Cabinet approves recommendations of the 7th CPC on allowances

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the recommendations of the 7^th CPC on allowances with some modifications. The revised rates of the allowances shall come into effect from 1^st July, 2017 and shall affect more than 48 lakh central government employees.

While approving the recommendations of the 7^th CPC on 29^th June, 2016, the Cabinet had decided to set up the Committee on Allowances (CoA) in view of substantial changes in the existing provisions and a number of representations received. The modifications are based on suggestions made by the CoA in its Report submitted to Finance Minister on 27^th April, 2017 and the Empowered Committee of Secretaries set up to screen the recommendations of 7^th CPC.

7th CPC recommendations on Allowances

The 7^th CPC had adopted a three-pronged approach in examining a total of 197 allowances which involved an assessment of the need for continuation of each allowance, appropriateness of the set of people covered by the allowance and rationalisation which involved clubbing of allowances with similar objectives. Based on the examination on these lines, the 7^th CPC recommended that 53 allowances be abolished and 37 be subsumed in an existing or a newly proposed allowance.

For most of the allowances that were retained, the 7^th CPC recommended a raise commensurate with inflation as reflected in the rates of Dearness Allowance (DA). Accordingly, fully DA-indexed allowances such as Transport Allowance were not given any raise. Allowances not indexed to DA were raised by a factor of 2.25 and the partially indexed ones by a factor of 1.5. The quantum of allowances paid as a percentage of pay was rationalised by a factor of 0.8.

A new paradigm has been evolved to administer the allowances linked to risk and hardship. The myriad allowances, their categories and sub–categories pertaining to  civilians employees, CAPF and defence personnel have been fitted into a table called the Risk and Hardship Matrix (R&H Matrix). The Matrix has nine cells denoting varying degrees of risk and hardship with one extra cell at the top named as RH - Max to include Siachen Allowance. Multiple rates applicable to individual allowances will be replaced by two slab rates for every cell of the R&H Matrix.

Modifications approved by the Cabinet

The modifications approved today were finalised by the E-CoS based on the recommendations of the CoA. The CoA had undertaken extensive stakeholder consultations before finalising its recommendations. It had interacted with Joint Consultative Machinery (Staff side) and representatives from various staff associations. Most of the modifications are on account of continuing requirement of some of the existing arrangements, administrative exigencies and to further the rationalization of the allowances structure.

Financial Implications

The modifications approved by the Government in the recommendations of the 7th CPC on allowances will lead to a modest increase of ₹1448.23 crore per annum over the projections made by the 7th CPC. The 7th CPC, in its Report, had projected the additional financial implication on allowances at ₹29,300 crore per annum. The combined additional financial implication on account of the 7th CPC recommendations along with the modifications approved by the Cabinet is estimated at ₹30748.23 crore per annum.

Highlights of Cabinet approval on Allowances

1.        Number of allowances recommended to be abolished and subsumed:

Government has decided not to abolish 12 of the 53 allowances which were recommended to be abolished by the 7th CPC. The decision to retain these allowances has been taken keeping in view the specific functional requirements of Railways, Posts and Scientific Departments such as Space and Atomic Energy. It has also been decided that 3 of the 37 allowances recommended to be subsumed by the 7th CPC will continue as separate identities. This has been done on account of the unique nature of these allowances. The rates of these allowances have also been enhanced as per the formula adopted by the 7th CPC. This will benefit over one lakh employees belonging to specific categories in Railways, Posts, Defence and Scientific Departments.

2.        House Rent Allowance

HRA is currently paid @ 30% for X (population of 50 lakh & above), 20% for Y (5 to 50 lakh) and 10% for Z (below 5 lakh) category of cities. 7th CPC has recommended reduction in the existing rates to 24% for X, 16% for Y and 8% for Z category of cities. As the HRA at the reduced rates may not be sufficient for employees falling in lower pay bracket, it has been decided that HRA shall not be less than ₹5400, ₹3600 and ₹1800 for X, Y and Z category of cities respectively. This floor rate has been calculated @ 30%, 20% and 10% of the minimum pay of ₹18000. This will benefit more than 7.5 lakh employees belonging to Levels 1 to 3.

7th CPC had also recommended that HRA rates will be revised upwards in two phases to 27%, 18% and 9% when DA crosses 50% and to 30%, 20% and 10% when DA crosses 100%. Keeping in view the current inflation trends, the Government has decided that these rates will be revised upwards when DA crosses 25% and 50% respectively. This will benefit all employees who do not reside in government accommodation and get HRA.

3.        Siachen Allowance

7th CPC had placed Siachen Allowance in the RH-Max cell of the R&H Matrix with two slabs of ₹21,000 and ₹31,500. Recognizing the extreme nature of risk and hardship faced by officers / PBORs on continuous basis in Siachen, the Government has decided to further enhance the rates of Siachen Allowance which will now go up from the existing rate from ₹14,000 to ₹30,000 per month for Jawans & JCOs (Level 8 and below) and from ₹21,000 to ₹42,500 per month for Officers (Level 9 and above). With this enhancement, Siachen Allowance will become more than twice the existing rates. It will benefit all the soldiers and officers of Indian Army who are posted in Siachen.

