Working for nation's development also mark of patriotism: Panchayati Raj secretary
New Delhi, Guarding the borders is not the only act of patriotism and all those working for the nation's development are setting an example of devotion to the nation, said the secretary of the Panchayati Raj Ministry, Raj Vivek Bharadwaj, on Monday.
He made the remarks while inaugurating a two-day workshop on the Panchayat Advancement Index that would measure growth at the village level.
It aims at capacity building for data-based monitoring and planning at the village panchayat level to support holistic, inclusive, and sustainable development through Panchayati Raj Institutions.
At the inauguration event, Bharadwaj said the index analyses over 100 indicators and gives a very comprehensive picture of overall development.
"I am sure such a big effort has never been made before. With 2.5 lakh Panchayats being measured, there must be millions of data points," Bharadwaj said.
"Sometimes we don't understand the value of our own contribution. Operation Sindoor has just concluded and our armies fought bravely. But there's isn't the only benchmark of patriotism."
The Panchayati Raj Ministry said, "Standing at the border to guard the nation is not the only act of patriotism. All of us who are working for the development of the nation are contributing to it. We all are setting an example of our patriotism."
"When you fill the correct data in PAI, when you ensure what is on the ground is reflected on the portal, you are contributing to the development of the country," he said to officials and panchayat members attending the workshop.
Saurabh Garg, the Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation , said the PAI will help in getting data from the grassroots level. "It provides a very good basis for a bottom-up approach."
He stressed that the index is the first of its kind, and will become a benchmark for other indicators to be developed.
NITI Aayog Senior Advisor Rajib Kumar Sen said the index will help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals . "It will provide the guidance required for a Viksit Bharat," he said.
According to the Panchayati Raj Ministry, the PAI has been developed as a robust, multi-dimensional tool to assess and monitor the progress of village panchayats against nine themes aligned with the Localized Sustainable Development Goals .
These themes cover areas such as poverty alleviation, health, education, water sufficiency, clean environment, infrastructure, governance, social justice, and women empowerment.
While in the first phase - PAI 1.0 served as a baseline assessment tool, PAI 2.0 incorporates major enhancements based on extensive field experience and stakeholder feedback.
It introduces a sharper and more focused framework by rationalising the number of indicators from 516 to 147. The refined Local Indicator Framework now emphasizes outcome-oriented, measurable indicators across nine LSDG themes, enabling village panchayats to track progress better, prioritise interventions, and enhance transparency in local governance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Operation Sindoor reflects control, inner strength of troops, gained by practising yoga: Rajnath Singh
India's armed forces displayed restraint, balance and precision during Operation Sindoor, which is a reflection of their inner strength attained by practising yoga, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, speaking in Jammu and Kashmir where he celebrated the 11th International Day of Yoga on Saturday (June 21, 2025). He performed various asanas and breathing exercises with approximately 2,500 soldiers of the Northern Command in Udhampur. International Yoga Day updates: June 21, 2025 Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the global popularity of yoga, the Defence Minister said that the practice provides a holistic approach to health and well-being. Those who practice yoga in their daily lives have control over their body and mind, he said, adding that it makes the practitioner proactive, not reactive, and pointing to Operation Sindoor as a good example. Sindoor not over yet Claiming that India's social and communal unity was targeted through the Pahalgam terror attack, Mr. Singh said that Operation Sindoor was a clear message to Pakistan that it would face the consequences of supporting terror activities against India. 'Operation Sindoor is the natural progression of the surgical strike of 2016 and the air strike of 2019. It was executed in such a way that Pakistan requested for a ceasefire, and only then have we put a pause to the operation. As I have said earlier, Operation Sindoor is not over yet. India is fully prepared to take all kinds of action against terrorism,' Mr. Singh said. He also asserted that Pakistan wants to weaken India from within, but it should never forget that just like Major Somnath Sharma, Brigadier Usman too sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of the country. Yoga's battlefield benefits When the nation is celebrating the International Day of Yoga, people should remember the true meaning of the practice, which is to connect every section of society with the culture and soul of India, the Defence Minister said. 'If even one section is left behind, the wheel of unity and security is broken. Therefore, today, we should perform yoga at the level of society and thought, and not just body,' he added. Yoga prepares a soldier physically and mentally and its benefits can be seen in the battlefield, he said, encouraging the soldiers to continue practicing it daily. The event was attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt Gen Pratik Sharma.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Op Sindoor paused after Pakistan requested for ceasefire: Rajnath Singh
NEW DELHI: Operation Sindoor is the natural progression of the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan, and it was conducted in a manner that forced Islamabad to ask for a ceasefire, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday, articulating India's firm resolve to fight terrorism. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacts with the armed forces personnel during 'Barakhana' at Northern Command headquarters, in Udhampur, J&K, on Friday. (PTI) 'It was executed in such a way that Pakistan requested for a ceasefire, and only then have we put a pause to the operation. As I have said earlier, Operation Sindoor is not over yet. India is fully prepared to take all kinds of action against terrorism,' Singh said at an International Yoga Day function organised by the army in Udhampur. The army's Northern Command based in Udhampur is the nerve centre of counterterrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir. India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead. It triggered a four-day military confrontation with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10. Singh led the armed forces' yoga day celebrations, with around 2,500 soldiers taking part in the Northern Command event. Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma were present. 