Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at India House on 9 January 2016

Transcription

1 Ist Issue of January 2016 Vol.14 Issue:01 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Consulate of India, Edinburgh Pg-2 Smart Cities Pg-4-5 Make In India Initiative Pg-6 PURI: A place of sanctity and natural beauty Pg-8 PM launches Start-up India movement, unveils action plan for encouraging Start-ups The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched the Start-up India initiative in New Delhi on 16 January The event was preceded by a day-long workshop on various aspects of entrepreneurship. The Prime Minister visited a virtual exhibition and interacted with 10 outstanding innovators shared their thoughts and experiences before the Prime Minister delivered his address. He said that when he had launched the Startup India Initiative on 15 August 2015, the announcement had virtually gone unnoticed, but now it had registered with people. He said successful start-ups are usually created by those who are driven by an idea, or an urge to solve a problem that people face. He said making money is not the primary objective, but is often a by-product. He said Start-up innovators are often driven by a sense of compassion for others. The Prime Minister said he wishes to turn the youth of India from job-seekers to job-creators. He said if a Start-up can offer employment to even five people, it would be doing a great service to the nation. He mentioned some areas where youth innovators should focus, including crop wastage, and cyber security. The Prime Minister unveiled the highlights of the Start-up Action Plan. He said a dedicated Start-up fund worth Rs. 10,000 crore (1.03 billion GBP) will be created for funding of Start-ups. He said Start-ups will be exempted from paying income tax on their profit for NEW INCENTIVES FOR START-UPS: n Self-Certification regime n Hassle free Registration through Mobile app n No Labour Inspections for initial 3 years n Income Tax Relief for first 3 years n Incubation centres to support Start-Ups across the country n 80% Rebate on patent application n Credit Guarantee Fund for Start-Ups n Easy Exit with help of the proposed Bankruptcy Code the first three years. He said the Government is working on a simple exit policy for Start-ups. He also said the Government is working towards fasttracking of Start-up patent applications. He announced an eighty percent exemption in patent fee for Start-up businesses, and said a self-certification based compliance system for Start-ups would be introduced for 9 labour and environment laws. He said the Atal Innovation Mission will be launched to give a boost to innovation. New High Commissioner assumes charge The High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom Mr. Navtej Sarna assumed charge on 10 January Prior to his move to London, Mr. Sarna served as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Born in 1957, Mr. Sarna studied Commerce at Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi ( ). Thereafter he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Law from Delhi University and joined the Indian Foreign Service in In the course of his career in the IFS, he has served in a variety of positions in Delhi and abroad. Between 1980 and 2002, he worked in Indian Embassies in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Tehran and Washington interspersed with assignments at Headquarters. He was the longest serving Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs holding that position from 2002 to Thereafter, he was India's Ambassador to Israel till Returning to Headquarters in August 2012, he took charge of the International Organizations & Political portfolio as Additional/Special Secretary before taking over the post of Secretary (West). Navtej Sarna is the author of several works of fiction and non-fiction. He speaks Russian and Polish apart from English and Indian languages. He is married to Dr. Avina Sarna; they have a son and a daughter. Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at India House on 9 January 2016 The High Commission of India celebrated the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in London on 9th January This coincided with the main event held annually in India with the participation of the Indian diaspora from across the world. The programme began with a video-conference at India House. A major feature of the event was a live telecast of the External Affairs Minister's keynote address to the assembled audience of people of Indian origin, followed by her interactive session with members of the diaspora from the UK, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore and the UAE. In the evening, a reception was held at India House that was was attended by over 200 British Indians representing different walks of life. UK Justice Minister Mr. Shailesh Vara (PBD Awardee ) was the Chief Guest. MPs Alok Sharma, Virendra Sharma, Bob Blackman and Lord Raj Loomba (PBD Awardee- 2015) were also present. All these prominent guests also spoke on the occasion, highlighting their commitment to promoting deeper engagement between India and British Indians in diverse areas. In his opening remarks, the Acting High Commissioner included the gist of the External Affairs Minister's keynote address delivered that morning. continued on page 2

2 2 Ist Issue of January 2016 continued from page 1 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at... A detailed reference was also made to the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre's (OIFC) initiative of offering corporate internships in India to overseas Indian youth. The following presentations were made by the corresponding Indian community leaders/profes sionals: n Ways and means of realising the full potential of the involvement of the Indian Diaspora in the Government of India's flagship programmes. :- Mr. Pratik Dattani, Managing Director of EPG Economic and Strategy Consulting, and Director - UK for FICCI. n How can India connect with the next generation of Diaspora youth leveraging technology and social media tools? : - Mr. Manoj Ladwa, CEO of India Inc. n India's transition to an advanced Knowledge Economy, Leveraging the Indian Diaspora: - Ms. Sanam Arora, President of National Indian Students Union UK. n Health, Medicine and medical tourism and smart Medical cities: - Dr. Ajay Rajan Gupta, MD & Group CEO of Indo UK institutes of Health. n India's traditional sciences in respect of holistic healthcare & wellness facilities: - Mr. Amar Jeet Singh Bhambra, Indian Traditional science practitioner and Secretariat, All Party Parliament Group (APPG) on Traditional Indian Sciences. Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at Consulate General of India, Edinburgh The Consulate in Edinburgh, in collaboration with the Association of Indian Organizations (AIO), also held a Pravasi Bhartiya Divas event on 9 January 2016 at the Mel Milaap Centre in Glasgow. Around 50 members of the Indian community, including local councillors and prominent businessmen, represe ntative of various Indian organizations, attended the event. The gathering was addressed by the Acting Consul General. After the event, a Consular camp at the venue was held for on-the-spot resolution of consular issues. India on course to be world's third largest economy post-2030 According to a new study conducted by the UK think tank Centre for Economics Business and Research (CEBR), India is on course to become the world's third biggest economy after Its rise could lead to both France and Italy being ousted from the select G8 group, or, alternatively, the group's membership could be increased to a 'G10', allowing for the entry of rising stars India and Brazil. The CEBR report also predicts that, as early as 2029, China will overtake the US as the largest global economy, leaving the US in second place, with India a close third. Figures quoted in the report give India's anticipated GDP in 2030 as $10,133 billion-less than a third of the US', which is placed at $32,996 billion-while China sits at the top with a projected GDP of $34,338 billion. But, according to the study, India is beginning to draw level economically with China, and its economy is forecast to surpass that of China in the second half of the century. What is more, India is set to become the Commonwealth's largest economy in 2019, surging ahead of Britain, which will move up to take the world's fourth place, with Brazil completing the top five. The CEBR report projects that France and Italy, Europe's third and fourth largest economies respectively, will struggle to remain in the G8-the world's elite economic club-over the next 15 years, and may be replaced by India and Brazil, unless the group expands to allow for membership of the latter two nations. By 2030, France may have fallen in the world economic ranking from fifth to ninth place, while Italy, which is now eighth, is also facing difficult times since joining the Euro in Prospects for both Britain and Germany, however, are less bleak, says the report. Boosted by the arrival of much-needed refugees and migrants, Germany will hold on to its place as both Europe's largest economy and one of the strongest in the world, while the UK's thriving IT sector means it is poised to become the best performing economy in the western world over the next 15 years.

3 Ist Issue of January Mr. Hugo Swire, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs welcomed His Excellency Navtej Sarna, Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom on 12 January 2016 at Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London The new High Commissioner of India H.E. Mr. Navtej Sarna, welcomed by High Commission officials at India House on 11 January 2016 External Affairs Minister's video conference interaction and Pravasi Bhartiya Divas-2016 celebrations with Indian-origin community at India House on 9 January 2016 India Tourism Update hosted by Government of India Tourist Office and High Commission of India at India House on 7 January 2016

4 4 Ist Issue of January 2016 India: Charting a New Reform Path In an environment where economic growth is modest, India today stands as a bright spot among the global economies. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report has projected India's growth for 2015 at 7.3%, and rising to 7.5%in In its report dated 12th November 2015, the IMF said that while emerging economy growth remains fragile and could be derailed in an environment of declining commodity prices, reduced capital flows, and higher financial market volatility, India's growth will benefit from recent policy reforms, a consequent pickup in investment, and lower commodity prices. Moody's ratings revised India's sovereign rating outlook to "positive" from "stable". Foreign direct investment flows during the reached US$ 44 billion. FDI has also for the first time in seven years exceeded the current account deficit. The government's continued push towards FDI liberalization will continue to aid FDI flows. The Financial Times of London in its ranking of the top destinations for greenfield investment (measured by estimated capital expenditure) in the first half of 2015 shows India at number one, having attracted roughly $31 billion, $3 billion more than China and $4 billion more than the US. Administrative reforms, simplification of approval processes, including online project approval and easier environmental clearance procedures, are expected to improve business sentiment and the ease of doing business in India. The Project Monitoring Group (PMG) set up under the Cabinet is reviewing a total of 704 projects worth US$ 451 billion, which have not received approvals because of hurdles like lack of fuel, green clearances and land acquisition with investments. To date the PMG has cleared a total of 411 projects entailing investments of US$ 253 billion. The government has set an ambitious deadline of 2016 for implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST). A clear cut road map for lowering corporate tax from 30% to 25% over the next 4 years has been laid down. Other forward looking initiatives by the government include nod for IPOs/FPOs by banks to raise funds, as long as government equity remains 52% or over. Nod for real estate and infrastructure investment trusts, with tax benefits. Cabinet nod for 100 Smart Cities Project. US$130 billion proposed spending on railways over five years on schemes including high-speed trains. Successful conclusion of two rounds of coal block auctions, more lined up. Impasse in mining sector ended with