The scheme is gaining momentum rapidly, with the goal of featuring outlets at almost all stations to showcase local indigenous products.

The Indian Railway has established more than a thousand outlets in railway stations across the nation under its ‘One Station One Product’ (OSOP) initiative. The scheme is aimed at providing a platform for skilled artisans to sell their indigenous products.

Launched on May 20, 2022 as a 15-day pilot project, the OSOP scheme, according to the Ministry of Railways, has significantly expanded opportunities for skilled artisans. As of November 9, 2023, there are 1,134 operational OSOP outlets at 1,037 stations spanning 27 states. Tamil Nadu leads with 146 OSOP outlets, followed by West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh with 123 and 112 outlets, respectively.

The OSOP outlets, a first-of-their-kind, are uniquely designed with a distinctive look, feel and logo — developed by the National Institute of Design-Ahmedabad, and provided to them at the railway stations by Indian Railways. These outlets aim to increase visibility for indigenous products and benefit local craftsmen.

The scheme is gaining momentum rapidly, with the goal of featuring outlets at almost all stations to showcase local indigenous products. As of November 9, the scheme has provided opportunities to 39,847 direct beneficiaries, with an additional five indirect beneficiaries for each allotment, bringing the total to 1,43,232 beneficiaries. Total sales under the scheme have reached `49.58 crore, as per an official statement.

Announced in the Union Budget 2022-23, the OSOP scheme aims to provide livelihood opportunities through skill development to local artisans, potters, weavers and craftsmen. Railways allots the outlets at its stations through a tendering process. The scheme’s outreach measures include advertising, social media, public announcements, press notifications and personal visits to artisans.

The products at these outlets range from artifacts and handicrafts to textiles and traditional appliances, indigenous to the region and are crafted by local artisans or tribals. They also include locally made or grown food products in processed or semi-processed forms.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

All the ULBs across the country can participate in this initiative by voluntarily submitting their key data on a regular basis.

The Centre on November 13 launched a web portal, which is envisaged to be a permanent platform for any kind of data related to all Indian cities.

The ‘AAINA Dashboard for Cities’, an initiative of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, aims to create a robust database of the key performance metrics of Urban Local Bodies (ULB), which could be accessed by all stakeholders, and subsequently would open for public view once it gets populated, an official statement said.

All the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country can participate in this initiative to voluntarily submit their key data on a regular basis, through a simple, easy-to-fill, data entry form on the portal.

The dashboard will present the data submitted by the ULBs based on indicators across five broad pillars namely political and administrative structure, finance, planning, citizen-centric governance and delivery of basic services.

The primary objectives of the dashboard are to help cities to see how they are faring vis-à-vis other cities, inspire them by pointing to possibilities and areas of improvement and provide them opportunity to learn and engage with frontrunners.

The ULBs will submit their data, including audited accounts, and self-reported performance metrics by logging in to the dashboard’s portal.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The recent US Michelin awards awarded stars to three Indian restaurants – Semma, Rania and Indienne. Their chefs tell us why Indian food is winning global acclaim.

….

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

This project will have three lines namely Monal, Deodar Cedar and Apple.

The construction work for the much-awaited 13.79-km-long ropeway in Shimla will begin in September 2024 and is expected to be completed by 2029, an official said. The ropeway, the country’s first urban ropeway project and the world’s second longest, after La Paz in Bolivia, aimed to decongest the state capital cum-tourist hotspot, will have 13 boarding and one turning station (where cabins are transferred from one cable loop to another).

The boarding stations will be Taradevi, Judicial Complex Chakkar, Tuti Kandi Parking, New ISBT Railway Station, Old ISBT, Lift, Secretariat, Navbahar, Sanjauli, IGMC, Ice Skating Ring, Hotel Cecil and turning station at Victory Tunnel. This project will have three lines namely Monal, Deodar Cedar and Apple.

According to the director of Ropeway and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation, Ajay Sharma, the project, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,550 crores, once completed will provide an eco-friendly, affordable, green, safe mode of transportation and enhance the ease of living and tourism to Shimla, also known as ‘Queen of Hills’.

The ropeway, to be developed by the RTDC received the in-principle approval last August by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and was proposed to the New Development Bank  for multilateral funding. A survey of the project’s feasibility, topographical, traffic, ridership, design, environment and social impact assessment was conducted this year.

The process of diversion of land under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) is in progress. The total land requirement for the project is 9.82 hectare, of which 7.26 hectare is forest land while the remaining 2.56 hectare belongs to the Central Public Works Department  and Railways. According to initial estimates, the ropeway will have a capacity of airlifting 3,000 persons per hour per direction (PPHD) with 10-person sitting capacity in each cabin.

