Google’s large investment plans in India, conductive ecosystem for manufacturing and exporting electronic items, Bilateral Health Co-operation with Australia, “Green Railway” by 2030, ‘NadiVigyan’
1. Google’s large investment plans in India and AI Technology has immense potential
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi interacted with Google CEO Shri Sundar Pichai via video conferencing in which Pichai briefed the Prime Minister about the efforts undertaken by Google to help spread awareness and provide reliable information about COVID-19.
- Also appreciated the strong step of Lockdown initiated by the Prime Minister set up a very strong foundation of India’s battle against the pandemic.
- Sundar Pichai addressed the sixth annual edition of “Google for India” virtual event and announced a digitisation fund. Google will invest $10 billion (Rs 75,000 crore) in India over the next five to seven years.
- Google’s plan to launch a large investment fund and develop strategic partnerships in India.
- India is amongst the most open economies in the world.
- Google’s investment plan includes a renewed “focus on bringing more high-quality low-cost smartphones to enable Internet access” as we know that Google dominates search, video, maps and email in India.
- Nine out of 10 smartphones sold in India come with Google’s Android OS.
- However Sundar Pichai said, Investing in a country directly is the best way to address the problem in the long run.
- India has over 500 million internet users, with 450 million of them accessing it on smartphones from smaller towns in the country.
- Google will be looking out for companies that can build for India and scale up quickly across languages and said capabilities such as artificial intelligence will make it very “interesting” for Google.
- Google’s push to build local products has been boosted with the success of payment app Google Pay, which is now being scaled up globally.
- Moreover, Union Minister for electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “India’s app economy is growing very powerfully, but we must not just download apps. It is important also to upload apps from India. I am sure with this new fund, Google will also focus on promoting our startups further.”
- The company had earlier rolled out the Android One programme, under which it partnered with Indian OEMs like Lava, Micromax, Karbonn, etc, but it did not take off, particularly on account of cheaper Chinese devices and a large second-hand market of higher-end devices.
- Also, The Menlo Park-based company had earlier made investments in a handful of Indian ventures through its venture capital arm, in addition to public projects such as Google Station for WiFi at railway stations, Internet Saathi for spreading internet awareness in villages, and an artificial intelligence-based flood forecasting system, among others.
- Further Pichai said, I definitely see the opportunity to use technology to drive social good, in health, there are elements everywhere.
- We are definitely happy to partner with governments in compliance with laws, in a democratic society you have the right framework.
- I think privacy regulation is incredibly important.
- India is setting global standards in digital payments. Building products for India first has helped us build better products.
- The company also aims to empower small- and medium-sized businesses in their digital transformation and leverage technology and artificial intelligence for social good, including digital literacy and support for rural economies.
- Further, Prime Minister was briefed about recent steps taken by the government towards reforming agriculture and about the campaign to create new jobs, while also highlighting the importance of re-skilling.
- Digital revolution presents an opportunity to build the future of India.
- Google is not present in all six categories of the digital platform matrix which are 6Cs—connectivity, community, content, commerce, currency, capital—and this investment could be a strategy to enter these businesses.
- Prime Minister discussed the issue of data security and concerns around privacy.
- He said that tech companies need to put in efforts to bridge the trust deficit.
- He also talked about cyber crimes and threats in the form of cyber attacks.
- Other areas of discussion included technological solutions to expand the scope of online education, access to technology in native language, use of AR/VR to give a stadium-like viewing experience in the field of sports, and progress in the area of digital payments.
Investments will focus on four areas important to India’s digitization:
- First, enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language, whether it’s Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi or any other
- Second, building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs
- Third, empowering businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation
- Fourth, leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture
2. Creating a conductive ecosystem for manufacturing and exporting electronic items in India
- Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal has said that his ministry was looking at identifying select electronic items that could be manufactured in India in large scale like television sets, Closed Circuit TVs, Air Conditioners etc, and exported in large quantities.
- The government would help in creating a conductive ecosystem for such products to be manufactured and exported.
- Calling upon the electronics hardware sector to use the route of innovation, R&D, expansion of domestic footprints, and increasing exports, the minister said that industries which are more self-reliant and grew without the support of the government, have made their mark.
- In this regard, the trailblazing example of IT, ITeS and BPO sectors, which have established a formidable position as a solution provider and exporter.
- Depending exclusively on incentives, such as Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), may not add to the competitiveness of the products since such schemes are time bound and export competitiveness should come from inherent strengths.
- Also underscored the need for the industry and the government to come together to implement the National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications (NM-QTA), which is used for engineering solutions to extremely complex problems in computing, communications, sensing, chemistry, cryptography, imaging, and mechanics.