the passage of new bill for regulation and development. Successful conclusion of auctions for telecom spectrum for mobile telephony and broadband. Single-window scheme for various clearances to steel, coal and power projects. Clarity in tax treatment on income of foreign fund whose fund managers are located in India, as also on transfer pricing for resident and nonresident tax payers and waiving of retrospective imposition of a minimum alternative tax (MAT) affecting foreign funds. In November 2015 the Cabinet approved a bailout plan for state government-owned electricity distribution companies (Discoms) in a move that could fundamentally change India's power sector and also reduce the stress on books of banks that have loaned money to these financially unsound utilities. The rescue plan, called Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY), which is optional and to be operationalised through signing of a tripartite MoU (between Ministry of Power, the concerned State Government and the Discom) seeks to provide a solution to State Discoms and empower them to break-even in next 2-3 years. November 2015 also saw the government awarding contracts to set up two locomotive plants. The contracts are two of the first and the largest to be awarded to foreign firms since India last year allowed 100% FDI in the railway sector. General Electric Co. (GE) will build a diesel locomotive factory and Alstom SA will set up an electric locomotive in the state of Bihar. The plants will be set up at an estimated cost of around Rs. 2,052 crore and Rs. 1,294 crore respectively. The two projects involve manufacturing 1,000 diesel locomotives and 800 electric locomotives over the next 10 years and are together worth about Rs. 40,000 crore. While the Railways will have 26% equity and provide land, the foreign companies will have a stake of the remaining 74% in each of the plants. The plants will be up and running within 3 years and 80% of all parts used in the manufacture of the locomotives will be sourced locally. Medium-term growth prospects have also improved following recent policy initiatives towards unlocking coal and other mining activity, liberalization of FDI limits (100% in railways, 49% in insurance, and 49% in defence with the caveat that FDI in defence could go up to 100% with the control vested in the hands of the Indian JV partner and approval be secured from the government) and a renewed thrust on public investment in infrastructure, which would help to improve the investment climate. To boost the investment environment in the country, the government on November 10, 2015 further eased FDI norms across 15 sectors. Some of the new FDI norms include: composite FDI cap in the Banking sector has been raised to 74%, minimum investment commitment and floor area stipulation for FDI in construction has been done away with, FDI limit in news and current affairs TV channels and FM radio has been raised to 49% from 26%, FDI limit in Teleports, Direct-to-Home (DTH), digital cable networks, Mobile TV has been raised from 74% to 100%; FDI of up to 49% under automatic route is now allowed in Regional Air Transport Services; FDI of up to 49% is allowed in the defence sector under the automatic route and if in excess of 49% will be considered by Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). The cap for approval by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has been increased to Rs 5,000 crore from Rs 3,000 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) will only decide on FDI proposals not under the automatic route and beyond Rs 5,000 crore. As a result of the above measures, India has moved up 16 positions to rank 55th on a global index of the world's most competitive economies compiled by the World Economic Forum. The jump in India's position underlines the country's recent economic recovery, improvement in the competitiveness of the country's institutions and its macroeconomic environment. According to the Baseline Profitability Index of the Foreign Policy Journal, India has recently been ranked No. 1 among 110 countries making it the world's topmost investment destination. The US International Trade Commission in its report Trade and Investment Policies in India ( ) mentioned that the Indian government has made significant changes in addressing barriers to trade and investment. Areas identified in the report where significant policy changes have been made include: FDI; tariffs and customs procedures; local content and localization requirements, particularly concerning ICT goods; and standards and technical regulations. The World Bank now ranks India at 130 out of 189 countries on the Ease of Doing Business. That is up 12 places from its original ranking last year and 4 places from its rank on a revised list (based on a new methodology). According to the WB report, it takes 29 days to start a business in India today, unlike the 127 days it used to take in The biggest improvement was seen in the area of providing electricity connection to businesses, where India's ranking improved from 99 in 2015 to 70 in India is ranked 8th in terms of protecting minority investors, 42nd in getting credit, but scores poorly in dealing with construction permit with a rank of 183 out of 189 countries. Enforcing contract (rank 178), paying taxes (rank 157), resolving insolvency (rank 136) are other areas where India ranks poorly. Forward movement on the goods and services tax (GST), setting up of commercial courts, enacting the bankruptcy law, simplifying taxation and corporate law, and easing the entry-exit norms are expected to give a boost to India's ranking in

5 Ist Issue of January