4.        Dress Allowance

At present, various types of allowances are paid for provisioning and maintenance of uniforms/outfits such as Washing Allowance, Uniform Allowance, Kit Maintenance Allowance, Outfit Allowance etc. These have been rationalised and subsumed in newly proposed Dress Allowance to be paid annually in four slabs @ ₹5000,₹10,000, ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 per annum for various category of employees. This allowance will continue to be paid to Nurses on a monthly basis in view of high maintenance and hygiene requirements. Government has decided to pay higher rate of Dress Allowance to SPG personnel keeping in view the existing rates of Uniform Allowance paid to them (which is higher than the rates recommended by the 7th CPC) as also their specific requirements. The rates for specific clothing for different categories of employees will be governed separately.

5.        Tough Location Allowance

Some allowances based on geographical location such as Special Compensatory (Remote Locality) Allowance (SCRLA), Sunderban Allowance & Tribal Area Allowance have been subsumed in Tough Location Allowance. The areas under TLA have been classified into three categories and the rates will be governed as per different cells of R&H Matrix and will be in the range of ₹1000 - ₹5300 per month. The 7th CPC had recommended that TLA will not be admissible with Special Duty Allowance (SDA) payable in North-East, Ladakh and the Islands. Government has decided that employees will be given the option to avail of the benefit of SCRLA at pre-revised rates along with SDA at revised rates.

6.                     Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to all employees:

(i)                  Rate of Children Education Allowance (CEA) has been increased from ₹1500 per month / child (max. 2) to ₹2250 per month / child (max.2). Hostel Subsidy will also go up from ₹4500 per month to ₹6750 per month.

(ii)                Existing rates of Special Allowance for Child Care for Women with Disabilities has been doubled from ₹1500 per month to ₹3000 per month.

(iii)          Higher Qualification Incentive for Civilians has been increased from ₹2000 - ₹10000 (Grant) to ₹10000 - ₹30000 (Grant).

7.        Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to         Uniformed Services: Defence, CAPFs, Police, Indian Coast Guard and    Security Agencies

                    i.                        The 7th CPC has recommended abolition of Ration Money Allowance (RMA) and free ration to Defence officers posted in peace areas. It has been decided that Ration Money Allowance will continue to be paid to them and directly credited to their account. It will benefit 43000 Defence officers.

                  ii.                        Technical Allowance (Tier - I & II) are paid to Defence officers belonging to technical branches @₹3000 per month and ₹4500 per month. 7th CPC has recommended that Technical Allowance (Tier - II) be merged with Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence personnel. In view of the specific requirements of Defence Forces for the Defence personnel to keep pace with changing Defence requirements and technologies, the  Government has decided not to discontinue Technical Allowance. The list of courses for these allowances will be reviewed to remain in sync with the latest technical advancements in Defence.

                iii.                        The facility of one additional free railway warrant (Leave Travel Concession) presently granted to personnel of Defence Forces serving in  field/high altitude/CI Ops shall also be extended to all personnels of CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard. 

                iv.                        Rates of High Altitude Allowance granted to Defence Forces and CAPF personnel will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from  ₹810 - ₹16800 per month to ₹2700 – ₹25000 per month.

                  v.                        Field Area Allowances are granted to Indian Army, Air Force & CAPF personnel. The rates of Field Area Allowances (Modified Field, Field & Highly Active)  will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from ₹1200 - ₹12600 per month to ₹6000 - ₹16900 per month. Classification of field areas for this allowance will be done by Ministry of Defence for Defence personnel and by Ministry of Home Affairs for CAPFs.

                vi.                        The rates of Counter Insurgency Ops (CI Ops) Allowance, granted to Defence and CAPFs while deployed in counter – insurgency operations will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from  ₹3000 - ₹11700 per month to ₹6000 – ₹16900 per month.

              vii.                        Rates of MARCOS and Chariot Allowance granted to marine commandos of Indian Navy will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from ₹10500 - ₹15750 per month to ₹17300 – ₹25000 per month.

            viii.                        Rates of Sea Going Allowance granted to personnel of Indian Navy will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The twelve hour conditionality for determining the eligibility of Sea Going Allowance has been reduced to four hours. The rates will go up from ₹3000 - ₹7800 per month to ₹6000 – ₹10500 per month.

                ix.                        Rates of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) Allowance granted to CRPF personnel deployed in Naxal hit areas will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from ₹8400 - ₹16800 per month to ₹17300 – ₹25000 per month.

                  x.                        Rates of Flying Allowance granted to flying branch and technical officers of Defence Forces will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from ₹10500 - ₹15750 per month to ₹17300 – ₹25000 per month. It has been extended mutatis mutandis to BSF Air Wing also.

                xi.                        Rates of Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence Personnel have been increased from ₹9000 – ₹30000 (Grant) to ₹10000 – ₹30000 (Grant).

              xii.                        Aeronautical Allowance, presently paid to personnel of Indian Navy, has been extended to Indian Coast Guard. The rate of this allowance has been increased from ₹300 per month to ₹450 per month.

            xiii.                        Rates of Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer Allowance will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from  ₹1500 / ₹3000 per month to ₹4100 / ₹5300 per month.

            xiv.                        Rates of Territorial Army Allowance have been increased from ₹175 - ₹450 per month to₹1000 - ₹2000 per month.

              xv.                        Ceilings of Deputation (Duty) Allowance for Defence Personnel have been increased from ₹2000 - ₹4500 per month to ₹4500 - ₹9000 per month.

            xvi.                        Rates of Detachment Allowance have been increased ₹165 - ₹780 per day to ₹405 – ₹1170per day.

          xvii.                        Rates of Para Jump Instructor Allowance have been increased from ₹2700/3600 per month to ₹6000 / 10500 per month.

        xviii.                        Special Incident / Investigation / Security Allowance has been rationalized. Rates for Special Protection Group (SPG) have been revised to 55% and 27.5% of Basic Pay for operational and non – operational duties respectively.