'Yoga gives clarity to the people in chaos. It is an art, a science, a philosophy, and spirituality. Those who practise yoga in their daily lives have control over their body and mind. It makes us proactive, not reactive,' he said in his address, describing Operation Sindoor as a shining example of that 'control.' The Indian armed forces showed restraint, balance and precision during the operation, which is a reflection of their inner strength attained by practising yoga, he said. The operation was a clear message to Pakistan that it will face the consequences for supporting terror activities against India, he said. Pakistan wants to weaken India from within, but it should never forget that just like Major Somnath Sharma, Brigadier Mohammad Usman too sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of the country, Singh said referring to the bravehearts who fought valiantly during the 1947-48 India-Pakistan war. Sharma and Usman were posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra and the Maha Vir Chakra, respectively --- the country's highest and second highest wartime honours.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
No more long delays: Defence secretary says India plans to reduce weapon buying timeline from 6 to only 2 years
In a recent podcast, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh addressed India's evolving military strategy, post-operation assessments, and the broader transformation of defence procurement and exports. He offered rare insights into Operation Sindoor, Pakistan's response, and structural challenges within the defence acquisition process . Emergency procurement and stock replenishment After the operation, the government gave emergency powers to the three armed services, allowing them to use up to 15% of their capital budgets for the urgent purchase of ammunition and equipment to replenish operational stocks. Singh noted that although funding for modernization is sufficient, challenges remain in utilization. 'Capital expenditure has grown 7% over the past few years, but difficulty in absorbing funds meant we had to surrender some of the budget at the revised estimate stage. For the first time in five years, we fully utilized the budget last year, awarding contracts worth ₹2 lakh crore — up from ₹1 lakh crore in 2023–24. We are working to accelerate contract signing and improve fund absorption,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Perforated Stainless Steel Sheets – Durable & Trusted Source Premium Stainless Steel Sheets | Search Ads Search Now Undo No shortage of funds, but procurement still too slow Dismissing any claims of inadequate capital allocation, Singh said, 'The Finance Ministry has confirmed there is no shortage of money for capital expenditure.' The real bottleneck, he explained, lies in the procurement timeline. 'It takes 5–6 years to buy a weapon — from issuing an RFP to field trials and cost negotiations. Ideally, this should take no more than two years.' Also Read: Raining Hell: India to get new 300-km range Pinaka missile system soon that can fire 12 missiles in 44 seconds Live Events The secretary added that he would like the armed forces to reduce the duration of field trials from two years to six to eight months. He cited the Rafale Marine deal as an example that nearly met this ideal timeline. Singh urged the services to complete field trials within 6 to 8 months instead of the current two-year period. 'We've issued directions to simplify and streamline procurement.' No formal talks on F-35A or Su-57E will focus on AMCA 'On F-35A and Sukhoi Su-57 E, whatever has been discussed has been informal. We don't have any formal consultation going on on these,' Singh told ANI in a podcast. He added that the focus is on indigenous capability: 'What I can talk about is our fifth-generation fighter, which will be the AMCA.' AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft)would be the first project which will see the the participation from our private sector which will create healthy competition for the government owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Simplifying the defence acquisition procedure Singh acknowledged the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) — the core manual governing acquisitions — is overly complex. 'We must avoid redundancy. Many steps can be conducted concurrently rather than sequentially. We've formed a committee to simplify DAP, and its deadline is six months. The new DAP 2025 should be shorter, simpler, and more outcome-focused.' He added that unnecessary conditions preventing domestic production need to be removed. The goal, he said, is to facilitate indigenous defence manufacturing without compromising standards. India's defence exports: From negligible to ₹23,000 Crore When asked about India's growing status as a defence exporter, Singh dismissed concerns that it might lead to international isolation or reduce reliance on traditional suppliers. 'I don't believe India is at risk of isolation. You've seen Prime Minister Modi's successful foreign visits — we continue to strengthen global partnerships.' India's defence exports have increased from virtually nothing in 2014 to ₹23,000 crore, and Singh expressed confidence in meeting the ₹50,000 crore target in the coming years. 'We currently account for only 2% of global defence exports. Only when we begin selling large platforms — like missiles and aerial systems — will others view us as serious competitors,' he said. Focus on high-value systems for export India has already exported systems like BrahMos missiles, Akash surface-to-air missiles, Bharat Forge's ATAGS artillery guns, and other towed gun systems. Singh added that there is growing interest in multi-barrel rocket launchers, which, though not used in Operation Sindoor, are attracting global queries. India also has robust capability in the production of small arms and various types of ammunition, particularly 155mm shells, which are in high demand worldwide. Singh highlighted that public sector companies increased their defence exports by 40%, while private sector firms grew by 10%, contributing significantly to India's emergence as a reliable global weapons supplier. Operation Sindoor and Pakistan's Response Singh confirmed that during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces demonstrated their ability to strike deep inside Pakistani territory. 'Initially, we targeted only terrorist infrastructure. But when the Pakistan Army retaliated directly against our forces, it became clear these groups were their assets. In response, India struck multiple Pakistani military airfields — some of which remain out of commission,' he said. Following these strikes, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called for a ceasefire. Singh emphasized that such operations are followed by debriefs to assess performance. 'That process is ongoing. Lessons are being implemented for the future,' he added. Also Read: Pakistan caught red-handed again: FATF's new report exposes the dirty tricks of Islamabad