6 6 Ist Issue of January 2016 'Come, Make in India'! PM Modi's aggressive push to revive an ailing manufacturing sector, has found resonance with India Inc. Single-window clearances, minimal procedures & cutting out of any red-tapism - PM Modi sees Make in India as a vital impetus for employment & growth. 'Make in India' initiative was launched globally in September 2014 as a part of India's renewed focus on Manufacturing. The objective of the Initiative is to promote India as the most preferred global manufacturing destination. Since the launch of this landmark initiative, the Government of India has taken several reform initiatives to create an enabling environment for providing an impetus to manufacturing, design, innovation and startups. India has emerged as the fastest growing economy globally. India's rate of growth of 7.5% is accelerating and it remains an oasis of growth in the midst of a subdued economic landscape across the world. The Hon'ble Prime Minister has given impetus to growth with several innovative initiatives such as "Make in India", "Digital India", "100 Smart Cities" and "Skill India". Make In India Initiative The Make in India initiative aims to make India an integral part of the global supply chain. It is about making Indian companies excel in a globalized workspace. India has vigorously opened up its economy - Defence, Railways, Construction, Insurance, Pension Funds, Medical Devices have all been rapidly opened up for Foreign Direct Investment. India today is one of the most open economies of the world. In order to achieve this, the Government of India has taken up a series of measures to radically improve Ease of Doing Business. Its objective - make the regulatory environment easy and simple for business to flourish. It has effectively used technology to converge and integrate departments. 14 services are integrated with ebiz portal which will function as a The "Make-in-India Week" - 13th to 18th of February 2016 The Government of India is organizing a landmark event "Make in India Week" from 13th to 18th of February 2016 at Mumbai, India. The 'Make in India Week' would showcase the people, policies and partnerships that are driving India's new manufacturing revolution. Set against the vibrant backdrop of India's commercial capital - Mumbai, this week long calendar would offer unprecedented access, insights and opportunities to connect and collaborate with India and global Industry leaders/ visionaries, academicians, central and state administrations. "Make in India Week" would have spotlights on the following: Make in India Centre would be the platform for exhibiting innovative products and manufacturing processes developed in India along with a vision to leverage design, innovation and technology in the backdrop of global manufacturing. Asia Business Forum would comprise of a series of seminars, CXO meets, roundtables and networking events on economic challenges, investment opportunities, design and innovation. This event would feature Global visionaries and leaders from the fields of finance, industry and design. Hackathon would be a 24 hour marathon event where coders, engineers and designers collaborate intensively for 24 hours to come up with ideas to solve urban design problems. Along with the above mentioned events, many more events such as State Sessions, Design Conferences, Cultural & Fashion Shows and Networking Dinners would be conducted. For more information please visit: The Glance at the Week: n 13TH FEB EVENING Inauguration of MII Week/Pavilion and award ceremony by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. Gala Dinner n DAY 1, 14TH FEB Asia Business Forum Networking dinners B2B, G2B & G2G seminars nday 2, 15TH FEB Design Conference in association with NID Session on Global Design and Innovation B2B, G2B & G2G seminars nday 3, 16TH FEB Hackathon Sector & State seminars Maharashtra Innovation Night B2B, G2B & G2G seminars nday 4, 17TH FEB Reimagining Mumbai Sector & State seminars B2B, G2B & G2G seminars nday 5, 18TH FEB Sector & State seminars B2B, G2B & G2G seminars Fashion Show Closing ceremony. single window portal for obtaining clearances from various government agencies. Make in India has already created a strong impact in form of improved business environment and economic growth, as follows: n India is now 1st amongst the world's most attractive investment destinations n1st amongst world's fastest growing economies n 1st among 100 countries on the growth, innovation, and leadership index n 1st amongst 110 investment destinations polled globally n 7th most valued national brand in the world n India's rank jumped 12 positions in Ease of Doing Business 2016 list by World Bank n India moved 16 places in the Global Competitiveness Index Some success stories of Make in India so far: Ministry of Railways signed formal agreements with global giants AlstomBSE % and GE Transport to set up locomotive manufacturing factories in Madhepura and Marhaura in Bihar. Electronics: n Foxconn announces facilities in India n Oppo, ZTE, Phicomm invest in India n One Plus, ASUS announces mobile manufacturing Automobiles n Mercedes Benz invest aggressively in India n BMW increases 50% localization n Volvo, Ford in with R&D facility Defence n Hyundai to build warships n Sun Group to build Russian helicopters n Reliance and international partners to build nuclear submarines and stealth warships Aviation n Airbus to increase its exports from India upto $ 2 bn USD n Pratt & Whitney evinced interest to Makae in India The clarion call "Come Make in India" has transformed into an effective strategy and has become a huge success in creating a buzz globally. In order to provide greater momentum to the 'Make in India' initiative, Government of India is organizing a landmark event called the "Make in India Week" in Mumbai on February 13-18, The week-long event will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India. News from the Nehru Centre 02 December 2015, Talk - Inter-faith Seminar chaired by Hardyal S Luther Four speakers from different faiths spoke on "Why condemn a woman who has given birth to the emperor of your country''. Every speaker spoke on what his/her faith says on this subject. The speakers were Prof. Laura Marks OBE, The Lord Parekh of Hull, The Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, Dr Sukhbir S Kapoor OBE and chaired by Hardyal S Luther. 07 December 2015 Photography exhibition 'Faces' by Ameya Kulkarni Ten-year-old Ameya Kulkarni held a photo exhibition titled 'Faces' in honour of Smile Train. His exhibition showcased around 50 portraits taken during his various travels across India and while researching for the 'Faces' exhibition. 14 December 2015 Photography exhibition- Churches and Christian culture of Goa' by Shri Benoy K Behl The Exhibition is ICCR's from own collection of Artworks to showcase India's rich art & cultural heritage. The exhibition was on display till 4 January 2016.