8.         Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Indian Railways

              i.                              Rates of Additional Allowance have been increased from ₹500 / 1000 per month to ₹1125 / 2250 per month. This has also been extended to Loco Pilot Goods and Senior Passenger Guards also @₹750 per month.  

                  ii.                        In view of strenuous nature of the job, new Allowance namely Special Train Controller’s Allowance @5000 per month for Train Controllers of Railways has been introduced.

9.        Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Nurses & Ministerial Staffs of Hospital

                 i.                        Existing rate of Nursing Allowance has been increased from ₹4800 per month to ₹7200 per month.

               ii.                        Rate of Operation Theatre Allowance has been increased from ₹360 per month to ₹540 per month.

                iii.                        Rates of Hospital Patient Care Allowance / Patient Care Allowance have been increased from ₹2070 - ₹2100 per month to ₹4100 – ₹5300 per month. 7^th CPC recommendations modified to the extent that it will be granted to Ministerial staff also.

10.       Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to        Pensioners

Rate of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) for Pensioners has been increased from ₹500 per month to ₹1000 per month. This will benefit more than 5 lakh central government pensioners not availing CGHS facilities.

                    i.                        The rate of Constant Attendance Allowance granted on 100% disablement has been increased from ₹4500 per month to ₹6750 per month.

11.       Allowances to Scientific Departments

              i.                              The recommendations of 7th CPC to abolish Launch Campaign Allowance and Space Technology Allowance has not been accepted. In order to incentivize the supporting employees in Space and Atomic Energy sector, the rate of Launch Campaign and Space Technology Allowance has been increased from ₹7500 per annum to ₹11250 per annum. Professional Update Allowance for non-gazetted employees of Department of Atomic Energy will also continue to be paid at the enhanced rate of ₹11250 per annum.

                  ii.                     The 7th CPC had placed Antarctica Allowance, paid to the Scientists and other members undertaking the expedition to Antarctica under the Indian Antarctic programme, in the RH-Max Cell of the R&H Matrix. The rates of the RH-Max Cell recommended by the 7th CPC were less than the existing rates of Antarctica Allowance which is currently paid on per day basis. Considering the specific nature of these expeditions and to provide appropriate increase in rates, Government has decided to keep Antarctica Allowance out of the R&H Matrix and the allowance will continue to be paid on per day basis as per existing practice. The Rates of Antarctica Allowance will go up from ₹1125 per day (Summers) and ₹1688 per day (Winters) to ₹1500 per day (Summers) and ₹2000 per day (Winters).

12.                  Allowances paid to D/o Posts

                    i.                        The recommendations of 7th CPC to abolish Cycle Allowance, granted     mainly to Postmen and trackmen in Railways, has not been accepted.           Keeping in view the specific requirement of this allowance for postmen                       in Department of Posts and trackmen in Railways, the cycle allowance       is retained and the rates have been doubled from ₹90 per month to ₹180                       per month. This will benefit more than 22,200 employees.

Conclusion

While increasing the rate of allowances affecting the central government employees, especially the Defence, CAPF and Coast Guard personnel, the staff of Railways, Postal department and nursing staff, the total number of allowances have been rationalized from 197 to 128. Thus, the Government has shown a great deal of fiscal prudence and at the same time addressed the genuine concerns of the employees and responded to some of the administrative exigencies necessitating the modifications.

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Meira Kumar files nomination, says 'fight of ideology' begins

New Delhi, Jun 28 (PTI) Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar today filed her nomination in the presence of top Congress and other opposition leaders and said it marked the beginning of her "fight of ideology".

Kumar, 72, who filed her papers with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh by her side, will launch her campaign from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on June 30.

Accompanying the former Lok Sabha speaker as she filed her nomination in Parliament House were a host of opposition leaders, including NCP's Sharad Pawar and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

"For us, it is a battle of ideologies, principles and truth and we will fight it," Gandhi said.

The Congress was represented by all its chief ministers - Amarinder Singh, Siddharamaiah, Virbhadra Singh, V Narayanasamy, Mukul Sangma - and its top leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ambika Soni. Former chief ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh were there as well.

Also present were CPI's D Raja, DMK's Kanimozhi, SP's Naresh Agrawal, BSP's Satish Chandra Misra, NCP's Tariq Anwar, JMM's Sanjeev Kumar and TMC's Derek O'Brien and leaders of other opposition parties.

Gandhi and other top Congress and opposition leaders were among those who proposed and seconded Kumar's nomination.

"I have filed my nomination papers as the opposition candidate for the presidential election. Along with Sonia Gandhi, leaders of 16 opposition parties were also present as were members of the electoral college.

"From today, our fight of ideology has started. This ideology is based on democratic values, inclusiveness in society, freedom of the press and individuals, end of poverty, transparency and destruction of caste structure," Kumar said after filing her papers.

She also said she doesn't merely believe in talking about about this ideology, but in implementing it.

Among others besides Sonia Gandhi who have proposed and seconded the candidature of Kumar are former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Devegowda, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Sitaram Yechury, Derek O'Brien, Ram Gopal Yadav, D Raja, Mohd Salim, Kanimozhi, Omar Abdullah, Hemant Soren, Jai Prakash Yadav, K Jose Mani, N K Premachandran, Hafiz Bashir Ahmed, PK Kunhalikutty.

