Tag: national

  • Surana Group of Hospitals Along With ICICI Lombard Vaccinated 30,467 People Free Of Cost from August 7 To 14, 2021 Setting New Guinness World Records

    Mumbai, August 19: ICICI Lombard General Insurance, one of India’s leading General Insurance along with Surana Group of hospitals who have done over 4,00,000Covid  vaccinations till now,  have found their way to a new Guinness World Records; by free vaccination of 30,467 people in just a span of one week from August 7 to 14, 2021. The people also took a pledge to follow Covid norms.

    It was during free camps organized in the slum areas of Dharavi, Worli slums, including BDD Chawl and Koliwada by ICICI Lombard along with SuranaSethia Hospital & Research Cenre.

    For this initiative, Dr Prince Surana, CEO, SuranaSethia Hospital, informed, “We feel great to be a part of the vision to vaccinate all in the shortest period and have vaccinated already over 4,00,000 people through Surana Group of hospitals”.

    He further informed, “We had a great experience in conducting this drive with ICICI Lombard. It is a first of its kind initiative in India, where a Corporate has come forward in a big way to conduct a vaccination drive under their CSR initiative. The entire drive involved a health care staff of around 60 people, working round the clock from Surana Hospital. It included nurses, doctors, paramedical staff etc., who on average vaccinated over 3000 people every day at both the locations along with COWIN registration and in total 14 working days of the drive, we have vaccinated 50,000 people free of cost.”

    On the occasion of this initiative, Mr. SanjeevMantri, Executive Director, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, stated that “At ICICI Lombard, it is our continuous endeavour to contribute to the community at large, in line with our focus of being a responsible Corporate Citizen. We are deeply encouraged to have got the opportunity to vaccinate more than 32,000 deserving individuals, giving them added protection against the virus. It is humbling for us that we broke the Guinness World Record milestone in the process.

    For More Information: Visit us at www.suranahospital.in or Like us on Facebook.

  • Ministry Approves AIPBA’s Request to Import 15 Lakh MT of De-oiled Soya Meal for Livestock Feed

    Mr. Bahadur Ali, Chairman, All India Poultry Breeders Association

    Poultry breeders were facing an acute shortage of soya meant to feed livestock for various reasons.

    New Delhi [India], August 19: The All India Poultry Breeders Association (AIPBA) has welcomed the Union government’s decision to accept its request to import 15 lakh tonnes of de-oiled soya meal for livestock feed.

    Poultry breeders were facing an acute shortage of meal availability to feed the livestock due to poor harvest and high prices due to speculative trading in commodities markets. The AIPBA had on August 6 written to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, demanding import of 15 lakh tonnes of de-oiled soya cake /meal solvent extracted (non-food) from GM soya seed through solvent extraction for the manufacture of animal feed.

    “The whole poultry industry was facing a major crisis due to shortage of soya meant to feed livestock. We had requested the government to allow the import of 15 lakh tonnes of de-oiled soap meal, and we are extremely thankful to the authorities for addressing and resolving the issue on an urgent basis,” said AIPBA Chairman Bahadur Ali.

    In a letter to AIPBA, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying said it held consultations with the Environment Ministry, Commerce Ministry, Director General of Foreign Trade, Department of Revenue, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India over the matter.

    The Environment Ministry conveyed to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying that it has no objection to importing soya cake or meal from the environmental angle as these products do not contain any living modified organism.

    The FSSAI also conveyed that non-food, i.e., not consumed by humans, is not within its ambit, and therefore it does not regulate animal feed. FSSAI said the Department could decide on the import of animal feed, thus paving the way for the import of soya de-oiled cake.

    India had enough supplies of soya meal earlier and was not required to import any. However, the situation where domestic prices of soya meals are at par or even higher than soyabean has forced poultry breeders to look at importing soya meals.

  • Ramayana’s Famous Exponent Morari Bapu Gifts Rs 57 Lakh to the Indian Olympic Squad

    New Delhi [India], August 17: Spiritual leader and renowned exponent to the Ramayana, Shri Morari Bapu, extended Rs 57 lakh to the 228-member Indian Olympic squad as a gesture of goodwill and to felicitate their efforts to bring glory to the country.

    The contingent includes 127 sportspersons who directly participated in Tokyo Olympics. However, the famous Ram Katha maestro did not want to distinguish between players and those who went as trainers or support staff. Bapu said each person’s contribution counts. Thus, each contingent member would be given a symbolic amount of Rs 25000/- irrespective of the role as Prasada from Hanuman Ji of Shree Chitrakut Dham, Talgajarda (Gujarat).