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vfkz fudyrk gs vpnh rjg mckyuka nksuksa gh :i esa ns[kk tk, rks ckr fudy dj ;g vkrh gs fd vpnh rjg mcky dj lw;z nsork dks çlkn Hkksx yxkuka iksaxy dk egro blfy, Hkh gs D;ksfd ;g rfey eghus dh igyh rkjh[k dks vkjehk gksrk gsa bl ioz ds egro dk vanktk bl ckr ls Hkh yxk;k tk ldrk gs fd ;g pkj fnuksa rd pyrk gsa gj fnu ds iksaxy dk vyx vyx uke gksrk gsa ;g 13 tuojh ls 'kq: gksrk gsa Hkksxh iksaxy igyh iksaxy dks Hkksxh iksaxy dgrs gsa tks nsojkt buæ dk lefizr gsaa bls Hkksxh iksaxy blfy, dgrs gsa D;ksafd nsojkt buæ Hkksx foykl esa elr jgus okys nsork ekus tkrs gsaa bl fnu laè;k le; esa yksx vius vius?kj ls iqjkus ol=k] dwm+s vkfn ykdj,d txg bdëk djrs gsa vksj mls tykrs gsaa ;g bz'oj ds çfr leeku vius?kj vksj dqvqec dh uktqd gkyr o Lo;a ds Hkkstu dh fpurk fd;s fcuk os xq: dh lsok esa lrr layxu jgsa vejhdk esa gq, loz/ez lhkk esa mugksaus vius igys Hkk"k.k ls gh nqfu;k dks Hkkjr dh vk/;kfred 'kfdr dk ifjp; fn;ka Lokeh foosdkuun ds gh ç;klksa ls nqfu;k dks xqyke Hkkjr ds bl vueksy [ktkus dk irk pyk ftlds ckn iwjs fo'o esa 'kkafr ikus ds fy, Hkkjr ls lh[kus dh gksm+ 'kq# gks xbza foosdkuun cm+s LoIu n`"vk FksA mugksaus,d,sls lekt dh dyiuk dh Fkh ftlesa /ez ;k tkfr ds vk/kj ij euq";&euq"; esa dksbz Hksn u jgsa mugksaus osnkur ds fl¼kurksa dks blh :i esa j[kka vè;kreokn cuke HkkSfrdokn ds fookn esa im+s fcuk Hkh ;g dgk tk ldrk gs fd lerk ds fl¼kur dk tks vk/kj foosdkuun us fn;k mlls lcy cksf¼d vk/kj 'kk;n gh <w <k tk ldsa foosdkuan vkstloh vksj lkjxfhkzr O;k[;kuksa dh çflf¼ fo'o Hkj esa gsa thou ds vfure fnu mugksaus 'kqdy ;tqoszn dh O;k[;k dh vksj dgk,d vksj foosdkuun pkfg;s] ;g le>us ds fy;s fd bl foosdkuun us vc rd D;k fd;k gs A muds f'k";ksa ds vuqlkj thou ds vfure fnu 4 tqykbz 1902 dks Hkh mugksaus viuh è;ku djus dh fnup;kz dks ugha cnyk vksj çkr% nks rhu?k.vs è;ku fd;k vksj è;kukolfkk esa gh vius czãju/z dks Hksndj egklekf/ ys yha csywj esa xaxk rv ij punu dh fprk ij mudh var;sf"v dh x;ha blh xaxk rv ds nwljh vksj muds xq: jked`".k ijegal dk lksyg o"kz iwoz vfure laldkj gqvk FkkA muds f'k";ksa vksj vuq;kf;;ksa us mudh Le`fr esa ogk,d efunj cuok;k vksj lewps fo'o esa foosdkuun rfkk muds xq: jked`".k ds luns'kksa ds çpkj ds fy;s 130 ls vf/d dsuæksa dh LFkkiuk dha [ksrh ij vk/kkfjr R;kSgkj gs ikasxy lw;z ds mrrjk;.k gksus dk ioz gs edj løkafr Hkkjrokfl;ksa ds fganw /ez dk izeq[k R;kSgkj gs edj laøkfura ;g ioz iwjs Hkkjr esa fdlh u fdlh :i esa euk;k tkrk gsa ;g dgk tkrk gs fd iks"k ekl esa tc lw;z edj jkf'k ij vkrk gs rc bl laøkafr dks euk;k tkrk gsa ;g R;kSgkj tuojh ekg dh pksng rkjh[k dks euk;k tkrk gsa tc lw;z /uq jkf'k NksM+dj edj jkf'k esa izos'k djrk gs mlh fnu ls lw;z dh mrrjk;.k xfr vkjehk gksus ds dkj.k bls mrrkjk;.kh Hkh dgk tkrk gsa edj ladzakafr ds ihns tqm+k bfrgkl ;g Hkh gs fd bl fnu Hkxoku lw;z vius iq=k lw;z ls feyus Lo;a mlds?kj tkrs gsaa pwafd 'kfunso edj jkf'k ds Lokeh gsa] vr% bl fnu dks edj laøkafr ds uke ls tkuk tkrk gsa edj laøkafr ds fnu gh xaxkth HkkxhjFk ds ihns&ihns pydj dfiy eqfu ds vkje ls gksdj