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India nominates NITI Aayog’s Ramesh Chand to head FA0

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By Arul Louis
United Nations, March 5 (IANS) India has nominated NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand for the post of the new Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Director-General and he will be facing candidates from China and three other countries.

The FAO announced on Monday the slate of candidates nominated by their governments for the election that is scheduled in June to pick the successor to Brazilian economist Jose Graziano da Silva, who has served two terms since 2011.

The other candidates are Qu Dongyu of China, Medi Moungui of Cameroon, Catherine Geslain-Laneelle of France and Davit Kirvalidze of Georgia.

The next head of the Rome-headquarted FAO, a specialised agency of the UN, will be elected by a simple majority of its 194 members.

An economist, Chand is a member of the NITI Aayog with the status of a Minister of State. He has a PhD in agricultural economics from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and has served as the Director of the National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research in New Delhi.

Chand is expected to face stiff competition from Qu because of the influence China wields in developing countries through its aid and loan programmes that could even split the African votes away from Moungui.

Quoting FAO watchers, Italian Insider, a publication that closely monitors the organisation, reported that India had tried to persuade China not to field a candidate so as not to split the Asian vote.

It added that “many African countries receiving hefty Chinese aid are likely to come under pressure not to vote for Cameroon, which claims to have the backing of all African countries”.

The only Indian to head the FAO is Binay Ranjan Sen, who was the Director-General from 1956 to 1967.

The next Director-General will have to help the organisation navigate the challenges of climate change, loss of bio-diversity and feeding a growing world population.

The FAO reported last year that almost 800 million people are always hungry and 2 billion suffer from deficiencies in micronutrients in their diet that lead to health problems

The report said that the world would have to feed a global population that is expected to reach about 10 billion by 2050.

Growth of agricultural yields “has slowed to rates that are too low for comfort”, even though investments in agriculture and technological innovations have been increasing productivity, it added.

(Arul Louis can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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