Page 5 - Jitendra Singh

LS Polls: 1,400 polling stations to have webcasting facilities in Udhampur

A total of 1,472 polling stations out of 2,637 will be equipped with webcasting facilities in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur parliamentary constituency which is going to polls in the first phase on April 19, officials said. More than 16.23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 12 candidates, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in the fray from the constituency consisting of 18 assembly segments spanning five districts -- Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur and Kathua. The constituency, which was reshaped with three assembly constituencies of Reasi district carved out on the recommendations of the delimitation commission, had recorded 70.2 per cent polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Encompassing an expansive area of 16,707 square kilometres, the constituency boasts of a diverse electorate comprising 16,23,195 eligible voters. Among them are 8,45,283 male voters, 7,77,899 female voters and 13 third-gender voters, reflecting the inclusivity of the democratic process, they said. To

Parliament passes bill to curb malpractices in competitive examinations

Parliament on Friday passed a landmark bill that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations by including stringent punitive provisions, with Union Minister Jitendra Singh asserting that the bill is meant to deter those who play with the future of the youth. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, passed in Rajya Sabha, has provisions for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine up to Rs 1 crore. The bill was passed through a voice vote in Rajya Sabha on Friday, after amendments proposed by some opposition members were rejected. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on February 6. Replying to a discussion on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, said the youth power of the country is "vital" and made it clear that the bill is meant to deter those who are playing with their future. "We can't allow vital youth power of this country to be surrendered or sacrificed in the hands

Highlights of the day: Budget session to be extended by a day till Feb 10

Updates: From CM Dhami tabling the UCC Bill in the Uttarakhand assembly to the devastating wildfires in Chile, catch all the latest updates from around the world here

LS passes bill to tackle malpractices, irregularities in competitive exams

A bill, which seeks to deal sternly with malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations with provisions for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine up to Rs 1 crore, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Piloting The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, Union minister Jitendra Singh said its provisions are meant to safeguard the interest of meritorious students and candidates. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha after rejecting amendments proposed by the opposition members. Singh said the government "will not allow meritorious (candidates) to be sacrificed at the alter of organised crimes". He added that the students and candidates do not fall in the purview of this bill and there will ne no harm to job aspirants. The move comes against the backdrop of cancellation of a series of competitive tests such as the teacher recruitment exam in Rajasthan, Common Eligibility Test (CET) for Group-D posts in Haryana, recruitment exam for junior cle

From women's participation to women-led development: Jitendra Singh

"...Indian women have graduated from the role of participation to the role of leadership and women's participation has evolved into women-led development," Singh said in a press conference on Tuesday

Viksit Bharat Sankalp has transformed govt work culture: Jitendra Singh

Earlier people had to go to government offices to get their work done but now the government has come to citizens' doorsteps, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday at a Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra event. The yatra, launched in November last year, is being undertaken across the country with an aim to attain saturation of flagship government schemes by ensuring that their benefits reach all targeted beneficiaries in a time-bound manner. "Through the 50-day yatra, there has been a change in mindset and social culture," Singh said. Earlier people had to go to government departments and officials to get their work done and seek delivery of services. This has been changed as it is now the government that has come to the doorsteps of citizens to serve them directly, he said at the event in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. "This has transformed the existing work culture," Singh said while speaking about the Viksit Bharat Sankalp initiative at Bhorthain panchayat in the ...