lkxj esa tk muls feyh FkhA egkhkkjr dky esa blh fnu firkeg Hkh"e us viuh nsg R;kxus dk fu.kz; fy;k FkkA bl R;kSgkj dks vyx vyx izkarksa esa vyx&vyx :i esa euk;k tkrk gsa bl ioz ij [kkl rksj ij fry xqm dk dg egro gksrk gsa bl fnu fry] xqm+ dk nku djuk] nky&pkoy dh f[kpm+h dk nku djuk vr;ar egroiw.kz ekuk tkrk gsa lkfk gh ;g Hkh dgk tkrk gs fd bl fnu fry] f[kpm+h vksj xqm+ nku djus ls vkids v'kqhk ifj.kkeksa esa deh vkrh gsa bl fnu fry&xqm+ ls cus ymmw vksj O;atu cuk, tkrs gsaa edj ladzkafr ds fnu vkdk'k esa mm+rh iraxksa dks ns[kdj gekjs eu ds varj,d cgqr gh vpnh vksj Lora=krk dh f[kyf[kykrh galh dk vuqhko gksrk gs] vkleku esa mm+rh iraxksa dks ns[kdj eu LOkra=krk ls ljkcksj gks tkrk gsa,oa cqjkbz;ksa ds var dh Hkkouk dks n'kkzrk gsa bl vfxu ds bnz fxnz ;qok jkr Hkj Hkksxh dksêe ctkrs gsa tks HkSl dh flax dk cuk,d çdkj dk <+ksy gksrk gsa lw;z iksaxy nwljh iksaxy dks lw;z iksaxy dgrs gsa- ;g Hkxoku lw;z dks fuosfnr gksrk gsa bl fnu iksaxy uked,d fo'ks"k çdkj dh [khj cukbz tkrh gs tks fev~vh ds crzu esa u;s /ku ls rs;kj pkoy] ewax nky vksj xqm ls curh gsa iksaxy rs;kj gksus ds ckn lw;z nso dh fo'ks"k iwtk dh tkrh gs vksj mugsa çlkn :i esa ;g iksaxy o xuuk viz.k fd;k tkrk gs vksj iqly nsus ds fy, d`rkrk O;Dr dh tkrh gsa eêw iksaxy rhljs iksaxy dks eêw iksxy dgk tkrk gsrfey eku;rkvksa ds vuqlkj eêw Hkxoku 'kadj dk csy gs ftls,d Hkwy ds dkj.k Hkxoku 'kadj us i`foh ij jgdj ekuo ds fy, vuu isnk djus ds fy, dgk vksj rc ls i`foh ij jgdj d`f"k dk;z esa ekuo dh lgk;rk dj jgk gsa bl fnu fdlku vius csyksa dks Luku djkrs gsaa muds flaxksa esa rsy yxkrs gsa,oa vu; çdkj ls csyksa dks ltkrs gsa csyksa dks ltkus ds ckn mudh iwtk dh tkrh gsa csy ds lkfk gh bl fnu xk; vksj cnm+ksa dh Hkh iwtk dh tkrh gsa dgh dgha yksx bls dsuw iksaxy ds uke ls Hkh tkurs gsa ftlesa cgusa vius HkkbZ;ksa dh [kq'kgkyh ds fy, iwtk djrh gs vksj HkkbZ viuh cguksa dks migkj nsrs gsaa du;k iksaxy pkj fnuksa ds bl R;gkSj ds vafre fnu du;k iksaxy euk;k tkrk gs ftls fr:oyywj ds uke ls Hkh yksx iqdkjrs gsa- bl fnu?kj dks ltk;k tkrk gsa vke ds iyyo vksj ukfj;y ds iùks ls njokts ij rksj.k cuk;k tkrk gsa efgyk,a bl fnu?kj ds eq[; }kjk ij dksye ;kuh jaxksyh cukrh gsaa bl fnu iksaxy cgqr gh /we /kke ds lkfk euk;k tkrk gs] yksx u;s ol=k igurs gs vksj nwljs ds ;gka iksaxy vksj febkbz o;uk ds rj ij Hkstrs gsaa bl iksaxy ds fnu gh csyksa dh ym+kbz gksrh gs tks dkqh çfl¼ gsa jkf=k ds le; yksx lkeqfgd Hkkst dk vk;kstu djrs gsa vksj,d nwljs dks eaxye; o"kz dh 'kqhkdkeuk nsrs gsaa fj rksa dh e/kqjrk dk R;kSgkj gks yksgm+h ;wa rks Hkkjro"kZ R;kSgkjksa dk gh ns'k gsa d'ehj ls ysdj du;kdqekjh rd vyx&vyx izkarksa esa vusdksa R;kSgkj cm+h /we&/ke ls euk, tkrs gsaa ysfdu yksgm+h dk R;kSgkj iwjs Hkkjr esa gh fdlh u fdlh :i esa cm+s g"kkszyykl ds lkfk euk;k tkrk gsa yksgm+h izfro"kz edj løkafr ls,d fnu iwoz 13 tuojh dks euk;k tkrk gsa yksgm+h R;kSgkj ds mrifùk ds ckjs esa dkiqh eku;rk,a gsa tks dh iatkc ds R;kSgkj ls tqmh gqbz ekuh tkrh gsa! yksgm+h B.M ds vkus dk ksrd rfkk iatkch lald`fr dks çnf'kzr djrk gsa! iksjkf.kd eku;rk ds vuqlkj yksgm+h