    Shri Morari Bapu also said that winning and losing was inconsequential but participating with full zest was more important. It enhances a feeling of fraternity among sportspersons from across the world. Bapu had made this announcement at Manas Amarkantak on August 07 during his discourse. The Indian Olympics Association has welcomed the gesture meant to encourage players and facilitated the dispensation of the bestowment.

    Indian Olympic Association’s Secretary-General, Mr Rajeev Mehta, said, “The Indian Olympic Association is grateful to Shri Morari Bapu for his positive initiative in appreciating and supporting our athletes who have fought hard in Tokyo and brought back glory for our country. The Indian sports fraternity deeply appreciates Shri Morari Bapu Ji’s blessings and goodwill gesture of commending the efforts our brave athletes, officials and the support staff put in during the Olympic Games in Tokyo”.

    Shri Morari Bapu had said that he was inspired in his consciousness by his guru and grandfather Tribhuvandas Ji to commend the Olympics squad in this manner. Bapu has narrated over 850 Ram Kathas in India and worldwide with the primary and universal message of ‘truth, love and compassion’. He also advocates the causes of nation-building and environmental protection.

  • On World Organ Donation Day, Skin, Eye & Organ Donation Awareness Program Organized By Rotary District 3141.

    During World Organ Donation Day, seen in the pic, DG Rajendra Agarwal and other distinguished Rotarians & dignitaries with Goods Vehicle displaying the Skin, Eye & Organ Donation Awareness Programme banner in the backdrop

     Mumbai, Aug 14: On Aug 13, 2021, World Organ Donation Day, Rotary District 3141 carried out Skin, Eye & Organ Donation Awareness Program at Rotary Service Centre, Juhu, Mumbai, with Chief Guest DG. Rtn. Rajendra Agarwal and Dr. Bharat Shah, Hon. Secretary –ZLCC (Zonal Transplant Co-ordination Centre) as Guest of Honor. The project was undertaken by the Lead Host Club Rotary Club of Bombay West and other Co-Host Clubs. This program is also Rotary District 3141 Thrust Area Initiative.

    The program commenced with unveiling a banner on goods vehicles by DG Rajendra Agarwal and other VIPs.  Other VIPs included Skin Donation Rtn. Dr. Sunil Keswani and Eye Donation Rtn. Dr. GirishTrivedi.  The Goods Vehicle displayed the banner of the Skin, Eye & Organ Donation Awareness Programme.

    The meeting was called to order, and President Rtn gave the welcome speech. GautamChande of RC Bombay West.

    DG called the All India Organ Donation Coordinator on Zoom. Then recognition of VIPs, PDGs and other District Dignitaries present was done.

    Release of Awareness Bulletin & Car Sticker was also done with the announcement by Rtn. Harminder Singh, Avenue Advisor.

    Dr. Bharart Shah explained the role of ZLCC ((Zonal Transplant Co-ordination Centre) and organ donation awareness.

    DG RajendraAgarwal gave his blessings.

    The program ended with a vote of thanks by Avenue Chair Rtn. SonalSomaiya.

    www.rotarydist3141.org.in

  • Honey All Day Independence Day Campaign to Help Our Heroes with a Sweet Gesture

    ~ 100% raw honey with no added preservatives ~

    Mumbai, August 17:  Honey All Day, a brand that provides real, pure honey carried out an on-ground campaign this Independence Day to express gratitude to the social helpers of the nation, who are the unsung heroes of today’s times. Honey All Day distributed honey pouches among the social helpers of Mumbai to help them stay healthy and safe in these tough times.

    The world is going through a major pandemic and while a lot of us have the choice to sit in the comfort of our homes, our brave hearts step up selflessly to ensure our safety and wellbeing in these tough times. From the doctors, nurses, sweepers and Policemen, these warriors strive relentlessly to keep us safe and healthy.

    The unfortunate situation of the pandemic has emphasized the increasing need to constantly keep your health in check. Building your immunity, keeping the body energised, and strengthening your metabolism are all vital factors to remaining healthy and disease-free.

    Honey, since ancient times, has been considered an elixir for its health-benefitting properties. It helps boost your immunity and makes your body stronger from within. It also acts as an instant source of energy and helps your body build resistance to health issues right from a simple cough to chronic illnesses like cancer.Therefore, Honey All Day processes their honey without eliminating any essential nutrients that affect the nutritional value of honey. Honey works as an elixir only in its natural form and that is exactly what Honey All Day offers you – raw, pure and natural honey.

