Another visionary plan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is headed towards fruition with the announcement of seven states where mega integrated textile parks are being set up. Our Cover Story is about this mammoth project, which is inspired by the PM’s 5F Vision – Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign. The PM MITRA Parks are a major step in realising the ambition of making India a global hub for textile manufacturing and exports, says our story. The project, involving a total outlay of Rs. 4,445 crore, will not only generate 20 lakh jobs, but also integrate the three pillars of the world’s fastest growing economy – agriculture, manufacturing and services. Besides elaborating on timelines and various contours of the project, our story explains how it will help India achieve the target of $100 billion worth of textile exports by 2030.
The countdown to the centenary episode of PM’s Mann Ki Baat has begun; and we zoom in on this most popular radio programme, on our centerspread. The main story recalls the history of the programme, while incorporating the memorable quote of PM Modi from the inaugural episode. It then details the special series that AIR has launched as part of the century countdown and explains how Mann Ki Baat has been the genesis, medium, and amplifier of the social changes in the country. Alongside, we carry PM Modi’s musings on important issues, as conveyed through his multiple interactions with the citizens. There is also a report about Blitz India’s plan to host a mega event in Mumbai to celebrate the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat.
Mauritius, India’s closest ally in the Indian Ocean, is our focus country this week. Calling it ‘a little India away from India’ in the African continent, our report dwells on maritime bonds shared between the two countries, the stepping up of engagements in recent years and the massive rise in bilateral trade. A related report focuses on the Gandhi connection with Mauritius. The page is embellished with a pictorial peep into India-Mauritius ties.
The G20 witnessed two important events in Amritsar and we cover both in detail on the Podium. The first report is about the meeting of the Education Working Group, which was attended by over 55 delegates from 28 member countries, guest countries and multilateral organisations such as OECD, Unesco and Unicef. The meeting, according to our report, focused on bridging the gap between Governmentacademia-industry linkages for designing solutions to address global challenges. The consensus was that research collaboration is the need of the hour, says our report.
We also cover the Labour20 engagement group meeting, the focus of which was on social security and women’s role in workforce. Apart from this, we bring before you the best of G20-related tweets of the week.
While the Legal page carries insightful reports on two very critical issues – the plea for legalising same-sex marriage and the recent judgment on DNA test for children, the New India features the Vibrant Villages Programme. Among the key news developments, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida’s visit to India is covered on Rising India page and the US envoy to India finally getting Senate clearance makes top slot on an inside page.
Over to you!