tkm+s ds eksle dh 'kq#vkr ds igys dk,d fnu ekuk tkrk gsa! vksj ;g Hkh eku;rk gsa dh ;g yksgm+h dk R;kSgkj ftl fnu gksrk gsa mldh jkr ml lky dh lcls yech vksj cm+h jkr gksrh gsa vksj ml jkr ds ckn tks lqcg vkrh gsa og vr;f/d çdkf'kr vksj mtkys dks c<krh gsa! yksgm+h dks ikjeifjd :i ls jch dh iqly ls tksm+k tkrk gsa! yksx ikjeifjd rksj ij vius /kfezd LFkku ij ewaxiqyh] vkvk] jsom+h] ed[ku vkfn phtksa dks p<krs gsa vksj vius vpnh iqly ds fy, Hkxoku~ dks èku;okn çnku djrs gsa! yksgm+h ds fnu cppsa,d?kj ls nwljs?kj nqyyk Hkêh ds xkus xkrs gq, rfkk mldh ç'kalk djrs gq, tkrs gsa! bu cppksa dks os tgk Hkh tkrs gsa yksx febkb;k ] migkj rfkk /u nsdj fonk fd;k tkrk gsa D;ksafd [kkyh gkfk yksvkuk voufr vksj nqhkkzx; dks çnf'kzr djrk gsa! bl çdkj tek dh xbz phtks dks gh yksgm+h dgrs gsa ftlesa ewaxiqyh] jsom+h] xtd] fry] febkb;k ] xqm+] phuh dh Myh vksj /ku Hkh gksrk gsa! yksgm+h dh vkx xk o esa eq[; pksjkgs ij lw;kzlr ds le; tykbz trkbz gsa! yksx yksgm+h dh vkx esa fry] xqm+] ewaxiqyh ] jsom+h] xtd] fry] febkb;k ] xqm+] phuh dh Myh vkfn vkx esa lefizr djrs gsa vksj bl yksgm+h dh vkx ds pkjksa vksj rc rd xkuk vksj u`r; djrs jgrs gsa tc rd dh yksgm+h dh vkx cq> ugha tkrh! fo'o fgunh fnol 11oka fo'o fganh fnol 10 tuojh 2016 dks euk;k x;ka bl volj ij fons'k ea=kky; us vius fohkkxksa esa jkthkk"kk ds egro dks çnf'kzr djus gsrq fofhkuu dk;zøeksa dk vk;kstu fd;ka ;g igyh ckj 10 tuojh 2006 dks euk;k x;k FkkA ;g 14 flrecj dks euk;s tkus okys jk"vªh; fganh fnol dk gh,d Hkkx gsa jk"vªh; fganh fnol 14 flrecj 1949 dks lafo/ku lhkk }kjk fganh dks jkthkk"kk ds rksj ij viuk;s tkus ds miy{; esa euk;k tkrk gsa fo'o fganh fnol esa vurjjk"vªh; Lrj ij dk;zøe vk;ksftr fd;s tkrs gsa] tcfd jk"vªh; fganh fnol esa jk"vªh; Lrj ij dk;zøe vk;ksftr fd;s tkrs gsaa n fganh fo'o dh pksfkh lcls vf/d cksyh tkus okyh Hkk"kk gsa n Hkkjr esa yxhkx 258 fefy;u yksxksa dh ;g ekr`hkk"kk gsa n ;g fnyyh] mùkj çns'k] mùkjk[kam] NÙkhlx<+] fgekpy çns'k] pamhx<+] fcgkj] >kj[k.m] eè; çns'k] gfj;k.kk,oa jktlfkku esa cksyh tkus okyh eq[; Hkk"kk gsa n,f'k;k ds ckgj ;g fiqth dh jkthkk"kk gsa fiqth ds lafo/kku esa 3 Hkk"kkvksa & bafxy'k] iqhft;u,oa fganh dks jkthkk"kk dk ntkz fn;k x;k gsa n fganh 20 ns'kksa esa cksyh tkrh gs rfkk fo'o dh 150 ;wfuoflzvh esa i<kbz tkrh gsa lafo/kku esa fganh la?k dh jkthkk"kk uhfr vuqpnsn 120 (Hkkx&5)] vuqpnsn 210 (Hkkx&6),oa vuqpnsn 343] 344 ds Hkkx 17 ds rgr o vuqpnsn 348 ls 351 rd bls folrkj ls le>k;k x;k gsa

8 8 Ist Issue of January 2016 PURI A PLACE OF SANCTITY AND NATURAL BEAUTY Puri is one of the four main Hindu pilgrim centres in India and is famous for its Jagannath Temple. Over one million people flock to this holy place every year to participate in the Rath Yatra or Car Festival. This annual ritual spread, over the entire summer and monsoon seasons, make this the most fruitful time to visit Puri. Puri is well-known for its golden beach with miles of yellow sand, blue waves, white surf and bright sunshine. With equable climate, Puri is a popular tourist resort frequented by visitors throughout