Gaganyaan mission: Isro to carry out final launch in 2025, says MoS Singh

Stating that 2024 is "very important" for the 'Gaganyaan', Singh said that multiple tests will be carried out to achieve the objectives of the mission

Good Governance Day: Govt launches new features on Mission Karmayogi portal

The Centre will launch curated training programmes for government employees on Good Governance Day on Monday, an official statement said. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is going to celebrate Good Governance Day on December 25, the statement issued on Sunday said. Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel, will launch three new features on the iGOT (integrated government online training) Karmayogi platform: My iGOT, blended programmes, and curated programmes, it said. My iGOT delivers targeted training courses on the home page of individual officers that directly address the unique capacity-building needs of the officer as identified in the capacity-building plan for their ministries/departments thereby facilitating a highly personalised, focused and targeted capacity-building experience, it said. More than 28 lakh users have onboarded the platform till now with about 830 high-quality e-learning courses being made available on the platform, said the statement

Rise in tourist footfall in Kashmir shows improved security: Minister

Nearly two crore tourist footfall in Kashmir this year speak for the improved security situation in the Valley, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday and asserted that security agencies are taking necessary measures to counter terrorist activities. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Kathua district, he said it was not right to say that the security situation was deteriorating. About the ambush by terrorists who targeted two Army vehicles, killing five soldiers and injuring two, in Poonch district on Thursday, Singh said, "We cannot ignore these types of incidents and the agencies concerned are taking necessary measures to counter these." "About two crore tourists visited Kashmir this year... the number speaks for itself about the improved security situation in the Valley. The tourists visit any place only after making sure that it is safe for them and their families," the minister said. On the Supreme Court verdict on December 11 upholding the abrogatio

Centre received 194,500 public grievances so far this year: Jitendra Singh

The Centre received 19.45 lakh public grievances between January and November this year on the Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. The CPGRAMS is a web-based portal where citizens can file their grievances pertaining to the ministries and departments of government of India or states/UTs. "CPGRAMS receives about 20 lakh grievances on average every year from the public. In the year 2023, CPGRAMS portal has received 19.45 lakh citizen grievances (up to November 30) and about 19.60 lakh grievances, including backlog grievances, have been disposed of," Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in a written reply. He said the government has formulated a 10-step reform to ensure effective redressal of public grievances. This includes enhancing the capacity of CPGRAMS with the help next generation AI-enabled technology, breaking language barriers by making CPGRAMS available in all scheduled languages, establishment of da

Udhampur has been in top 3 in PMGSY scheme, says Union Min Jitendra Singh

We are working at a fast pace to ensure that the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches every village and every person," he added

India considering development of SMRs to fulfil clean energy transition

India is considering steps for the development of small modular reactors to fulfil its commitment to clean energy transition, Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Singh said small modular reactors (SMRs), with their unique features of modularity, scalability, small footprint and improved safety, present themselves as an attractive option for repurposing of retiring coal-based thermal power station sites. "In order to move away from fossil fuel consumption, SMRs can be installed and operated for repurposing the ageing fossil fuel-based power plants," said Singh, who is the Union Minister of State in the PMO and also oversees the functioning of the Department of Atomic Energy. Singh said there is a thrust the world over for a strategy to use nuclear power that can reduce the reliance on fossil fuels over the coming years. He said deploying SMRs across the country, especially in locations not suitabl

Pensioners generate 11.5 million digital life certificates: Centre

As many as 1.15 crore digital life certificates were generated by pensioners across the country during the recently concluded special campaign, an official statement issued on Friday said. Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh complimented the Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare for the successful conclusion of the nationwide digital life certificates (DLCs) campaign 2.0 from November 1 to 30, it said. He said that the campaign was conducted to implement the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the digital empowerment of Pensioners, according to the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry. Singh said the government was deeply committed to improving pensioners' welfare and the campaign was an important step for the ease of living of pensioners. During the nationwide campaign, which was held in 100 cities at 597 locations, 1.15 crore DLCs were generated, including 38.47 lakh for central government pensioners, 16.15 lakh

India's space economy set to reach $40 bn by 2040, says Jitendra Singh

India's space economy is poised to reach USD 40 billion by 2040, and scientists will also enjoy a better working environment, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said here. The Minister of State for Science and Technology & Atomic Energy and Space (Independent Charge) said that some foreign agencies like the AKD have predicted that this figure could even go up to USD 100 billion by 2040. "At present, our space economy is not very impressive, as we have just about USD 8 million. But we are moving in quantum jumps, and in the foreign satellite launch alone, we have earned about EUR 230240 million for launching European satellites and about USD 170-180 million for launching American satellites," Singh said. He was speaking to PTI after inaugurating the 60th-anniversary celebrations of ISRO's rocket launch here on Saturday. Singh said that with the establishment of the National Research Foundation, Anu Sandhan, a better model of similar foundations existing in US, a significant industry ...