    Talking about this initiative for social helpers, Mr. Yusuf Galabhaiwala, Founder Honey All Day said, “These social helpers have been working selflessly, day and night, to take care of us. It was time we did something to take care of them too. That is why Honey All Day stepped forward to help them find an easy, convenient solution to stay healthy even in their busiest times.”

    He further added, “The smile and relief on their faces after sipping honey from these pouches made us realise that we were doing this for a noble cause and that gave us joy.”

    The Honey Pouch has a compact design, allowing it to fit anywhere so that you can stay healthy anytime, anywhere. The pouch contains 70gms of honey, which is a week’s supply of recommended daily dosage of 10 gms or one teaspoon of Honey, which consist of important enzymes and antioxidants that help boost immunity. The unfiltered, natural sugars in honey also serve as an instant dose of energy, keeping your body recharged for a long time.

    This initiative by Honey All Dayaims to persuade these warriors to look after their own health too and at the same time provides them with an easy solution to keep their health in check anytime, anywhere.

    Honey All Day Independence Day Campaign:https://youtu.be/h8jlIkhRxPs

    About Honey All Day

    The brand Honey All Day is an effort by the team to bring you honey in its pure, natural form. The honey is obtained directly from the beekeepers. Unlike other brands, Our Honey undergoes a distinct cold-processing technique, which keeps the nutritional value of honey intact. The natural nutrients present in honey is what makes it a great source of boosting immunity and staying healthy.

    The Honey is available in various flavours collected from different regions in India like the Forest Raw Honey, Kashmir Multiflora and Multi Flora from the plain of Bengal.

  • Gujarat’s highest tricolour hoisted at 321 feet on the tallest residential building in Surat, Casa Rivera by Vasu Pujya and Marvela Group.

    A grand celebration was organised on Independence Day by Vasu Pujya and Marvela Group, the developers of Casa Rivera at Pal

    Surat (Gujarat) [India], August 16: The 75th Independence Day is being celebrated all over the country on August 15 2021. While various flag hoisting programs were organised by government offices, school colleges and government-private institutions in Surat, Independence Day was celebrated uniquely and memorably by two builder groups of the city. They hoisted a huge national flag at the height of 321 feet on the tallest residential building in Surat.

    Casa Rivera, the tallest residential building in Surat at Pal, is being constructed by the renowned Vasu Pujya and Marvella Group. On Independence Day, a flag hoisting program organised here had the tricolour hoisted at the highest height of Surat, i.e. 321 feet.

    In this regard, Julu Badami said that as an Indian, we are also proud that our country is celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ as part of the 75th Independence day, and this unique program was organised to make this special festival memorable. With the help of a crane, our national flag of 36 by 24 inches was hoisted, and Independence Day was proudly celebrated.

  • World Youth Day 2021

    Sameep Shastri, Vice Chairman BRICS CCI and President, BRICS CCI Young Leaders

    New Delhi [India], August 14: On the occasion of World Youth Day 2021, Mr. Sameep Shastri, Vice Chairman BRICS CCI and President, BRICS CCI Young Leaders, said, “We should celebrate the voices and action of youth that has helped us to overcome this pandemic. It is said that change in society can only be achieved by empowering youth. The continued efforts by various stakeholders in empowering youth had materialised during the pandemic, which was evident from the countless numbers of stories across the globe of youth who have put society before themselves. Youth has played a crucial role in adopting the change in society which was caused due to pandemic and in future will also play a crucial role in returning to normal.”

    He also highlighted that even through the pandemic, nothing could stop BRICS CCI Young Leaders from achieving its objectives. He said, “The forum organised various events in online mode and provided numerous opportunities to its member and youth participants. The program has made successful efforts to achieve its objectives of empowering, engage and enrich the youth, and will continue to achieve them in future with unique events and initiatives.”

    In conclusion, he enumerated how this technologically advanced young generation has developed new technologies that have led to the development of society and have also affected every individual in a positive, very positive manner. He stated, “The young generation will play a vital role in developing new technologies by leveraging the AI, machine learning and robotics which will solve global problems and make this world a better place to live for future generations.”

  • A chance encounter with Author, Entrepreneur and philanthropist Aditya Tikku

    Aug 14: Today, we are catching up with a person who doesn’t have a million-dollar smile but gives a million-dollar effort to change people’s lives. Yes, you might have guessed it, it is Aditya Tikku. Read up on my encounter: –

    Would you mind telling us something about yourself that we don’t know?

    There is nothing to share just that I am in to textile business and writing, which is my passion.

    You are a textile businessman, app developer, editor, and social worker; you are into counselling and organise spiritual shivers. Where do you get the motivation of doing so many things?

    Ha! Ha! You are more updated on me than myself. Well, you are already aware of what I am doing. The only motivation behind it is good karma. Do your work and let the universe take its course.

