New Delhi Jan 31 PTI The government is working with utmost determination to ensure a safe and secure India with a focus on achieving self-reliance in the production of military equipment required by the armed forces President Ram Nath Kovind said on MondayIn his address to a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session Kovind also referred to infrastructure development in border areas including in the Ladakh region and said it has provided new strength to the countrys securityMy government is working with utmost determination to ensure a safe and secure India Due to the policies of the government in the defence sector especially in defence production the country is becoming increasingly self-reliant he saidOf all the approvals accorded for modernisation of armed forces in the year 2020-21 87 per cent were from Make in India category Similarly in 2020-21 preference was accorded to Make in India category in 98 per cent of equipment related contracts Kovind saidThe president said the armed forces have issued a list of 209 military equipment which will not be purchased from abroadA list of more than 2800 defence equipment has also been issued by defence undertakings which will be manufactured domestically he notedIn August 2020 the defence ministry announced that India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft light combat helicopters conventional submarines cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024A second list putting import restrictions on 108 military weapons and systems such as next-generation corvettes airborne early warning systems tank engines and radars was issued in May last yearIn his address the president also referred to the deal to procure 83 Tejas light combat aircraft LCA from state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics LtdA contract has been signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for manufacture of 83 LCA Tejas fighter aircraft he saidThe Rs 48000 crore deal to procure Tejas aircraft was sealed in February last year and it was billed as the biggest ever indigenous defence procurement programmeThe government has also taken important steps for reorganisation of Ordnance Factories into seven Defence PSUs Besides the government is also committed to rapidly promote the private sector and start-ups in the defence sector Kovind saidOur objective is that the products required by our Forces should be developed in India and also manufactured in India he saidThe president said infrastructure development in border areas has provided new strength to the countrys securityToday while on the one hand the modern infrastructure of the country is opening ways for development on the other hand it is also providing new strength to countrys securityBorder Roads Organisation has constructed a transport-worthy road at 19 thousand feet the highest altitude for such a road at Umling La Pass in Ladakh Even the most remote villages like Demchok in Ladakh Joling Kong in Uttarakhand and Huri in Arunachal Pradesh have been connected by modern roads he said PTI MPB httpswwwavastcomsig-emailutmmediumemailutmsourcelinkutmcampaignsig-emailutmcontentwebmail Virus-free HYPERLINK httpswwwavastcomsig-emailutmmediumemailutmsourcelinkutmcampaignsig-emailutmcontentwebmail nwwwavastcom DAB4FAD82DD740BBA1B84E2AA1F9FDF2 httpptinewscomimagesptijpg We bring the World to you Disclaimer This e-mail message may contain proprietary confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed Please delete this e-mail if it is not meant for you MIN MIN

New Delhi Sep 27 PTI The Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Monday issued show cause notices for closure to three hotels in the city for violating environmental normsDuring an inspection DPCC officials found that the sewage treatment plants at two hotels --Taj Sats CateringLtd andAmbassadors SkyChef -- at theIGI Airport Authority Complex were not operating properly The two units are engaged in flight catering activity according to the show cause noticeA show cause notice for closure and imposing an environmental compensation of Rs 4 lakh each has beenissued to the two hotelsThe STP at the third hotel The Park at Parliament Street was totally defunct The hotel was found discharging the wastewater into the sewerwithout treatment the notice readThe dieselgenerator sets and the PNG-fired boiler at the hotel did not have adequate height Also it did not have a compost plantThe pollution control authority has issued a notice for imposing an EC of Rs 11 lakh on the hotel PTI GVS httpwwwavgcomemail-signatureutmmediumemailutmsourcelinkutmcampaignsig-emailutmcontentwebmail Virus-free HYPERLINK httpwwwavgcomemail-signatureutmmediumemailutmsourcelinkutmcampaignsig-emailutmcontentwebmail nwwwavgcom DAB4FAD82DD740BBA1B84E2AA1F9FDF2 httpptinewscomimagesptijpg We bring the World to you Disclaimer This e-mail message may contain proprietary confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed Please delete this e-mail if it is not meant for you ANB ANB

New Delhi Sep 18 PTI India saw a single-day rise of 35662 new COVID-19 infections while the active cases increased to 340639 according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday The active cases now comprise 102 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 9765 per cent it said Also 1448833 tests were conducted on Friday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far to 550780273 it said The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 246 per cent It has been less than three per cent for the last 19 days according to the data The weekly positivity rate has been recorded at 202 per cent It has been below three per cent for the last 85 days the ministry said The number of people who have recuperated from the disease is 32632222 while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 133 per cent it said The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the vaccination drive has exceeded 7942 crore according to the ministry Indias COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year 30 lakh on August 23 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16 It went past 60 lakh on September 28 70 lakh on October 11 crossed 80 lakh on October 29 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 last year India recorded two crore cases on May 4 and three crore cases on June 23 PTI UZM -- Uzmi Athar httpswwwavastcomsig-emailutmmediumemailutmsourcelinkutmcampaignsig-emailutmcontentwebmail Virus-free HYPERLINK httpswwwavastcomsig-emailutmmediumemailutmsourcelinkutmcampaignsig-emailutmcontentwebmail nwwwavastcom DAB4FAD82DD740BBA1B84E2AA1F9FDF2 httpptinewscomimagesptijpg We bring the World to you Disclaimer This e-mail message may contain proprietary confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed Please delete this e-mail if it is not meant for you AAR