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Modi hands over Dhruv chopper to Nepal
Kathmandu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday handed over the indigenous Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv to his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala here for use by the Nepal Army.
Built by the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Bengaluru, the multi-utility chopper’s mark-3 version is fitted with Shakti engines, advanced glass cockpit and avionics.
Modi is in Kathmandu to attend the two-day Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit starting Wednesday.
Saarc is an economic and geopolitical organisation of eight countries in South Asia.
“The advanced version is suited for Nepal as the Himalayan kingdom is located in the hazardous mountainous terrain and faces adverse weather conditions,” HAL said in a statement.
The defence behemoth HAL had sold two Dhruv copters to the Nepalese army in November 2013.
“Dhruv mark-3 version is in line with our prime minister’s thrust on ‘Make in India’ campaign and the government’s policy towards the neighbourhood,” HAL chairman R.K. Tyagi said.
Designed to meet requirements of military and civil operators, Dhruv has been exported to Ecuador, the Maldives and Mauritius.
“Ecuador Air Force operates five Dhruv copters and Ecuador President flies in one of them,” the statement said.
As a multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in 5.5-tonne weight class, Dhruv meets the US Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) specifications.
“The all-weather Dhruv, with capacity to carry up to 16 people at 10,000 feet altitude, has demonstrated its capability in long distance flights, vertical climb and manoeuvring,” the statement added.
Dhruv is operated by Indian Air Force, the army, the navy, Coast Guard, the Border Security Force and state governments since 2002.
About 140 Dhruv copters are in operation and have logged over 120,900 flight hours since a decade.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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.