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1. We should reshape our country to ensure all citizens have essential freedoms enshrined in our constitution: Vice President

The Vice President said that Jayee Rajguru made the supreme sacrifice of his life on this day for the independence of this country, sparking a massive “Paika Vidroh” or war against the British in Odisha and other parts of the country. He further said that Jaya Krushna Mahapatra was the Rajguru of King of Khurda as was popularly known as Jayee Rajguru. The first war of independence had also raised its head in the Khurda kingdom in Odisha and the hero of this earliest war of Indian independence was Jayee Rajguru, he added.

The Vice President said that the story of Jayee Rajguru is awe inspiring and demonstrates the heroic patriotism of many of our ancestors who sacrificed their lives for our motherland. He further said that the Khurda Rising of 1804 which Shaheed Rajguru led from the front was truly a people’s war. The battle skill, valour and sacrifices of Jayee Rajguru and his followers are still remembered by the people even after 200 years, he added.

The Vice President said that Jayee Rajguru was the first martyr from Orissa in the freedom struggle and also one of the earliest martyrs in our Freedom Movement. He further said that he was not only a brave warrior but a Great Sanskrit Scholar of his time and was an astute Rajguru. We are proud that such noble individuals have lived in our country and left behind a glorious saga of sacrifice and as a nation we shall be ever grateful to such heroes, he added.

2. Commerce Ministry imposes Minimum Import Price on pepper

The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has approved the proposal of the Spices Board for fixing the CIF value of Rs.500/-per kg as Minimum Import Price for pepper to protect the interests of pepper growers.

In recent times, decline in the domestic pepper price due to cheaper import of pepper from other origins has been a major concern among pepper growers. Pepper prices have gone down by nearly 35 per cent in one year and have resulted in a lot of hardship for pepper growers.

Since most of the pepper-producing countries are in the ASEAN region, there have also been apprehensions of pepper from these countries, being routed through Sri Lanka taking advantage of lower duty under SAFTA and ISLFTA, for availing concessional import duty. Farmers' associations have demanded taking of stringent measures including fixing of Minimum Import Price (MIP) for pepper to prevent cheaper imports of pepper into the country from other origins.

3. MGNREGS improving incomes, raising water table

A concerted effort has been made to make MGNREGS develop sustainable livelihoods while providing wage employment during times of need. A Rapid Assessment of Natural Resource Management Component under MGNREGS (on which minimum 60% is spent since 2015) and its impact on Sustainable Livelihoods carried out by the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi (November 2017), was carried over 30 districts in 29 States covering 1160 Households. The Study records increase in incomes of households by nearly 11%, increase in cereal productivity by 11.5% and vegetable productivity by 32.3%. 78% Households have reported benefitting from increase in water table, ranging from 30% in Muktsar to 95% in Vizianagram.

66% Households have also reported benefitting from availability of fodder on account of the water conservation works both in public and private lands of Small and Marginal Farmers. The range of water conservation measures, including farm ponds and dugwells, seem to have made a difference to the lives of the poor. The improved incomes from livestock have also happened through individual beneficiary schemes of MGNREGS that provide goat, poultry and cattle shed as per need of poor households. The livelihood thrust in MGNREGS has been adopted to raise incomes and improve skills for diversification of earning opportunities of poor households.

Serious and sincere efforts have been made to improve the implementation of MGNREGS in the States over the last few years. Over 2 crore assets made since 2006 have been geo-tagged over the last two years. Over 6.6 crore workers have Aadhaar linked Bank accounts and nearly 90% have Aadhaar seeding. 97% wages are paid through the Electronic Fund Management System. In 2014-15, payments generated within 15 days was 26.85%. Today, the timely payment generated is 85.23%, indicating a remarkable improvement in enforcing timely closure of muster, measurements and generation of Fund Transfer Orders. The National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) is already in operation in 23 States and 1 Union Territory of Puducherry facilitating transparent and timely payment.

4. India and Cuba sign MoU for enhanced cooperation in the health sector

Shri Nadda further stated that the MOU on cooperation in the field of health and medicine between India and Cuba is important for exchanges in the health sector and to develop institutional framework for cooperation in the health sector between the two countries. “One potential area is pharmaceutical and biotechnology. Cuba has made remarkable strides in the field of bio-technology and pharmaceuticals. We need to encourage greater institutional collaborations for joint production of medicines on commercial basis,” Shri Nadda elaborated. He also suggested that a Joint Working Group be formed for implementation of the MoU.

The objective of this MoU is to establish comprehensive inter-ministerial and inter-institutional cooperation between the two countries in the field of health by pooling technical, scientific, financial and human resources with the ultimate goal of upgrading the quality and reach of human, material and infrastructural resources involved in health care, medical education & training, and research in both countries.

5. States & Districts achieving 90% full immunization coverage to be rewarded , We need to replicate good practices and strengthen the gaps: J P Nadda

To improve the coverage, Mission Indradhanush (MI) was launched with a strategy to focus on unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children in the pockets of low immunization coverage in high risk and hard-to reach areas identified through Polio micro-plans. More than 2.55 crore children and around 68.71 lakh pregnant women have been immunized during the four rounds of immunization spanning over two years divided into four phases, with each phase comprising of drives of 7 working days each for four consecutive months.

The progress has also been validated by the report of Integrated Childhood & Immunization Survey (INCHIS), according to which the first two phases of MI have led to an increase in full immunization coverage by 6.7%.

Mission Indradhnaush is regularly reviewed by the Prime Minister. During one of the reviews, the Prime Minister showed urgency to reach out to each and every child with due vaccines and prepone the time line of 90% full immunization coverage by December 2018.A total of 190 districts/urban areas across 24 states have been identified for implementation of Intensified Mission Indradhanush which was launched by the Prime Minister on 8th October 2017 at Vadnagar, Gujarat.