Senior Congress leaders Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel, Amarinder Singh, Virbhadra Singh, Siddaramaiah, Mukul Sangma, Lal Thanhawla and V Narayanasamy also proposed and seconded the nominations.

Kumar said she had already appealed to all members of the electoral college that this was a very important time when the country was at crossroads.

"There is one path which takes us towards narrow- mindedness and no concern for the poor and downtrodden, while the other path leads to uplift of Dalits, poor, oppressed, downtrodden, women and labour and people of all religions.

"I have urged everyone to hear the voice of their inner conscience and take the country forward," the former speaker said.

She said she would reach Sabarmati, from where she draws strength and inspiration, tomorrow evening and would start her campaign the next day. From there, she would go to Mumbai and Bengaluru and be in Bihar on July 6.

She ends her campaign on July 15.

The nomination papers will be scrutinised tomorrow.

Kumar, who will contest against NDA's Ram Nath Kovind in the July 17 presidential election, had said yesterday that it was a battle of ideologies and not a 'Dalit versus Dalit' fight as was being made out by some.

Netherlands is India's natural partner: PM Modi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mr. Mark Rutte during joint interaction with the Dutch CEOs, at Amsterdam, Netherlands on June 27, 2017.

Amsterdam, Jun 27 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that the Netherlands is a natural partner in India's economic development and thanked the key European nation for backing India's Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) membership.

"The world is inter-dependant and inter-connected. We would discuss both bilateral issues and those concerning the world," Prime Minister Modi said ahead of talks with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte.

"Ties between India and the Netherlands are very old. Our bilateral relations are very strong," he said.

He said that relations between India and the Netherlands are century old and the two countries will keep on moving towards stronger ties.

Thanking the key European nation for backing India's MTCR membership, he said, "Because of your support India got the membership of the MTCR." 

India joined the MTCR as a full member last year. MTCR membership enables India to buy high-end missile technology and also enhances its joint ventures with Russia.

The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Modi said the Netherlands is the 5th largest investment partner globally and in the last three years it has emerged as the 3rd largest source of FDI for the country.

In the joint address, Dutch Prime Minister Rutte said India's emergence as a global power is a "welcome development from both political and economic point of views." 

"Political because of the values we share with respect of rule of laws and security," he said.

He commended India for its commitment to renewal energy and to the Paris climate agreement.

He praised Modi for announcing major sustainable initiatives like 'Clean India' and 'Make in India'.

"The Netherlands is a key partner to help India achieve its goals," he said.

"India is now a global economic power. It is world's second biggest economy and Indian market has a lot of potential. We have a plenty to offer to India too," he said.

He said Europe is India's biggest trading partner and 20 per cent of India's export to Europe enters through the Netherlands.

"So, for India, we are an entry (point) to Europe," he said.

The Dutch premier said the ties is only expected to grow in coming years.

"Today we are giving fresh impetus to ties by easing the flow of capital in both directions. I believe this is one of the many ways to boost ties in the next 70 years and beyond," he said.

This year, the two countries are celebrating 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic relations.

On pan-India tour, Kovind seeks lawmakers' support in U'khand

Dehradun, June 26 (PTI) The NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind today held a meeting with MPs and MLAs of the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand at Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat's official residence here to canvass support for himself.

The closed-door meeting, chaired by the chief minister, lasted for two hours, official sources here said.

All 57 party legislators and two out of the five party MPs from the state and one Independent MLA, Pritam Singh Panwar, were present at the meeting, they said.

BJP MPs and former chief ministers Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank could not attend the meeting due to their personal engagements.

Earlier in the day, Kovind was received at the Jolly Grant airport by the chief minister who took him to his official residence. The NDA's presidential pick was gifted a shawl, an urn filled with water from the Ganga river and a book on the history of Uttarakhand.

Kovind had yesterday embarked on a nationwide tour from his home state Uttar Pradesh to garner support of various political parties for him in the July 17 presidential election.

Sources in the BJP had said a Union minister, a senior party leader and two MPs would accompany Kovind on his nationwide tour to reach out to all the members of the electoral college.

Though he would be meeting only with the MPs and MLAs who have pledged their loyalty with him, the NDA's presidential pick would appeal to all the members of the electoral college to support his candidature, they had said.

With over 62 per cent of the votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain.

Besides the BJP and its NDA allies, the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have also announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20.

Kovind filed his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 23, while opposition candidate Kumar is yet to file hers.

If elected, Kovind will be the second Dalit president after K R Narayanan.

PM-Trump talks: Civil nuclear deal to figure, no pact on reactors

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in a group-photograph with the US Business Leaders, at Washington DC, USA on June 25, 2017.
New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) The Indo-US civil nuclear deal is expected to figure during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump tomorrow, but a pact between the NPCIL and Westinghouse to build six power reactors in Andhra Pradesh is unlikely to be signed.

A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the parleys between the leaders of the world's two largest democracies, including the progress on the 2008 civil nuclear deal, according to official sources here.

They said a financial turmoil in Westinghouse and absence of a functional reference atomic plant were the main impediments behind the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's (NPCIL) unwillingness to sign the agreement with the American nuclear giant.

According to a joint statement by Modi and the then US president Barack Obama in 2015, both the sides had resolved to work towards "finalising the contractual agreement by June 2017".

However, a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then.

Westinghouse, which was acquired by Japanese conglomerate Toshiba in 2007, filed for bankruptcy in March.