The project will cover 76 km of the road network. It has been found that the roads that the ropeway will bypass are heavily loaded with both public and personal vehicles, often leading to traffic jams, especially in tourist season.

Over the project, Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri had said that the state government has taken the lead as the ropeway will be the first of its kind in the country.   Agnihotri said he is committed to constructing more ropeways in the state for connecting the left-out habitations, developing unexplored tourist destinations and enhancing urban transportation.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

In another development contributing to the growth of India’s aviation industry, French aerospace company Airbus has signed component manufacturing contracts with four Indian suppliers.

This move serves as a significant endorsement of the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The company has partnered with domestic companies — Mahindra Aerospace, Aequs, Dynamatic and Gardner. These partnerships involve contracts for supplying airframe and wing parts for Airbus’ A320neo, A330neo, and A350 programmes, as per reports.

According to Airbus, the recent contracts will assist in the expansion of commercial aircraft programmes worldwide. Additionally, these contracts will enhance the aviation industry in India by bolstering capabilities and capacities in various technologies such as sheet metal, machining, and extrusion profiles.

“Make in India is at the core of Airbus’ strategy in India. We are proud that we are putting in place all the critical building blocks for an integrated industrial ecosystem that will propel India into the front ranks of aerospace manufacturing nations,” said Remi Maillard, president and managing director of Airbus India and South Asia.

The latest contracts follow the allocation of the A320neo family cargo and bulk cargo doors manufacturing to Tata Advanced Systems earlier this year.

Airbus To Support 50 Per Cent More Jobs By 2025

The company, along with its supply chain, currently provides employment for nearly 10,000 individuals in India.

Airbus stated that by 2025, this figure is expected to increase to approximately 15,000.

The company is proud to continue its partnership with Aequs, Dynamatic, Gardner, and Mahindra Aerospace, all of whom are trusted Airbus partners in India known for their technical expertise and operational excellence, he added.

“Today, every Airbus commercial aircraft has components and technologies that are made in India,” the release further said.

The company stated that it currently purchases components and services valued at $750 million per year from India. Further, they also mentioned that the latest round of contracts will greatly increase these volumes.

source/content: indiainfrahub.com (headline edited)

A geoglyph in the form of a circle, said to be 3,000 years old, has been unearthed on the outskirts of Mudichu Thalapalli in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana.

Etched on a low-lying granitoid hillock, the geoglyph spans 7.5 metres in diameter and has a perfect circular shape. Surrounding the circle is a 30-centimetre-wide rim, and within the circle are two triangles.

Archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation E. Sivanagireddy visited the spot on Sunday with a team and examined the geoglyph. They termed it a first-of-its-kind discovery in Telangana.

Seeking to determine the age of the geoglyph, Dr. Sivanagireddy reached out to professor Ravi Korisettar, a prehistoric rock art expert, who dated the geoglyph to the Iron Age, specifically around 1000 BCE. He suggested that this circle might have served as a model for megalithic communities in planning their circular burial sites.

Noting the archaeological significance of the geoglyph, which displays the artistic skills and etching techniques of Telangana’s Iron Age inhabitants, the team appealed to the residents of Moodu Chintalapalli village to protect the location.

Sanathana, a research associate at Pleach India Foundation, said the site could be developed into an archaeological tourism destination, comparable to the renowned Konkan petroglyph sites in the Ratnagiri zone of Maharashtra. The site is only 30-40 kilometres from Hyderabad and Secunderabad, making it easily accessible to tourists.

Prehistoric rock shelters found

Additionally, the team identified several grooves, which they believe to be from the Neolithic period, dating to 4000 BCE, located five metres away from the geoglyph.

Also, within one-kilometre radius of the geoglyph’s location, they discovered three prehistoric rock shelters adorned with depictions of bulls, deer, porcupines and human figures wearing masks. According to the team, these artworks date to Mesolithic and Megalithic periods.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Power minister R.K. Singh gave away the awards at the fifth edition of the event that honours human catalysts.

In a glittering ceremony that featured humour-packed moments, a virtuoso violin recital, and a scintillating hula hoop dance performance, Power Minister R.K. Singh presented businessline’s Changemaker of the Year award to the Reserve Bank of India for steering the country through the turbulent period of the pandemic. The ‘utterly butterly’ beloved brand, Amul, was crowned Iconic Changemaker of the Year.

Receiving the award, Jayen Mehta, Managing Director, GCMMF (Amul), light-heartedly quipped, “Early in the morning, at 5.00 a.m., you will see only two changemakers – newspapers and doodhwalas [milkmen].”