- Underscoring the need for trust between the government and industry to push the Prime Minister’s vision of Aatamnirbhar Bharat, the two should come together to tap the enormous business potentials that are unbound.
- “Government of India works towards giving industry an enabling ecosystem and it is for industry to chart their futuristic agenda not only for creating newer capacities, but also making Indian products world class and that is the essence of Aatmanribhar Bharat.”
3. Bilateral Health Co-operation with Australia as "Turning Crisis into opportunity"
- India and Australia have signed an MoU on co-operation in the field of Health and Medicine on 10th April, 2017.
- The MoU covers areas of mutual interest like the management of communicable diseases like Malaria and Tuberculosis, mental health and non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, regulation of pharmaceuticals, vaccines and medical devices and digitization of health infrastructure.
- The MoU also covers response to public health emergencies like the present COVID pandemic.
- While Australia has one of the best healthcare systems of the developed world, healthcare in India is one of the fastest growing sectors expected to hit $275 billion mark in the next 10 years.
- India’s domestic demand is expected to engine the growth regardless of any turbulence in the global economy.
- India also offers vast opportunities in R&D and medical tourism.
- India’s traditional holistic medical systems like Ayurveda and Yoga can help Australia curb obesity and related diseases.
“health as a social movement’ approach of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi “:
- India’s Universal Healthcare Coverage under Ayushman Bharat covers a massive 100 million families
- 10 million individuals have benefitted in the last year alone
- India is committed to eliminating TB by the year 2025
- India has also undertaken efforts for mass screening of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, cancer of breast, lung, throat and mouth, etc.
- India has also made strides in implementing the Digital Health Blueprint to modernize the health sector and enable streamlined delivery of services to the last citizen
- affordable medicines that treat cancer and cardio-vascular ailments and cardiac implants are made available to the poorest of the poor under the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) program.
- Also, the Prime Minister’s “Whole of Government” perspective enabled financial inclusion of 400 million people and transformed their access to healthcare.
4. MISSION MODE of becoming a "Green Railway" by 2030( Net Zero Carbon Emission)
- Ministry of Railways, with a goal of transforming Indian Railways into Green Railways by 2030 has taken a number of major initiatives towards mitigation of global warming and combating climate change.
- Railway Electrification, improving energy efficiency of locomotives & trains and fixed installations, green certification for installations/stations, fitting bio toilets in coaches and switching to renewable sources of energy are parts of its strategy of achieving net zero carbon emission.
- Indian Railways has completed electrification of more than 40,000 Route km (RKM) (63% of BG routes) in which 18,605 km electrification work has been done during 2014-20.
- Previously only 3,835 km electrification work was completed during the period 2009-14.
- Indian Railways has fixed a target of electrification of 7000 RKM for the year 2020-21.
- All routes on BG network have been planned to be electrified by December 2023.
- Indian Railways is focusing on electrification of last mile connectivity & missing links.
- With this in mind 365 km major connectivity work has been commissioned during COVID period.
- Major connectivity commissioned during COVID period like Katni-Satna section (99 RKM) of Mumbai-Howrah via Allahabad route has been commissioned providing an alternate route to Howrah.
- Likewise Pachore-Maksi (88 RKM) section on Indore – Guna-Bina route has also been commissioned providing an alternate route to Maksi-Bhopal-Bina.
- On Howrah/Sealdah-SVD Katra via Patna route, Bhagalpur-Shivnarayanpur (45 RKM) section has been commissioned.
- On the route connecting Kariakal port to coal, fertilizer & steel plants of Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh, Thiruvarur – Karaikal port (46 RKM) section has been commissioned providing port connectivity to Erode, Coimbatore & Palghat.
- Indian Railways has also taken a number of initiatives to promote solar energy.
- Indian Railways is working to harness the potential of 500 Mega Watt (MW) energy through roof top Solar panels (Developer model).
- Till date, 100 Mega Watt (MW) of solar plants have been commissioned on roof-tops of various buildings including 900 stations.
- Solar plants with a combined capacity of 400 MW are under different stages of execution. Tenders are already awarded for 245 MW and target for completion of these plants is December 2022.
- Besides this, Indian Railways is trying to produce power from land Based Solar installations for running trains. Indian Railway has 51,000 hectare of land potential of installing 20 GW land based solar plants.
- The Solar power so generated will be fed to Central / State Grid or directly to 25 kV AC traction system. Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL), a Joint Venture Company of Indian Railways (49 % Equity) and RITES Limited (51 % Equity), has been mandated for proliferation of taking up land based project.
- One project of 1.7 MW at Bina (Madhya Pradesh) in collaboration with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has already been installed and is presently under extensive testing.
