National
Working to remove bottlenecks in doing business: Rajnath to diaspora
Gandhinagar: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday told the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here that the Narendra Modi government is working tirelessly to remove bottlenecks and cut red tape in order to improve the business environment in India.
Chairing a session on Investment Opportunities in Indian States at the PBD, the world’s largest annual gathering of people of Indian origin, Singh said the country is “moving towards an era of cooperative federalism, giving voice to states in shaping the economic destiny of the nation”.
He said with this objective in mind, the government had replaced the Planning Commission with the Niti Aayog from Jan 1 this year.
“In democracy, we follow the dictum of collective wisdom and collective responsibility. I am confident that our collective wisdom will help us in overcoming any differences,” he said.
He said the new government headed by Modi has already taken a series of measures to re-ignite the economy.
“We have reasons to be optimistic as we are constantly making course corrections to gain investor confidence,” he said.
Singh said the ‘Make in India’ initiative is a “mission to transform this country from an importer of manufactured items to an exporter of manufactured products”.
The objective is to increase the share of manufacturing in the GDP from the current level of 14 percent to 25 percent.
Singh said the prime minster “is focused on improving the business environment in the country and has stressed on the mantra of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance'”.
He said the government is seriously pursuing early implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which “will create a buoyant source of revenue and create a large common market by eliminating internal barriers”.
He said a decision has been taken to allocate natural resources only through e-auction to ensure transparency. “Such measures are necessary to rebuild confidence and trust that is extremely important to revive investments and drive higher growth,” Singh said.
The home minister said India “has a vast pool of natural resources and skilled human resources to make this country a ‘New Manufacturing Hub’. The people of Indian origin and the NRIs should invest in actualizing the dream of ‘Make in India’.
India’s progress can not be achieved only by the people living within the country,” he said and urged the diaspora to “come and invest” in the country and become an “active partner in our definitive march towards prosperity and in making India a global superpower”.
Singh reminded how Modi’s promise of merging the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards has been fulfilled.
“He (Modi) said that you had to go to police stations during your India visits and he promised that he will remove the discrepancies. I am happy to say that the president has signed the ordinance to that effect,” the home minister said.
Singh said that 25 million Indian diaspora live in different countries and “with your hard work, dedication and skill you have created a place for yourselves. I want to say that we are proud of you, you are an example of India’s indomitable spirit”.
Chief ministers of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, Haryana’s Manoharlal Khattar, Madhya Pradesh’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jharhand’s Raghubar Das, Maharashtra’s Devendra Fadnavis and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy attended the session.
The event is being held in Gandhinagar Jan 7-9 to mark the centenary of the return to the country of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa.
Guyana President Donald Ramotar, chief guest at the 13th PBD, will be honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Friday evening.
The government also announced a list of 15 NRIs who would be conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards for 2015. The list includes Guyana President Donald Rabindernauth Ramotar and Satyanarayana Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.