Centre to speed up cleanliness drives after earning Rs 1,162 cr from scrap

The Centre has earned Rs 1,162 crore from scrap disposal during its special cleanliness drives and plans are afoot to further accelerate it with the help of the states, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said on Monday. The cleanliness campaigns carried out at over four lakh sites have resulted in weeding out nearly 96.10 lakh files, including electronic files, besides freeing up 355.50 lakh square feet of space, which can house a huge shopping complex or a mall, he said. "As much as Rs 1,162.49 crore has been earned through disposal of office scrap, including e-waste such as old computers and other electronic items. The cleanliness drive has become India's largest campaign for institutionalising 'swachata'," Singh told PTI. He said without spending a significant sum, the government has been able to earn so many crores of revenue through the cleanliness campaign, "which, in my opinion, is a huge success". The revenue of Rs 1,162.49 crore was earned in the three ..

J-K's Kishtwar to emerge as North India's major power hub: Jitendra Singh

During his address, Singh said that 6 to 7 major Hydropower projects have come in the region in a short span of 9 to 10 years ever since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister

J-K's Kishtwar to soon emerge as north India's power hub: Jitendra Singh

Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar is all set to emerge as north India's "major power hub" with the generation of around 6,000 MW of electricity after the completion of the ongoing power projects, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office, was on an extensive tour of the remote areas of the hill district of Kishtwar, part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency. He visited Gulabgarh in the Paddar area and the far-off Massu village, where he also inaugurated the new school set up by 'Shiksha Bharti' for village children. The Union Minister, who is also a renowned physician and diabetologist, also participated in the multi-speciality medical camp organised by the Army at Gulabgarh. Six to seven major hydropower projects have come up in the region in a short span of 9 to 10 years ever since Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister," Singh said addressing a public meeting in Gulabgarh. The largest capacity project is

India-Sweden partnership pivotal in addressing global challenges: Minister

Nine Swedish companies have joined hands with India bolstering the commitment to nurturing bilateral relations and advancing green technologies, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday. The Science and Technology Minister made the comments on 10th India-Sweden Innovation Day, focusing on the theme "Accelerating Green Growth". "In a significant development this year, nine Swedish companies have joined hands with India, bolstering our commitment to nurturing bilateral relations and advancing green technologies. Our partnership is pivotal in addressing global challenges and aligning with the United Nations' sustainability goals," Singh said. Andreas Carlson, Minister of Infrastructure, Sweden, stated, "The innovation partnership underlines our commitment to tackling pressing challenges like green energy and sustainable development." "The relations between our nations are poised to grow even stronger in the years ahead as Sweden, renowned for its innovation prowess, complements ..

NEP will address challenges in teaching-learning English: Jitendra Singh

The Technology & Bharatiya Bhasha summit aimed to facilitate a smooth transition from the current education system to one rooted in 'Bharatiya' languages, to better align with the vision of NEP 2020

Capacity building plan aimed at rationalising deployment of staff: Minister

Launching the new capacity building plan on Wednesday, Union minister Jitendra Singh said the initiative is aimed at training officers and rationalising their deployment depending on the skills and acquired competencies. "The administrative reforms initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are aimed at creating an efficient, transparent and corruption-free administration," said Singh, the minister of state for personnel. The minister launched the capacity building plan (CBP) for government employees at the headquarters of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) here. The plan has been rolled out by the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) in consultation with the DoPT. Speaking on the occasion, Singh said the CBP is a new initiative by PM Modi to train officers and rationalise deployment of officers and staff depending on the skills and acquired competencies, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said. "It lays emphasis on transformation of government offices," he ..