from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.  The Centre has the facility of resarch on Japanese Encephalitis and its high quality test to control the disease. It will greatly benefit the people of Purvanchal.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal today announced AYUSH Development packages for Manipur. Addressing a press conference in Imphal today, Mr Sonowal said that the Ministry of AYUSH has decided to construct fifteen AYUSH Dispensaries, seven 10 bedded hospitals and fifty Health and Wellness Centres in Manipur. He also said that Manipur is resourceful in medicinal plants and the AYUSH ministry has decided to develop sixteen nurseries in every district of the State and another hundred schools of herbal gardens.

The Union Minister said that these schemes will inspire the people of Manipur to develop herbal gardens and medicinal plants. He said, It will create employment and a source of income for the people of Manipur.

Mr Sonowal appealed to Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh and his cabinet colleagues to implement these AYUSH Schemes in a specific time frame and assured that his Ministry is ready to extend all possible support to the Manipur Government in the future. He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been giving special emphasis on the development of the North East Region including Manipur.

Upholding the maritime traditions, the ship was named “Sandhayak” and “Launched” by Smt Pushpa Bhatt, wife of Shri Ajay Bhatt, Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri, who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, Vice Admiral Adhir Arora, Chief Hydrographer to the Govt of India, Rear Admiral Vipin Kumar Saxena (IN, Retd), Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE, Cmde Sanjeev Nayyar, IN(Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE, Cmde PR Hari, IN(Retd), Director (Personnel), GRSE, Shri RK Dash, Director (Finance), GRSE, other Senior Officials of GRSE, Indian Armed Forces and Industry were present at the occasion.
The ‘Launch’ symbolizes the “birth” of the ship as she makes her first contact with water and is floated out for from her building berth. The ceremony was conducted in true maritime traditions with the application of vermillion, breaking of coconut on the ship’s bow and chanting of vedic mantras.