Apprehending uncertainty, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the NPCIL are unwilling to go ahead with any agreement with the beleaguered company till it comes out of the financial turmoil.

"It is unlikely that we will sign an agreement with Westinghouse when the prime minister visits the US. However, we are making good use of time to hold discussions on techno- commercial aspects," a senior government official said.

An email sent by PTI to Westinghouse seeking a response from it on the issue was not replied to.

During his visit to the US on June 25-26, Modi is slated to meet Trump.

The Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreement was signed in 2008, under which Westinghouse and GE Hitachi were to build six power reactors each in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Initially, Westinghouse was allocated the Mithi Virdi site in Gujarat, but was later given the Kovvada site in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The company was to build six AP-1000 atomic reactors with a capacity of 1,208 MW each at Kovvada.

With a total capacity of 7,248 MW, the government had a plan to make it one of the largest nuclear parks in south Asia.

The official said any foreign company need to demonstrate a functional nuclear plant using the same technology. This is a pre-requisite to obtain permission from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the nuclear watchdog in the country.

Westinghouse's AP-1000 technology plants are at various stages of construction in different countries and are yet to start commercial operations.

English rendering of the text of PM’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio on 25.06.2017

My Dear Countrymen. Namaskar. The weather is changing. It has been extremely hot this year. But it is good that the monsoon is moving ahead on schedule on its natural course. The weather has become pleasant in several parts of the country with abundant showers. As a result of the rains, the cool breeze has brought about some respite from the oppressive heat of past few days. One has seen that no matter how hectic the life is, no matter how tense we are, whether its one’s personal or public life, the arrival of the rains does lift one’s spirits. 

The Car festival of Lord Jagannath, the Rath Yatra, is being celebrated in several parts of the country with great piety and fervour. This festival is now also celebrated in some parts of the world. The underprivileged of the country are deeply connected to Lord Jagannath. Those who have studied the life and works of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar, would have observed that he had wholeheartedly praised the Lord Jagannath temple and its traditions, since, social justice and social equality were inherent to these. Lord Jagannath is the God of the poor. But few would know that in English, there is a word, ‘juggernaut’ which means, a magnificent chariot, that is unstoppable. In the dictionary, the etymology of the word ‘juggernaut’ traces its roots to the chariot of Lord Jagannath. And therefore, we can observe that the world has in its own way accepted the significance of the Car Festival of Lord Jagannath, The Rath Yatra. On the occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Car Festival, I extend my heartiest greetings to all my fellow countrymen, and offer my obeisance to Lord Jagannath. 

India’s diversity is its unique characteristic, and India’s diversity is also its strength. The holy month of Ramzan is observed all across, in prayer with piety. And now the festival of Eid is here. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, my heartiest greetings to one and all. Ramzan is a month of charity, and sharing joy. The more you share joy, the more it multiplies. Let us come together and take inspiration from these holy festivals and share their joyous treasures, and take the nation forward. 

In this holy month of Ramzan, I came across a very inspiring incident at Mubarakpur village of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. About three and a half thousand families of our Muslim brethren reside in that little village and in a way, form a majority of its population. During this Ramzan the villagers decided to get together and construct toilets. Now, to construct these household toilets, the government gives financial assistance, under which, they were provided a sum of 17 lakh rupees. You will be pleasantly surprised and happy to know that, during this holy month of Ramzan, these Muslim brothers and sisters, returned this money to the government, saying, they would construct these toilets with their own labour and their own money; and that this sum of 17 lakh rupees be used for providing other facilities in the village. I felicitate the residents of Mubarakpur, for transforming the pious occasion of Ramzan into an opportunity for the welfare of society on. Each and everything about them is inspiring. And the most important of it all is that they have freed Mubarakpur of the scourge of open defecation. We know that in our country there are three states that have already been declared Open Defecation Free states, that is, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. Uttarakhand and Haryana have also been declared ODF, this week. I express my gratitude to the administration, government and especially the people of these five states, for achieving this objective. 

We know very well, that tremendous hard work is required to achieve anything worthwhile, whether it is in one’s own life or for the society. If we have bad handwriting, and we want to improve it, we have to consciously practice for a long time. Only then will the habit of the body and mind will change. Cleanliness is also similar to this. These bad habits have become a part of our nature. We have become accustomed to them. To free ourselves of these habits we will have to constantly strive and persevere. Everyone’s attention will have to be drawn. We will have to repeatedly remind ourselves of good inspirational incidents. And I’m happy to see that cleanliness is no longer confined to being a government programme. It is getting transformed into a movement by the society and the people. And when government functionaries take this initiative forward with the participation of the masses, it becomes even stronger. 

Recently I came across a wonderful incident, which I would like to share with you. This happened in the Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh. The district administration there undertook a huge task with people’s participation. From 6 a.m. on the 10th of March, till 10 am of the 14th of March. A hundred-hour non-stop campaign. And what was the objective? To construct 10,000 household toilets in 71 gram panchayats in those hundred hours. And my Dear Countrymen, you will be happy to learn that the administration and the people together did construct 10,000 toilets in hundred hours successfully. 71 villages became ODF. I congratulate the people in the government, government officials and the citizens of Vizianagaram district on this great accomplishment of achieving this feat through immense hard work and setting a very inspiring example in the process. 

These days, people have been regularly sending their suggestions for ‘Mann Ki Baat’, on the NarendraModiApp, on MyGov.in, through letters and Akashvani. 