- This is First of its kind of solar project in the world.
- Initially for the Land Based Solar Projects, Indian Railways has taken up 3 GW Solar Project in three phases. In phase I tender has been floated under developer model on 29th April 2020 for 1.6 GW capacities in railway plots for open access states.
- In Phase II, 400 MW capacities in railway plots will be developed for non open access States under ownership model of REMCL (captive use).
- For this tender has floated on 16th June 2020.
- In Phase III 1 GW capacity in railway plots along the tracks under developer model will be installed for open access States for which tender has been floated on 1st July 2020.
- In the wind energy sector, 103 MW wind-based power plants have already been commissioned. Among them, 26 MW is in Rajasthan (Jaisalmer), 21 MW is in Tamil Nadu and 56.4 MW is in Maharashtra (Sangli).
- Indian Railways has also planned to set up 200 MW wind energy plants in next 2 years in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka.
- Realizing its role in climate change Indian Railways has started other Green Initiatives like 100 per cent LED illumination of buildings and stations.
- Indian Railways has also acquired Green Certification from CIII to 7 Production Units (PUs), 39 Workshops, 6 Diesel sheds and 1 Stores depot.
- 14 Railway Stations and 21 other buildings/ campuses have also been Green certified.
- Other than this 215 Stations have been certified with Environment Management System (EMS)/ISO 14001.
- Total 505 pairs of trains have been converted to Head on Generation(HOG), unleashing approx 70 million liter diesel/ Rs 450 crore per annum potential of saving.
- Energy Efficiency Studies of all 8 Production Units & 12 workshops have been completed under MOU with CII resulting in 15% improvement in energy efficiency.
- In the field of Green Initiatives a total of 69,000 coaches have been fitted with more than 2,44,000 bio-toilets in Indian Railways.
5. 'NadiVigyan: A complete solution for spinal disorders' under Dekho Apna Desh series
- To enlighten about the ancient form of health science- NadiVigyan and its fruitful benefits in curing various spinal disorders, Ministry of Tourism presented a webinar on ‘NadiVigyan: A complete solution for spinal disorders’ under Dekho Apna Desh webinar series.
- This unusual topic is a part of our culture and heritage and tourism plays a major role in showcasing these traits of a country.
- The ancient form of health science- Nadi Vigyan clearly highlights how incredible our country is in various aspects apart from travel destinations.
- According to Ayurveda, there are 3 doshas or three internal state of a body namely Vata (air+ether) Pitta(Fire+ water) and Kapha (Earth+ water).
- Further, explained how any imbalance of these elements in the body leads to several disorders.
- Hence, imbalance of Vata elements can cause up to 80 disorders in the human body, similarly imbalance of Pitta element can cause up to 40 disorders and Kapha element can cause up to 20 disorders in the human body.
- Thus, it is being stated in Ayurveda that the diet plan of an individual should be made in consideration to the body type in sync with these elements.
- For example, a person suffering from hyper-acidity is due to the imbalance or excess of Pitta in the body. Therefore, he/she should take alkaline food in his diet which neutralizes the acidity and balances the Pitta element of the body. These elements can also be disturbed with age.
- Nadi Parikshan (or pulse diagnosis) helps in determining the problems or disorders caused due to the imbalance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
- The origin point of Nadi is called as Kandasthana which is the nabi (navel area) of the human body as navel is the central power of the body.
- A baby in the mother’s womb also gets nourishment from the umbilical cord which is also connected to navel of the baby.
- Our body consists of 72,000 Nadis (or channels). The 72,000 nadis spring from three basic nadis – the left, the right and the central – the Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna.
- The word “nadi” does not mean nerve.
- Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the system.
- These 72,000 nadis don’t have a physical manifestation.
- There are 72,000 different ways in which the energy or prana moves.
- If the pranic energy is moving through left nasal passage i.e. through Ida Nadithen the body will be more suitable for performing subtle exercises like yoga, similarly, if the pranic energy is moving through right nasal passage i.e. through Pingala Nadi then the body will be suitable for performing energetic exercises and if the pranic energy is flowing through middle passage i.e. through Sushumna Nadi then it is suitable for spiritual exercises.
- All these three nadis are connected to the spinal cord of the body.
- The practice of yoga allows free flow of energy inside the nadi and helps in detoxifying them.
- According to Hatha yoga, we can maintain the blood flow through specific nadis by performing few asanas.
- The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) created by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has been playing a pivotal role in supporting the Ministry in conducting of the Dekho Apna Desh Webinars by providing technical assistance directly with a professional team thereby ensuring effective citizen engagement and communication with all stakeholders using the digital experience platform.