    Where do you see the position of India in the world after freedom of 75 years?

    We are in an excellent position. The world has started listening to us. The world has started seeing us hoping that peace and humanity can come only through India. On the first day, we have got what other countries struggled with for centuries; the women’s suffrage movement was a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States. It took activists and reformers nearly 100 years to win that right, and the campaign was not easy. Chinese are still dreaming of getting democracy. So, we have achieved a lot, and yes, there is still scope for many improvements.

    Then why you have established your family abroad?

    I have established my family!! My brother is struggling to get me established; I hope one day he will. Magazine to apps anything that I have ever done was just due to the support of my family. Moreover, my brother is working in Sri Lanka, but we all are Indian citizens and will always be.

    Being a Kashmiri, what do you think about the removal of Article 370 & 35 A?

    As an Indian and Kashmiri pandit, I will say this was one of the best things in 75 years of independence; it would have been great if it had been done earlier. The Centre paved the way for people outside Jammu and Kashmir to buy land in the union territory. In a gazette notification, the central government omitted the phrase “permanent resident of the state” from Section 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act that deals with land disposal in the union territory. However, the amendment did not allow the transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturists except in few cases.

    In July this year, the rules were changed to allow domicile certificates to be granted to the husbands of local women married to people from outside Jammu and Kashmir. The move will enable them to buy land or property in the Union territory or apply for government jobs. All people having resided in the UT for 15 years or studied for seven years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 examinations in an educational institution in the region are eligible for grant of domicile status along with their children.

    After the abrogation of Article 370, the civil secretariat in Srinagar hoisted the Indian Tricolour while the state’s flag was missing. The rectangular flag – red background with three white vertical stripes alongside a white plough in the middle with the handle facing the stripes – fluttered next to the Indian national flag on the secretariat for more than six decades.

    The CID wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police has ordered the denial of security clearance required for passport and other government services to all those involved in stone-pelting or subversive activities. The order was issued on July 31 and directed all the fields to ensure that the person’s involvement in law and order, stone-pelting cases, and other crime prejudicial to the state’s security be looked explicitly into during verification related to passport service and other government schemes.

    In the early hours of August 5, hundreds of political leaders and workers – including three former chief ministers Mufti, Omar Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah – were detained. The Abdullahs were released in March 2020, and Mufti was freed in the second week of October last year. Since then, the leaders have come together – along with four other parties in Kashmir – to forge an informal alliance that aims to restore the region’s special status. It’s a Beginning

    Sometimes, or I will say mostly, you support women blindly. Is it because you are a feminist?

    Nothing as such, but yes, I try to stand with them. We need to be respectful towards women. We can claim anything we want, but the ground reality is women are still treated as second class citizens in many parts. We are narrow-minded people. Forget the outside world; in our homes, we send a girl to school and start feeling how great it is that we are educating girls. There is nothing extraordinary about that; it is the girl’s right as much as anyone else to get an education. Hardly do we support girls to choose their subject/career. We allow her to do a job till she gets married; after marriage, she can do what her husband and in-laws say. Girl can’t also cry for fear that family members will feel bad. Just imagine how much they do for us and how much we owe them; only then you will understand why it is necessary to stand with them.

  • 75th Independence Day: A Farmer’s Plight in an Agrarian Nation

    A Farmers Plight in an Agrarian Nation

    Dehradun, Aug 14: “Jai jawan, Jai Kisan” These words set forth by Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965, our then Prime Minister, have been like a consistent echo throughout the nation. With the descent of time, the significance of farmers has continued to grow. From being dependent on foreign countries for food to being self-sufficient, everything has resulted from the fervour and endurance of farmers.

    India is an agrarian country, meaning a majority of its population makes income through agriculture, which is why almost 70% of the Indian economy is backed by agriculture. It will be a grave understatement if Indian farmers are called anything but “the spine of the Indian economy.”

    And although Shastri’s phrase has a ring to it even today, its truth has somewhat been lost.

    Farmer’s issue:

    The farmers are our sole food providers. They had carried us out of the clutches of food scarcity before, and they continue to do so. Yet, even after 75 years of Independence, they haven’t been able to receive anything monumental in return. Instead, they live a life filled with hardships and farmer issues don’t seem to have a full stop yet. Around 80% of Indian farmers lead marginalized lives with less than a hectare of land. The lack of plentiful harvests and sufficient return from their crops has led to rising in farmer suicides. A 2021 report by the State of India’s Environment (SoE) highlighted that 5763 farmers from 20 states (including the Union Territories) & 4586 farm labourers from 21 states had committed suicides in 2018. This number was bumped up in 2019 to 5957 farmers from 17 states.