Shri Prakash Tripathi reminiscing about the Emergency, has written, presenting 25thof June as a Dark period in the history of Democracy. Prakash Tripathi ji’s commitment to democracy is praiseworthy. Not only is Democracy a system, but also a ‘sanskar’- a part of our ethos. Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty. One needs to be constantly alert about our Democracy, that is why we must also keep remembering the events that inflicted harm upon our democracy; and at the same time move ahead, carrying forward the virtues of democracy. 1975 – 25th June – it was a dark night that no devotee of democracy can ever forget. No Indian can ever forget. The country had virtually become a prison. The voice of the opposition had been smothered. Several prominent leaders including Jai Prakash Narayan had been jailed. The judicial system too could not escape the sinister shadows of the Emergency. The press was completely muffled. The present-day students of journalism and the champions of democracy have been endeavouring towards raising awareness about that dark period, by constant reminders, and should continue to do so. Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji was also in jail at that time. After one year of Emergency, Atal ji wrote a poem, in which he describes the state of mind during those turbulent times. 


The scorching summer month,
The sad winter moonlight,
The sobbing monsoon,
An emptiness pervading within
An entire year has gone by.

The world confined behind bars,
But the soul like a restless bird
The freedom song resonates
From the earth to the sky,
An entire year has gone by.

The eyes are in anticipation
Counting days and moments
The beloved who went away,
Shall return one day,
An entire year has gone by.

The believers of democracy fought a prolonged war, and the great nation that India is, where the spirit of democracy pervades the very being of all its people, the strength of that spirit was demonstrated when the opportunity of elections came. We have to further fortify that legacy. 

My dear countrymen, every Indian today, is proud and holds his head high. 21st June 2017 – Yoga has permeated the entire world. From the seashores to the mountains, people welcomed the first rays of the sun, with Yoga. Which Indian wouldn’t be proud of this! It isn’t as if Yoga didn’t exist before, but now the threads of Yoga have bound everyone together, and have become the means to unite the world. Almost all the countries in the world made Yoga Day their own. In China, Yoga was practiced on the Great Wall of China, and on the World Heritage site of Machu Picchu in Peru, at 2400 metres above sea level. In France, yoga was performed in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower. In Abu Dhabi in UAE, more than 4000 persons participated in mass yoga. In Herat, in Afghanistan, on the India Afghan Friendship Dam, Salma Dam, Yoga added a new aspect to India’s friendship. In a small country like Singapore, programs were organised in 70 places, with a week long campaign. On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, the UN released ten stamps. A ‘Yoga Session with Yoga Masters’ was organised at the UN headquarters. The staff of the UN and diplomats from across the world participated. 

Yoga has created a world record again this time also. In Ahmedabad in Gujarat, around 55 thousand people performed Yoga together and created a new world record. I too had the opportunity to participate in the Yoga event held in Lucknow. But I also had the good fortune to practice Yoga in the rain for the first time. Our soldiers practiced yoga in Siachen where temperatures reach minus 20, 25, 40 degrees. Whether it is our armed forces, or the BSF, ITBP, CRPF and CISF, each one of them, apart from their duties has made Yoga a part of their lives. On this Yoga Day, since this was the third International Day of Yoga, I had asked you to share photos of three generations of the family doing yoga together. Some TV channels also took this idea forward. I received a lot of photographs out of which, selected photographs are compiled and uploaded on the NarendraModiApp. One significant outcome of the way the yoga is being talked about all around the world is the portent that today’s health conscious society is now taking steps from fitness to wellness, and they have realised that fitness is, of course, important, but for true wellness, yoga is the best way. 

Sound bite. 

“Respected Prime Minister Sir, I am Dr. Anil Sonara speaking from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Sir, I have a question. Recently in Kerala, we heard you speak about replacing bouquets that we give as gifts, with good books as mementos. You had started this practice while you were in office in Gujarat, Sir, but in the recent days we have not been seeing much of this. So, can we do something about it? Is there nothing we can do to have this implemented throughout the country, Sir?” 

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to one of my favorite events. A very good programme is being run in Kerala for the past few years, by the P.N. Panicker Foundation, which encourages people to cultivate the habit of reading books and to enhance their awareness towards this, by organising celebrations such as ‘Reading Day’, and ‘Reading Month’. I had the opportunity to go for the inaugural function, where I was told that instead of bouquets, they gift books. I liked it. Thus I was also reminded of what had slipped my mind. Because when I was in Gujarat, I had set this tradition of welcoming, by not giving bouquets, but books or handkerchiefs instead. And that too, a ‘Khadi’ handkerchief, so that it promotes ‘Khadi’. Till the time I was in Gujarat, this habit had been ingrained in us, but after coming here, I had lost that habit. When I went to Kerala, it was rekindled. I have already begun to issue instructions in the government. Here too we can gradually nurture this habit. And the life span of a bouquet is very short. You receive it in your hand for a moment and then abandon it. But when you present a book, it becomes a part of the household, a part of the family. One can also use a ‘Khadi’ handkerchief to welcome people, and be a support to the innumerable underprivileged. The expenses are reduced as well, and the gift is well utilized too. I say this, thinking of the historical value of such gifts. During my past UK visit, in London, the Queen of Britain, Queen Elizabeth had invited me to dine with her. The atmosphere was imbued with maternal warmth, and I was served with great affection. Afterwards when she showed me a small thread-spun khadi handkerchief, her eyes lit up. With great respect and in an emotion filled voice, she said, that Mahatma Gandhi had sent this handkerchief to her as a wedding gift. So many years have passed and yet, Queen Elizabeth has treasured the handkerchief gifted by Mahatma Gandhi. And she was happy to show it to me, when I went there. As I gazed at it, the Queen encouraged me to touch it. A small gift by Mahatma Gandhi, has become a part of her life and a part of history. I know that these habits do not change overnight, and when we talk about it, we invite criticism. Despite that, one should keep talking about it, and keep making the effort. Now, I cannot say that if I go somewhere and somebody brings a bouquet I will refuse it. No, I won’t do that, but we will talk about it even though there is criticism, and then gradually, the change will happen. 