Mr. Mehta went on to acknowledge the 36 lakh women changemakers of Amul, on behalf of whom, he “was accepting this award”. “It is the second strongest food brand in the world. Amul’s cooperative model has demonstrated that when people, the marginalised, and the women come together, they can create a new model of development,” he emphasised.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das too dedicated the award to all officers, Department of Financial Services (DFS) officials, bank officials, and employees of the Central bank, praising their commitment and dedication. Responding humorously to Mr. Mehta’s comment about doodhwalas in the morning, he said, the intangible you don’t see at that time is whether the payment is made through cash or digital mode.

The fifth edition of the event saw awards being given in six categories – digital transformation, social transformation, financial transformation, young changemaker, iconic changemaker, and changemaker of the year. The digital transformation winner was Stellapps Technologies, a start-up that works on digitising the dairy sector. In social transformation there were two winners – HerKey, which aims to reverse the female brain drain and Educate Girls, an NGO that aims to improve access and quality of education for girls. The award for financial transformation went to Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.

The Young Changemaker Award went to Shrinidhi R.S., creator of CherriLearn, an education app which offers gamified lessons in regional languages to children of classes 1-5.

In his address, the chief guest, Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh said, “I was reflecting on change. Only when you make a difference, you can say you have justified your existence… when you have made a difference to a few people or to a large number of people. When the time comes for us to bid farewell to the world, this is the only thing that counts. Hearing the Amul MD and the RBI Governor made me realise that when the rest of the world is still struggling with the impact of the pandemic or other crises, we remain among the most stable and highest growing economies in the world.”

About the change he himself effected, the Minister said: “We transformed our country from a power-deficit to power-surplus country. We strengthened the distribution system. The availability of power has gone up as a result. We are the fastest growing in renewable energy.”

Earlier, inaugurating the event, Dr. Nirmala Lakshman, Chairperson of THG Publishing Private Limited, said, “Impactful change begins with the vision and determination of individuals and institutions ready to challenge the status quo.”

Raghuvir Srinivasan, Editor, businessline, said that bl’s endeavour was to put the spotlight on unrecognised changemakers.

The 2023 awards function was presented by Sastra. Associate partners were LIC, Casagrand, GMDC, LICHFL, Punjab & Sind Bank, United India, GAIL, and NTPC; banking partner was J&K Bank; online grocery partner BigBasket; tourism partner Bihar Tourism; education partner SSVM Institutions; television partner NewsX; gift partner Anand Prakash; knowledge partners Ashoka and Deloitte; and validation partner NIITI Consulting.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Kozhikode is a permanent venue for the annual Kerala Literature Festival and hosts several other book festivals. Gwalior has a rich and diverse musical heritage.

Kozhikode in Kerala and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh have made it to the prestigious creative cities list of UNESCO for contributions in the fields of literature and music respectively.

The announcement was made by UNESCO on its official website on October 31, which is designated as World Cities Day.

“On World Cities Day, 55 cities join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. New cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning,” the statement said.

On November 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a congratulatory message on X : “India’s cultural vibrancy shines brighter on the global stage with Kozhikode’s rich literary legacy and Gwalior’s melodious heritage now joining the esteemed UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Congratulations to the people of Kozhikode and Gwalior on this remarkable achievement!”

“As we celebrate this international recognition, our nation reaffirms its commitment to preserving and promoting our diverse cultural traditions. These accolades also reflect the collective efforts of every individual dedicated to nurturing and sharing our unique cultural narratives,” he added.

Union Culture Minister G. Kishen Reddy said: “A proud moment for India. Kozhikode in Kerala has been designated as the UNESCO ‘City of Literature’ and Gwalior as the ‘City of Music’ in the latest UNESCO list of Creative Cities Network. These cities get acknowledged and recognition for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity. Congratulations to all stakeholders!”

With the latest additions, the creative cities network now counts 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

Kozhikode is a permanent venue for the annual Kerala Literature Festival and hosts several other book festivals. Gwalior has a rich and diverse musical heritage encompassing classical Hindustani music, folk music, and devotional music. The city also has some prestigious music institutes and hosts popular festivals.

With the latest additions, the UCCN now counts 350 cities in more than a hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. Some of the other cities added to the list are Bukhara for Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca for Media Arts, Kathmandu for Films, and Rio de Janeiro for Literature.

The newly designated Creative Cities are invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference (July 1-5, 2024) in Braga, Portugal, under the theme “Bringing Youth to the table for the next decade”, the UNESCO statement said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

With the execution of Agartala-Akhaura railway project, which was virtually inaugurated by Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh on Wednesday, the rail route distance between the northeastern states and Kolkata would be reduced to 500 km via Bangladesh from the existing 1,600 km via Guwahati.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday virtually inaugurated the Agartala (Tripura)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project along with 1,320 MW generation capacity Maitree Super Thermal Power project at Rampal in Bangladesh’s Khulna division, and the 86.87 km Khulna-Mongla port rail line project.