    Although crop failure is a major contributor to these fatalities, the lack of financial aid tops the list. The farmers put all their capital on the line in order to grow quality crops. To sell their crop & food products to the consumers, the farmers go through numerous middlemen who snatch the majority of the return. It leaves the farmers with little to nothing.

    While the government provides the farmers with a Minimum Support Price (MSP), it doesn’t even come as close as half of the input. The markets are often down in the aftermath of harvests; this forces the farmers to sell their produce for meagre costs and drowns them into debt. A 2016 survey called “The Economic Survey” states that a farmer’s average annual income only goes as far as ₹20,000 & less.

    Current scenario – Farmers Amendment Bill:

    In the recent months, India has witnessed mass farmers’ protests against the Farm Bills passed in the parliament, namely:

    • Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020;
    • Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and
    • Farm Services Act 2020 and
    • Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020

    The farmers have been in complete disagreement with the bills owning to the understanding that the bills will end MSP. It means they will be stripped from whatever guaranteed amount they were receiving against their crops. The demands from farmers include the abolition of these three laws & sustainability for MSP.

    A ray of hope:

    One cannot solve the problems faced by farmers in a fortnight. The road to making farmers capable is extensive. Amidst the rising farmer issues, many companies have come forward to the aid of farmers. One such company is Kiwi Kisan Window. A health & wellness startup based in Dehradun, Kiwi Kisan Window deals in organic & healthy conscious food. The startup was initiated in 2017 by social entrepreneurs Abhinav Ahluwalia & Nupur Agarwal to aid farmers in their agricultural pursuits. Kiwi works at the grassroots level with marginalized farmers from across the country. They acquire the products from the farmers & package them in their warehouse. From there, the products are distributed throughout the country. Kiwi acts as a direct window between the farmers & consumers. This elimination of middlemen provides farmers with fair trade opportunities.

    In the span of 4 years, Kiwi has gotten approximately 10,000 farmers onboard. Along with it, the startup has also generated a stable income for about 10,000 farmers. The company has helped farmers indulge in organic farming by familiarizing them with its technical know-how. Through the entirety of lockdowns imposed in 2020 due to covid-19, Kiwi mobilized the food produced by these farmers in order to save them from getting ruined due to weather conditions. Kiwi wishes to bring a ripple effect in the market through their initiative & encourage the consumers to support the farmers.

    Our true independence lies in uplifting & walking shoulder to shoulder with everyone. The country is developing & moving forward every day; the farmers shouldn’t be exempt from this growth. If anything, the farmers should be at the forefront of the changing times.

    When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization.” – Daniel Webster

    Connect with Kiwi on their social media handles for further information: Google My Business, Instagram,

  • Hearts at Work Foundation celebrated Independence Day with Tree Plantation

    Surat, Aug 13: The Hearts at Work Foundation, led by Greenman Viral Desai, celebrated Independence Day by tree plantation at the Sultania Gymkhana in Rander. The tree planting event was specially attended by about a hundred employees of internationally renowned architect firm International Service Partners. They took guidance on tree planting from Greenman Viral Desai.

    It may be mentioned that the young architects, as well as engineers of International Service Partners (ISP) of Surat, had specially invited Greenman Viral Desai to plant trees with Hearts at Work Foundation as part of the Independence Day celebrations. So that the youngest employees working in their organization get more awareness about tree plantations, and they also get a chance to interact with the environment.

    The director of ISP, Hiren Patel, shares that,

    “We were impressed with the Hearts at Work Foundation’s environmental work, so we wanted our entire team to plant trees with them. After this tree planting, our staff was very happy to care for and serve nature, and they got useful information about the environment from Viral Bhai. ‘

    On the other hand, Greenman Viral Desai said, “It is a matter of great hope and joy for an environmentalist like me that more than 100 employees of a corporate organization like ISP come for vigorous tree planting under our Satyagraha Against Pollution Campaign. And this happens at a time when the youth are becoming alienated from nature and the environment.”

    ISP’s Dhara Upadhyay said on this occasion, “On the one hand, some people have only been involved in fundraising and agenda activities in the name of NGO’s. At such time, Hearts at Work Foundation sets a unique benchmark and precedence as an organization from south Gujarat, which works for the environment and serves the country, despite several challenges.

    It may be mentioned that during this tree planting program, Viral Desai shared many innovative and informative stories about the environment and tree plantation with the youth. As a result, many young architects and engineers were extremely excited and keen to volunteer as environmentalists in Viral Desai’s Foundation.