My dear countrymen, as Prime Minister, there are numerous tasks to be handled. I have to remain deeply absorbed in files, but for my own self, I have developed a habit of reading daily, at least a few of the letters I receive and because of that I get a chance to connect with the common man. I get a variety of letters, written by all sorts of people. Recently, I had the opportunity to read a letter, which I feel, I should share with you. From the far south, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Arulmozhi Sarvanan, a housewife, sent me a letter. And what was in that letter? She wrote, that she thought about engaging in some economic activity keeping in mind her responsibilities such as children’s education, to lend some financial assistance to her family. She got some money from the bank, under the ‘Mudra’ Scheme and commenced working towards procuring some items from the market for sale. Then she came to know of the ‘Government E-Marketplace’ system initiated by the government. She tried to find out the details, and asked people about it. And then she registered herself for the scheme. Here I want to tell my countrymen, that if you get the opportunity, you should also visit, the E-G-E-M, E-GEM website on the Internet. This is a great new system. Whoever wants to supply any item to the government, small things such as electric bulbs, dustbins, brooms, chairs and tables, they can register themselves. They can mention the quality of the goods, the rate at which they sell, and it is compulsory for the government departments to visit the site and see whether the supplier can supply the goods at reasonable prices without compromising on the quality. And then the orders can be placed. That is how the middlemen can be removed from the system. The entire process becomes transparent. There is no interface. Everything is done through technology. So, when people register in E-GEM, all the government departments become aware of them. As there are no middlemen, the goods are available at very reasonable rates. Now whatever goods Arulmozhi Madam could supply, she got all those registered on this government website. And the best part is, what she has written in this letter is very interesting. She has written that she got the money from the ‘Mudra’ Scheme and started her business, then she registered the inventory of all her products on the E-GEM website, and then she got an order from the Prime Minister’s Office. It was news to me also, I wondered what the PMO would have ordered. She wrote that the PMO had ordered two thermoses, and she was paid Rupees 1600/-. This is empowerment. This is an opportunity for encouraging entrepreneurship. Had Arulmozhi not written to me I wouldn’t have realised that because of E-GEM, a housewife living far away and running a small business can have the items on her inventory purchased directly by the Prime Minister’s Office. This is the nation’s strength. This has transparency, this has empowerment, this has entrepreneurship too. Government E-Marketplace - GEM. I would certainly like that whoever wishes to sell their products or business items to the government, should increasingly get connected with this website. I believe that this is an excellent example of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance, and it’s objective is Minimum Price and Maximum Ease, Efficiency and Transparency. 

My dear countrymen, on the one hand, we take pride in Yoga, on the other we can also take pride in our achievements in space science. And this is the unique attribute of India, that whereas we have our feet firmly on the ground with Yoga, we have our dreams to soar beyond horizons to far away skies. Recently, India has had many achievements in sports, as well as science. Today, India’s flag is flying high not only on earth but also in space. Just two days ago, ISRO launched 30 Nano satellites with the ‘Cartosat-2 Series Satellite.’ And besides India, these satellites are of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and America, nearly 14 such countries. And with India’s Nano Satellite Mission, we will get a lot of help in the field of agriculture, farming, and dealing with natural disasters. We are all aware that a few days ago, ISRO has successfully launched the GSAT-19. And of all the satellites launched by India, this was the heaviest satellite. The newspapers of our country have compared it with elephantine weights. You can well imagine the magnitude of the achievement of our scientists in space. On the 19th of June, our Mars Mission completed one thousand days. You may be aware that when we had successfully created a place for the Mars Mission in orbit, this entire mission was planned for a duration of 6 months. It had a life expectancy of 6 months. But I’m happy that the strength of the endeavours of our scientists has been such that not only has this crossed six months; even after a thousand days, our Mangalyaan Mission is at work, sending images, providing information, collating scientific data, way beyond its expected duration and life expectancy. The completion of one thousand days, is an important milestone in our scientific journey, our space odyssey. 

These days we see that our youth are getting increasingly inclined to the field of sports. It is becoming evident that along with studies, our new generations can see a future in sports as well. And our sportspersons, through their prowess, skills and accomplishments win laurels for the country as well. Recently India’s Badminton player, Kidambi Shrikant has brought glory to the nation by winning Indonesia Open. I extend my heartiest congratulations to him and his coach for this victory. I had the opportunity, a few days ago to be associated with the inaugural function of the Synthetic Track of the renowned athlete, P.T. Usha’s Usha School of Athletics. The more we promote sports, the more we see the spirit of sportsmanship. Sports play an important role in personality development also. There is a great significance of sports in overall personality development. There is no dearth of talent in our country. If the children in our family are interested in sports, they should be given opportunities. They should not be forced off the playing fields to be locked in rooms with books. They should study as well, if they can do well in studies, they should certainly do so, but if they have the potential and the inclination to do well in sports, that should be encouraged and supported by the school, college, family and all the people around them. Each one should nurture dreams for the next Olympics. 