the year. - SIGHTS TO SEE Sri Jagannath Temple The sacred city Puri is widely known all over the world for the magnificent temple of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, the Lord of the World. The temple stands majestically in the centre of the city, which was built in the 12th -13th Century AD by Chodaganga Deva. Being the tallest temple (65 metres) in Odisha, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India. In front of the main gate stands a 16 sided monolithic pillar (11 metres high), called Aruna Stambha which formally stood in front of the Sun Temple and was brought to Puri during the 18th century AD. The Eastern main entrance is guarded by two stone lions and is called the Lion Gate. There is a pillar crowned by an image of the Garuda. The gates on the other sides are flanked by statues of men on horseback, tigers and elephants. HOW TO REACH AIR: Nearest Airport is Bhubaneswar which is connected by flights to several important cities in India. RAIL: Puri is a rail terminal connecting several important cities in India including Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Cochin, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi Guwahati, Hyderabad, Chennai, Tirupati, Trivandrum, Varanasi, etc. ROAD: NH 203 is connected to Puri which is connected by good motorable roads to all places in India. Hence the name Tiger Gate, and elephant Gate. Apart from the main temple one can see within its precincts a host of other smaller temples including Asta Sambhu and Asta Chandi, Goddess Vishnu and innumerable Gods and Goddesses and the Ananada Bazaar, Snanab. Gundicha Temple This temple is known as 'Janak Puri' because according to Puranic legend, the King Indradyumna performed the sacrifices and the Lords, Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra Sudarsana appeared on the altar. The other major attractions includes, Swargadwar, Narendra Sarovar, Swetatganga, Golden Beach and so on. E-tourist visa facility: UK tops the list The maximum number of tourists visiting India on E-tourist visa in December 2015 was from the UK. The percentage shares of top 10 source countries availing e- Tourist Visa facilities during December, 2015 were as follows: UK (23.81%), USA (19.59%), Australia (5.44%), Germany (4.86%), France (4.44%), Canada (4.40%), China (3.10%), Republic of Korea (1.83%) and Ukraine (1.67%). The percentage shares of top 10 ports in tourist arrivals on e- Tourist Visa during December, 2015 were as follows: New Delhi Airport (36.23%), Mumbai Airport (21.90%), Goa Airport (16.54%), Bengaluru Airport (5.54%), Kochi Airport (4.68%), Chennai Airport (4.21%), Kolkata Airport (2.74), Hyderabad Airport (2.68%), Trivandrum Airport (2.05%) and Ahmedabad Airport (1.79%). India voted best destination in Asia by UK tourists India received the award of most attractive destination in Asia for the year 2015 from Travelzoo. 4 million members of Travelzoo in U.K voted India as most attractive destination in Asia, ahead of China and Vietnam.