All the three projects are financially assisted by India.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who also attended the virtual event, later said the Agartala-Akhaura railway project would reduce the rail route distance between the northeastern state and Kolkata to 500 km via Bangladesh from the existing 1,600 km via Guwahati.

“The railway project would not only boost the connectivity of the northeastern states, but also flourish tourism, trade and economy. Due to the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been a sea change in the connectivity and transportation sectors in the northeastern states,” Saha told the media.

He said the escalated cost of the Agartala-Akhaura railway project, which was approved by the governments of India and Bangladesh in July 2016, rose to Rs 1255.10 crore.

The 12.24 km Agartala-Akhaura railway line (5.46 km in India and 6.78 km in Bangladesh) is linked with Akhaura through an international immigration station at Nischintapur in western Tripura, the Chief Minister said.

Funded by India’s Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is the nodal agency of the Agartala-Akhaura railway project, which was in principally agreed in January 2010 when Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina met then India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during her visit to New Delhi.

As part of the trial run through the newly built Agartala-Akhaura railway line, a Bangladeshi goods train reached Nischintapur on Monday.

The Agartala-Akhaura railway project, which is a dual gauge line for both passenger and goods interchange between India and Bangladesh, would enable people of the northeastern states, especially Tripura and southern part of Assam and Mizoram, to visit Kolkata by rail saving 22 hours of travel time.

Railway officials said the Indian Railways portion has a broad gauge system while the portion in Bangladesh is a metre gauge system.

Currently, the people of the region, especially those in Tripura and its adjoining areas, go to Kolkata via Guwahati by rail, spending more than 38 hours.

The new railway project is part of India’s ‘Act East Policy’, which aims to promote economic cooperation and develop strategic ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The northeast region, comprising eight states, has been earmarked as a priority region in this policy.

The Agartala-Akhaura line is the first railway line between northeast India and Bangladesh, though there are few rail links between West Bengal and Bangladesh.

These include Gede-Darshana, Benapole-Petrapole, Singhabad-Rohanpur, Radhikapur-Birol and Haldibari-Chilahati routes.

The Ministry of DoNER has funded the railway line from Agartala to Nischintpur; whereas the MEA has funded for the rail line from Nischintpur to Gangasagar station in Bangladesh.

IANS

source/content: theshillongtimes.com (headline edited)

Muskaan Jubbal, a Grade 11 student at the Shiv Nadar School in Faridabad, has recently clinched the ‘Best Woman Driver’ title in the highly competitive MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship held in Chennai. Jubbal, who started karting at the age of nine alongside her elder brother, considers racing not just a sport but a passion.

Struggling for Recognition and Support

Despite being recognized as a sport, motorsports in India continue to receive stepmotherly treatment, and there is a lack of support from initiatives like Khelo India. Jubbal, who trained under Rohit Khanna, believes that young drivers would benefit greatly from more support in the field.

In an effort to contribute to the motorsport ecosystem in the country, Jubbal and her mother recently traveled to Kashmir to train over 30 women in autocross. She feels that personal efforts like these can help involve more women in the sport.

Challenges in Sponsorship and Academic Balance

Despite her impressive achievements at a young age, Jubbal faces challenges in securing sponsorships for her racing career. However, she is grateful for the support and encouragement she receives from her parents, who have played a crucial role in nurturing her passion for racing.

Jubbal admits that she sometimes has to compromise on her academics due to her commitments to various motorsport events. However, she appreciates the support she receives from her teachers, who understand her passion and are supportive of her racing endeavors.

Aspirations and Dreams

When she is not on the racing circuit, Jubbal enjoys baking and playing golf. Her ultimate aim is to race on prestigious circuits like Circuit de Monaco in Monaco, Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, and Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi. She acknowledges that these are ambitious dreams, but she is determined to work hard and stay focused to achieve them.

Summary:

• NCR-based Muskaan Jubbal, a Grade 11 student, has won the ‘Best Woman Driver’ title in the MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship.
• Jubbal started karting at the age of nine and considers racing her passion.
• Motorsports in India lack recognition and support, according to Jubbal.
• She and her mother are making personal efforts to involve more women in motorsports.
• Jubbal faces challenges in securing sponsorships for her racing career.
• Her parents have been instrumental in supporting her passion for racing.
• She sometimes has to compromise on academics due to her motorsport commitments.
• Jubbal aspires to race on prestigious circuits like Circuit de Monaco, Baku City Circuit, and Yas Marina.

source/content: Delhibreakings.com (headline edited)