My dear countrymen, let me mention once again, that this Season of Rains, with its abundance of festivals and festivities, brings with it a unique new feeling of the times. I extend my heartiest greetings to you all, until the next episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, when I shall share my thoughts with you once again. Namaskar. 

Modi launches India-Portugal Intl Startup Hub in Lisbon

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi with the Prime Minister of Portugal, Mr. Antonio Costa at the Joint Press Statements, at Lisbon, Portugal on June 24, 2017.

Lisbon, Jun 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa today launched the India-Portugal International Startup Hub, a platform developed to strengthen and foster the connection between the startup ecosystem of the two countries.

"Start-up sphere is an interesting space for cooperation.

It is a great means to generate value and wealth for society," Modi said.

The India-Portugal International StartUp Hub (IPISH) is a platform for all stakeholders of the startup ecosystem in India, including startups, investors, mentors, incubators, accelerators, aspiring entrepreneurs, service providers and government bodies, the hub's official website said.

It not only provides an opportunity to connect with other members of the ecosystem but also gives access to important resources such as its learning and development programme, information about relevant government schemes, a forum to brainstorm and discuss, news and blogs among others, it said.

The platform has been initiated by Startup India and supported by the Commerce & Industry Ministry and Startup Portugal to create a mutually supportive entrepreneurial partnership.

IPISH hosts a range of tools and will provide information on the start-up hotspots of Bangalore, Delhi and Lisbon; and on associated subjects, such as policy, taxation, and visa options. It will develop a Go-To-Market Guide to support start-ups.

IPISH is expected to help in mutual capacity building, and enable connections between start-ups, investors, and incubators from relevant sectors. It is also expected to establish a network of honorary ambassadors based in India and Portugal to guide start-ups from both countries.

There are strong complementarities between India and Portugal in the start-up sector. Portugal has one of the highest rates of business creation in Europe and has emerged as one of the most vibrant European eco-systems for entrepreneurship.

Modi is the first Indian prime minister in Portugal for a bilateral visit. He has said his one-day visit to the country will further strengthen relations between India and Portugal.

Earlier, Modi held bilateral talks with Portugal's Prime Minister Costa who is partially of Indian-origin.

Rupee halts 3-day slide v/s USD; up 7 paise at 64.52

Mumbai, Jun 23 (PTI) The rupee rebounded from a 3-week low against the American currency and ended higher by 7 paise at 64.52 following fresh bouts of dollar selling amid weak undertone overseas.

Robust capital inflows into the equities and debt predominantly supported the domestic currency even as forex market continues to price in a rate rise by the Federal Reserve as a near-term risk.

Though, forex trading sentiment was by and large tepid and becalmed for yet another day, hampered by lack of key triggers even as traders refrained from taking any fresh positions ahead of a long weekend.

Crude oil prices steadied- after hitting ten-month lows in the middle of this week.

Domestic equities retreated sharply as cautious investors booked profits in key heavyweights ahead of the extended weekend amid increased global economic uncertainty in the face of stunning fall in crude prices.

Foreign funds turned net buyers after recent spell of offloading and bought Indian equities worth Rs 192.68 crore yesterday, as per the provisional figures.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (forex) market, the local unit resumed higher at 64.56 from overnight closing value of 64.59 supported by fresh selling of the American currency by banks and exporters.

It was later trapped in a narrow range of 64.42 and 64.5925 before concluding at 64.52, showing a gain of 7 paise, or 0.11 per cent.

The Indian unit has lost 16 paise in last three days.

Forex market will be closed on Monday for Eid holiday.

The RBI, meanwhile, fixed the reference rate for the dollar at 64.5365 and for the euro at 72.0808.

On the global front, the greenback traded lower against other major currencies on Friday as traders were looking to US inflation data due next week to provide clues on the Federal Reserve's likely interest rate policy.

The dollar index, which tracks the US currency against a basket of six major rivals, was down at 97.09.

Euro climbs higher as euro zone manufacturing activity hit a 6-year high.

In cross-currency trades, the rupee drifted back against the pound sterling to settle at 82.10 from 81.87 per pound, but regained against the Euro to finish at 72.02 from 72.15 earlier.

The home currency, however held steady against the Japanese Yen at 58.00 per 100 yens.

PSLV-C38 Successfully Launches 31 Satellites in a Single Flight

ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C38 successfully launched the 712 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites today from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the thirty ninth consecutively successful mission of PSLV. 

PSLV-C38 lifted off at 0929 hrs (9:29 am) IST, as planned, from the First Launch Pad. After a flight of about 16 minutes, the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 505 km inclined at an angle of 97.44 degree to the equator (very close to the intended orbit) and in the succeeding seven and a half minutes, all the 31 satellites successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence beginning with Cartosat-2 series satellite, followed by NIUSAT and 29 customer satellites. The total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV now stands at 48. 

After separation, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed automatically and ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide various remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras. 

One of the 30 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C38 was the 15 kg NIUSAT, a University/Academic Institute satellite from Nurul Islam University, Tamil Nadu, India. The remaining 29 co-passenger satellites carried were international customer satellites from USA (10), United Kingdom (3), Belgium (3), Italy (3), Austria (1), Chile (1), Czech Republic (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (1), Japan (1), Latvia (1), Lithuania (1) and Slovakia (1). 

With today’s successful launch, the total number of customer satellites from abroad placed in orbit by India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV has reached 209.